Fact check: Monthly periods are healthy, normal for women, not a sign of toxicity
The claim: Women having periods isn’t normal
A Jan. 30 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) made an unusual claim about the menstrual cycle.
“That’s crazy we really grew up thinking having a period is normal & ITS NOT,” reads the post.
It was shared more than 500 times in two days.
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Our rating: False
Monthly menstruation is normal and healthy for women, though the length and severity of periods can vary. A women's health expert told Paste BN it is abnormal for women of childbearing age to not get periods and can indicate the presence of other health issues.
Not having periods could signal health issues
Each month, approximately 1.8 billion people around the world menstruate, according to UNICEF.
The Cleveland Clinic's website says it would be abnormal for a woman of childbearing age to not menstruate unless she was pregnant, breastfeeding or going through menopause.
Dr. Camille Moreno, medical director of the university's Midlife Women's Health and Menopausal Medicine program, agreed.
"It's actually not having periods that is pathological or that could be a problem versus having menstrual bleeding," she said.
In one of the post’s comments, the Facebook user asserted periods are a sign of the body “being in a TOXIC state.”
But that claim, which has been circulating since at least 2017, is baseless too. The University of Utah published an article at the time debunking the claim, which it said was being spread by an array of vegan bloggers and YouTube content creators.
Fact check: No, coconut oil can't change your menstrual cycle
Moreno said menstruation is the body's natural way of discarding monthly buildup of the uterine lining that prepares a woman for potential pregnancy. It's inaccurate to describe that lining as a toxin, Moreno said.
The absence of periods is a condition called amenorrhea. Primary amenorrhea is when a girl reaches age 15 without getting a period, while secondary amenorrhea is the absence of at least three periods in a row for someone who's had them before.
A variety of factors can cause the condition, such as being pregnant, going through menopause, taking certain medications or contraceptives or having a low body weight, according to the Mayo Clinic.
A "normal" period can vary from person to person, but Moreno said the typical menstrual cycle is between 21 and 35 days.
Changes in bleeding patterns could indicate an underlying health condition, such as polycystic ovary syndrome or early menopause. That's why Moreno said it's important to track periods and not rely on social media to address concerns.
"Backing up your understanding with credible sources would be helpful, and one way is to see your healthcare professional," Moreno said.
Paste BN reached out to the user who shared the claim for comment.
Our fact-check sources:
- Dr. Camille Moreno, Feb. 9, Phone interview with Paste BN
- UNICEF, accessed Feb. 1, Menstrual hygiene
- Cleveland Clinic, Jan. 18, Irregular Periods
- Mayo Clinic, Feb. 18, 2021, Amenorrhea
- University of Utah, June 12, 2017, Your Period Is Not Toxic
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