Is it true that my menstrual cycle can sync with other menstruators?
Don't worry, if you're not a menstruator, or you're a first time menstruator, this is a valid question. But for those of you who have been menstruating, and talking about it, for a while now, you'll probably know that each individual has a slightly different cycle. Some cycles are 40 days while others are around 28. Some people bleed for 5-7 days while others only bleed for 2-3. Syncing is really hard to prove because of the logistics of period cycles.
This being said, a study done in 1971 about the menstrual synchronization myth - the McClintock Effect - suggested that pheromones and other factors can influence and shift periods for menstruators who live together. However there is still a lot of debate about this myth due to the statistical errors in the analysis. Many studies since have argued against it but it the myth has stayed alive through some other studies.
Stemming from a 1971 study published in Nature, the menstrual synchronization myth — called the McClintock Effect — suggests that pheromones or other factors can influence and shift periods for menstruators who live together. The results, based on observations of 135 Wellesley College students, have long been questioned. While a few studies had similar findings, many who duplicated her study think there were methodological errors as well as statistical errors in the analysis.
