The science of menstruation in 10 minutes | Dr. Jen Gunter
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- Опубликовано: 23 июл 2024
- Humans don’t have pheromones, women’s periods do not sync up with one another, and there’s no scientific evidence that a menstrual cycle lasts 28 days. OB-GYN and health communicator Dr. Jen Gunter explains.
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There have been many misconceptions about women’s health in recent decades, resulting in a widespread lack of proper education on menstrual science. According to Gunter, this can be incredibly harmful, as it perpetuates myths, leads to misunderstandings about normal menstrual health, and prevents people from advocating for themselves effectively.
In just 10 minutes, Gunter explains ovulation, the reason for menstrual cramps, the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, and the potential dangers of commonly used period-tracking apps. Finally, Gunter reiterates the need for better menstrual health education to combat ignorance and misinformation, which can have serious implications for women's health and autonomy.
0:00 Medicine & myths
1:38 Which mammals menstruate?
1:58 What is a menstrual cycle?
2:38 The science of menstruation: the decidua
4:38 Evolution’s curse: period side effects
7:59 “Breeders”: Data dystopia
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About Jen Gunter:
Dr. Jen Gunter is an internationally bestselling author, obstetrician, and gynecologist with more than three decades of experience as a vulvar and vaginal diseases expert. Considered “the world's most famous-and outspoken-gynecologist,” (The Guardian), her New York Times and USA Today bestselling books, The Vagina Bible and The Menopause Manifesto, have been translated into 25 languages. She is the host of Jensplaining, a CBC/Amazon Prime video series that highlights the impact of medical misinformation on women, and the recipient of the 2020 NAMS Media Award from The North American Menopause Society. Her 2020 TED Talk, “Why Can’t We Talk About Periods?” received more than two million views in its first six months, leading to the launch of her popular podcast on the TED Audio Collective, “Body Stuff with Dr. Jen Gunter.” Originally from Winnipeg, Canada, she lives with her sons in San Francisco,CA.
"We are definitely seeing a shift toward viewing women solely as 'breeders' and that your life has less value than your role as basically carrying a pregnancy. I don't think we can sound enough alarms about that." Very well said.
Indeed, people should be humanized as individuals, not as breeding machines (for women) nor as disposable meat bags in war (for men).
Nowadays, women in Brazil are facing a regression in abortion laws. Our congress passed a law that criminalizes girls and women if they attempt to abort after 22 weeks, even in cases of rape and anencephaly. They can be penalized with more than 20 years in jail, which is harsher than the punishment for rapists, who can be jailed for just 10 years.
😢😮
Murder is a worse crime than rape.
@@RenegadeShepTheSpacer , no uterus, no opinion…
What kind of backward ass law Is THAT?!
@@RenegadeShepTheSpaceryou can have that senseless debate somewhere else
Here to better understand human health.
Same here 😊
Can we stop saying "there's no scientific proof of that" when it is a fact that there is BARELY scientific research on periods and menstruation? Let the people who bleed come up with remedies that assist them, such as syncing their cycle with their training/workout schedule.
100%.
Exactly like is a woman's experience, not valid research? I understand though, loved the rest of the video
Saying that does not imply that their experiences are invalid. Even the placebo effect is enough to be significant help to people. However, most the time, it a necessary statement to make about various claims. When such things aren’t said, those claims can usually be misinterpreted and developed into something completely false or become pseudoscience sold as “legit” )
@elinacheslyaeva5770 saying that in **this** case renders all our personal research as well as trials & errors as invalid. In **this** case they cannot claim that we dont have proof when they dont have proof either!
I came here to write this! We do what helps us, regardless of there being data! Doctors and researchers never bothered to study the female body and generate data about women!
I find this really sad. Even till now; we don't know much nor does there seem to be an improvement on women's health (eg. Gynae tools still used, preganc pushing techniques, periods etc.). Even with other doctors and researchers trying to bridge the gap; there's not enough of them for it to be effective nor recognised.
There’s not enough research on women’s bodies
My home state of Odisha, India is celebrating an ancient, 3 days long festival of "Raja Parba" starting today, which is to celebrate menstruation and womanhood. (I haven't heard of any other similar festivals anywhere.)
