Is period syncing real? It’s a question that has been debated for years, with some people convinced that it is indeed a very real phenomenon, while others doubt its validity. The concept of period syncing involves the idea that, when women live together or in immediate proximity to each other, their menstrual cycles converge over time. This phenomenon has been a topic of discussion in scientific circles and in popular culture, but what does the evidence suggest?
How It All Began
The idea of period syncing was first proposed by Martha McClintock in 1971, in her paper “Menstrual Synchrony and Suppression”, which appeared in the Nature science journal. In her study, she found that when women lived together, their menstrual cycles became more similar over time, leading to the conclusion that period syncing was indeed real. Since then, numerous studies have been conducted to test the validity of period syncing, and the results have consistently found mixed evidence.
Some studies have found evidence for period syncing among roommates or other close females, such as among mother-daughter pairs. For example, a study by Brown et al (2019) looked at mother-daughter pairs and found that sometimes they had similar menstrual cycles. Similarly, a study conducted by Utting et al (2006) examined the menstrual cycles of college roommates and also found an association between their periods.
On the other hand, many other studies have failed to find any evidence whatsoever for period syncing. One study by Condon et al (2007) looked at female prison inmates who were living in close quarters, and found no significant difference in their menstrual cycle length despite their living together for extended periods of time. Similarly, another study by Klapilová et al (2009) looked at groups of female friends who lived apart from one another yet had nearly identical menstrual cycle lengths, which suggests period syncing due to prolonged physical proximity could not account for this similarity. Given how variable female ovarian cycles are, yet another study by JC Schank (2000) holds that true synchronization of the menstrual cycle is near-impossible, as matching over multiple cycles is highly unlikely.
Syncing Up with the Evidence
In summary, when it comes to period syncing, the evidence is inconclusive, as some studies show positive associations, while others fail to find any significant difference in cycle lengths despite the women studied living in close proximity. One possible explanation for the conflicting results could be related to pheromones, which are chemicals released by our bodies that have been suggested to play a role in period synchrony among women. Pheromones are believed to be secreted through sweat or saliva, and can affect the hormones involved in regulating our menstrual cycles, such as estrogen or progesterone. The varying levels of these hormones in different women could explain why period synchrony is seen among some women but not others – depending on how sensitive they may be to pheromones produced by the women around them.
In conclusion, while period syncing has been studied extensively over the years, there is still no consensus as to whether it is real, due to conflicting findings across different studies. There appear to be certain factors such as pheromones or proximity that may play an important role in period syncing, but further research will need to be done before we can come up with concrete conclusions about whether or not this intriguing phenomenon is real.
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings