Going with the flow: the emergence of menstrual science

Background

Menstruation is a universal human experience from menarche to menopause. It is estimated that approximately 26% of the global population menstruates, with approximately 800 million individuals menstruating each day.1 While menstruation is considered a healthy vital sign and physiological process within the reproductive age group, it is often associated with stigma and normalisation of pain. These factors, along with gaps in health literacy, contribute to the transformation of what should be a healthy and routine experience for much of the world’s population into a potentially distressing experience. Historically, women experienced far fewer lifetime menstrual cycles due to factors such as pregnancy, lactation, poor nutrition and shorter lifespans than their modern counterparts. In today’s world, women can expect to have over 400 menstrual cycles in their lifetime.2

Menstruation research

The study by DeLoughery et al3 in this issue of the Journal adds to our understanding of…

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