This video couldn't be posted at a better time. 😃
That's really cool!
Please stay in India. Thank you.
@@Marc-io8qm Go back to /pol/.
That is so cool!!!
Rude for no reason? Very cool. @@Marc-io8qm
"Good enough"
- Nature.
I am a guy and I winced many times while watching this. Gotta appreciate these sacrifices that women make for mankind.
I admire ur effort on learning! This what we need from multiple individuals in society!! But personally I don’t think it’s sacrifice. But women do sacrifice alot more than each get credit for. Also reason why effort to helping any women, whether they’re colleagues, family or just passing by on the train. Offering lil help or just kind words that they’re amazing can really be great nd boost.
*humankind
We are not here to do any sacrifice for humankind. It is not our duty. As the doctor said, many people have and is considering us as the ones to be sacrificed for humanity. So, please, do not appreciate that.
I’m a girl and winced too
I understand the intent of your comment but I'm not so sure about the wording... People who have periods don't "make" sacrifices because they don't actually choose to have periods, it's something that happens TO them and that they have to deal with because they don't have a choice.
I think I'm going to ignore these comments of angry paranoid people and take the word of a person who's studied and experienced in the field they're talking about instead. 🤔
Hey. People who study and have experience can be angry and paranoid too! Hehe
When you read enough experts, you can find out they don’t all agree, so, don’t just take this doctor’s word for everything. Especially her concerns about data and abortions.
@djksan1 I've actually been invested into this topic for years at this point. I watch many professionals talk about these exact thing, including my own doctor. All of them seem to have very similar conclusions.
Can we please do some education about the difference between viable pregnancies and ectopic pregnancy, false pregnancy, tumor-based abortive experiences, and other menstrual or pregnancy related outcomes that may require or cause an abortive event that is not triggered by the woman experiencing them.
+++
As a male science teacher- this was really eye opening
Great video! I am a menstrual educator from Ecuador and love to find a new author and thinker in this topic. Sadly, the history and foundation of every topic related to femenized bodies are full of superstitious beliefs, misogyny and man supremacy ideas. We need to learn everything again!
Hello fellow Ecuadorian 🥰 I agree, I wish you the best in your journey ✨🙏🏻
Absolutely love this! There’s so much misinformation around menstruation and not a topic talked about enough!!
I never knew that it's normal for your cycle to change from month to month. Thank you Dr. Gunter!
Very useful, thank you. For those of us whose lives were upended and #$% ed up by extreme periods, talking about it would have been REALLY helpful!!
Watching this in bed waiting for the painkillers medication effect to kick in, damn you period cramps.
As a childfree woman I hate that I have to suffer through this every month - cramps, body ache, headache, dizzy, diarrhea, vomit, exhaustion... menopause can't come soon enough 😢
Same here, laying in bed. I somehow find educational videos and memes about the period kind of soothing in these days.
About having to suffer every month even if you don't plan on having children: there are contraceptive methods that actually make you stop having periods, because it regulates the hormones in your body in a way that it "thinks" it's not the time to prepare the womb for a baby. I am no expert in this, but my sister is a midwife and she told me about it that there are contraceptive methods that can rid you of having a period, even for years. Just spreading the word, I think not too many women know about it.
@@GyuriVanda93can you please tell us more about the specifics?
@@exceptionallyrisoI don’t know about the science but I have suspected endometriosis (“suspected” because it can only be diagnosed surgically) and I get an injection of the birth control Depoprovera every 10 weeks. It totally removes my period and symptoms except for some minor spotting a week before the shot. It’s been amazing for me because I no longer have horrible pain, stomach problems, and extreme mood swings. The vaccine is a little pricey ($50CAD) but my insurance covers a good chunk and it’s money I’d be spending on menstrual products anyway
@@exceptionallyrisoadding onto this : you can also use an IUD but those are...well, infinitely more painful and harder to get in. For the less painful alternative, contraceptive pills originally intended as birth control do also help get rid of your periods. Just talk to your gynaecologist if you're unsure. If you're worried about the consultation price, do your research online, but I'd always recommend talking to a professional first.
My wife left university with an honours degree in Philosophy .. she was, however, prone to bouts of bipolar mania and as a consequence became pregnant ... and had five abortions by the time she was 25 (when I met her). This was back in the 90s and I now feel that if the doctors had focused on providing her with contraceptive medication that stabilised her hormones we might still be together. The change in her behaviour during her fertile periods was quite extraordinary. The medication she was prescribed for her bipolar was ineffective in quelling her sex drive. She ended up being sectioned (against my wishes), was put on an antipsychotic ... and nothing was done to keep male patients away from her. She obviously needed something more than just a run of the mill contraceptive.
That sounds like PMDD... or PME if she is bipolar since you say it's tied to her hormone fluctuations.
Just watching this video about periods is enough to give me cramps
LOLOLOL 😂💛 I get the feeling hope you are well though!
Are cramps stomach pain?
@@Amor_fati.Memento_Mori Great question. I’ve experienced various type of stomach pain, having IBS and being lactose intolerant 🤭 Sharp, spasmodic, stabbing, bloating or more raw kind of pain. I’ve only ever fainted from period pain though. I’m sorry, I’ve not answered your question and am wasting your time!
Period pain (cramps) for me tends is focussed in the lowest part of the abdomen and lower. It’s quite a raw kind of pain that can come in waves of intensity or be a dull, persistent ache that can be quite draining on occasion. Heat really helps.
Have you ever experienced relief from applying heat to a stomach ache?
I am lucky as I’ve not endured the unimaginable pain some woman with PCOS and other conditions experience.
Ummm… wow I really hope someone out there can do a better job than I have.
But again, thanks for the great question 😊
@@mpras684 You did just as fine job babes 🫶 perfect explanation
THANK YOU!! I hated the trend where people were trying to sell us “Pheromones” to attract a partner. I kept yelling at my screen saying ITS NOT REAL 😭
An intelligent primer on menstrual periods. I thank science monthly for giving me ibuprophen!
Heck yes! Nothing works on period cramp pain like an NSAID!!
Love me some midol. At 47, the pain is real. 2 days a month, I'm out.
Ibuprophen is great against prostaglandins, try avoiding caffeine and red meats too for a few days, it helps a lot.
@@jercasgavIf only they didn’t cause gastritis in certain cases 😭 it seems like we can’t win
We need more people to watch educational videos like these. Can’t wait to get my hands on your book!
I'm 44 and have had my period since age 9 and I am just so ready to be done with this unnecessary ridiculousness that brings no benefit to my life.
**Keep abortion and birth control safe and legal.**
Actually the decline in estrogen
due to menopause causes a whole myriad of health issues. Estrogen is a protective hormone, it is anti inflamatory, and every cell in a woman's body has estrogen receptors. Not having a period is not as sunshine and rainbows as you may think.
Thank you for posting this❤
This video is so important, thank you for posting.
TBH I think schools need to teach more about puberty, and to NOT SEPARATE by female/male. Thankfully my elementary school didn't separate us & we learned the basics of both reproductive systems. They only taught about the physical process of a menstrual cycle & the production of semen. They've gotta teach kids about the hormones during puberty & not just that you might get varying levels of acne & some mood swings.
Thank you for posting this. It’s very informative.
Great video! Thank you
Big fan of Dr. Jen Gunter, thank you Dr. Gunter and thank you Big Think for creating this!
I would like to share my period experience that is supported by ONE study mentioned on the NIH website...
I have had low iron my whole life but am only now being treated for it at 40. I started getting my period late in high school and they've been debilitating for 20 years. I started taking iron sulfate supplements under doctor supervision. Recently I upped the dosage as I was still experiencing fatigue and other symptoms. Well it's been 90 days since the increase - and six months since I initially began taking the supplements - my periods are much different. I no longer have a heavy flow or sickening cramps or horrible pain when using the bathroom. I do get pre and post spotting, which is annoying. But I'd rather have the spotting than the absolute hell I was going through before.
There are hardly any studies for this but my experience lines up exactly with the one study I was able to find.
Excellent summation. Thank you.
We should have deep love, respect, and compassion for women, especially when their monthly friend visits them. 💕☮🌎🌌
Literally about to cry because I have always felt like I’m just a “breeder” since I was a child with health class and adults just reinforcing that idea. Every woman and young girl needs to watch this! I am so thankful this popped up on my fyp 😊
Very informative, thanks for posting this!
Thank you for talking about dysmenorrhoea so openly. Definitely not enough attention paid to it. The pain can be very severe indeed.
gave me chills! Thanks for making this video
Thank you so much, videos like these are so important not just to women but all people. Thank you so much.
I'm glad to find this content on youtube i can understand my body better thank you big think .
Keep abortion and birth control SAFE and LEGAL
What a great video. Our bodies are AMAZING!
I really love that melody at the beggining!
Thank you for posting this video. This is very informative.
Thanks!
Thank you for this video
Thank you for sharing
Nice and informative. 👍
I use App to track my menstrual cycle and it’s very close to accurate as I have 28 days cycle so maybe it goes 29 or hardly 30. But my periods are very painful during first two days then after it goes back to normal.
Thank you for validating those of us with irregular periods! I was never able to see the utility of period apps lol
I'm close to my period right now and this video almost made me cry 🤣
great video
I just don’t want to get violently ill anymore when it happens 🙏
Thank you for sharing words that matter 🩷🩵
Very educative video
GREAT VIDEO
As someone experiencing irregular periods for the first time in my life at 43, had some testing done and so far nothing abnormal found, put on a bunch of meds to try to regulate it. It's more than likely peri-menopause, and the last 2 months have been miserable.
Was not aware there are those who blame themselves rather than the app for being "irregular". Worth adding this on apps as a disclaimer, that your body is not to blame for these changes (or at least that you don't need to guilt yourself over their occurrence).
This is so cool.
Im on my period while watching this vid and all of a sufden i have sharp pain on my lower back 🤨
You guys should do an episode on endometriosis
Could you please release a video about menstruation on birth control pills? I would love to know more about it.
I wonder how many men will watch this?
😂 I'm watching
@@khoadangbui9451 I’m glad! I grew up in a world where Kotex advertising was just starting on TV. If it came on when my brother was in the room he would just be disgusted. He wasn’t a bad person but conditioned by society to feel this way. His discomfort was more important than mine. Having to purchase feminine hygiene products was an exercise in embarrassment. As a young girl I was offended to realize that one half of the world was disgusted by a natural process the other half experienced. My husband may have been the same as a young person but was wonderful with me, kind and supportive and would even venture out to purchase the necessities of needed without batting an eye. I came to feel that most men needed to just suck it up and I no longer tried to hide what I was going through - admitting I had cramps at work for instance. By the time menopause (which wasn’t even touched on here) came along with its myriad of changes the men in my world went through it with me. Hot flashes be damned! The thing is, I actually felt my most feminine and powerful during these times. The fact that you are here is so encouraging - especially with the backward mindset of a lot of American politics towards women. What would be the best policy is to teach men to respect, and supporting their women as they go through these processes and get over themselves.
I’m watching
@@khoadangbui9451thank you
Same here
I used to have an absurd amount of difficulty coming to terms with the fact that I personally don't have periods and that the other half of the population has to deal with them while I don't. It felt like life was going way too easy on me. What I realise now is that the only way to combat this is to actually help those who struggle through it. Be there for them, offer support, get them pads or whatever they need if they ask for them. It will make things a little easier for yourself and for others.
I wish this video was a part of the basic curriculum in every country
Great great video very informative. As a woman I’m very lucky. Always regular , pain free periods.
But one thing that hurts me watch some pseudo science gurus. Telling women they are suffering from reproductive problems because are listening their feminine energy!!! Blaming the Victim. Thank you for this vídeo
I like menstruating, but it changes my mood so much during PMS. The last 6 years I've had experiences that led me into depression, but my life was hell for 2 of the 4 weeks of a month. In the PMS week, everything I felt was just too much, the sadness, the rage, the loneliness, the shame, my thoughts used to be so self-deprecating, I could lay in bed for hours. I had a Copper IUD, hence the pain hit HARD the following week. This year, I changed to Mirena IUD, so I don't menstruate anymore and everything is better, my relationships are better, my emotions are felt and gone, I'm in control, I feel like living again ^^ I still have self-deprecating thoughts (which are an habit I'm trying to break) and feel cramps, but nothing compares, I used to throw up because of the nausea caused by pain.
Thank you for sharing this video!
Sorry,, still listening.. gotta get this book!!
I love how the comments on this video illustrate SO MANY other bs that also needs to die 😂
Ikr? I don't get why people are already done with her 😅
Or are getting super worked up about anything
i get my periods for 2 days only and also the flow is not high, is it okay?
Some of these comments are making me wonder what these people are doing watching a channel with the word *think* it its name.
Yeah, imagine thinking men can be women and menstruate, right? Lmao
That part
. Usually i had severe pain on the first day. Someone told me if your diet is really healthy you won’t get pain. Next month i had few dates daily and the next period i had no pain . Whenever my diet is not well balanced i get pain.
In case you get pain a solution that worked well for me was chew a pinch of cumin seeds .
In my culture the cumin seeds thing is actually very common! We call it jeera and usually put it in water to drink.
Oh, can you please talk about PCOS?
I thought it might be a good idea, with the best of intentions, to watch this video; in part, because I'm a man
I must say that it was a good decision. I learned a lot, and developed a deeper appreciation for what half of my species goes through because they are the ones to carry a fetus. I'm sure that being pregnant, carrying a child, and bringing it into the world are wondrous experiences, but thank you very much as I'm quite happy with my role in that process. More than happy to run to Wawa at 11pm for the B&J icecream of your choice.
I love where this video ended. A very much “wake up to reality” moment of where these laws are taking us. 😮💨 sad, but it needs to be talked about.
It’s a shame we don’t have an estrous cycle 🥲 or absorb the lining after or something.
This video was very informative, thank you so much for your wisdom in this matter!!! 🩷
My friend is nearly cramp free with the raspberry leaf tea she drinks!
I take Chlorophyll gel caps and pumpkin seed oil for no cramping
Who needs an app to track menstrual cycles? I have been marking mine on a calendar!
Also, it would be interesting to know for women who have taken anti depressants/mood stabilizers before the have their first period. (eg. Like me. Was forced to take a medication combination when I was about 10 years old then got my first period when I was 14 years old) if such then proceeds to make PMS/Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) symptoms even more unbearable later on in life. Anti depressants/mood stabilizers do chemically impact the brain..... in order to supposedly make you feel better. (Never did for me. Did the opposite.) What's to say it couldn't proceed to actually mess up your nervous/endocrine systems thus giving you suicidal thoughts for 3 out of the 4 weeks within a month when your life is actually much less stressful and you have nothing to be really stressed/sad about?? (Taking from experience here.)
I can deal with the physical aspects of menstruation. (Yes, cramps can be a pain, bleeding is uncomfortable. etc.) But I am seriously at the stage where I want to either get uterine lining ablation or a complete hysterectomy to be free from said physical annoyances. Having to deal with the physical and the emotional shit show at the same time is not the way to live life! Not to mention the fact that I am still single, have never had a happy long lasting relationship in my entire life, really do want to become a mother, but has almost lost all hope for such to happen... and being reminded at every cycle that your clock is ticking... Such a damn curse it is!
The menstrual cycle is so much more than monthly bleeding. Our cycle affects our health and daily activities in women. I had an irregular period for month affecting my health in many ways, turns out my brain was also impacting my period. Quite interesting that many organs have an influence on our period where there is not so much research about it.
I like Dr. Gunter pink suits. So cool and feminine!
I wish my period didn’t make me more anxious and make everything in life seem like a bigger deal than it is 😣 But I’ve always at least had mild cramps.
I couldn't understand people who say that pain in labor feels like pain in a period 😶 It may be so in the beginning but not further...
You don't need to understand since you don't experience it. You can simply acknowledge that some people go through that extreme pain. Perhaps you didn't intent to be dismissive but articulate yourself carefully when it comes to other people's experiences and do not compare with yours.
@@prolozaloser4461 I'm not sure, that you got my message. I meant the pain in labor is much worse than the pain in period and I don't know how they could be compared. What's wrong?
@@prolozaloser4461 in a period you don't experience something like attempts. But I had attempts during 1 hour (instead of the usual 5-10 minutes). It feels like you are tearing up from the inside 🤷♀️ labor and period are just unsimilar. You may experience a strong pain in a period but it isn't similar to labor
@@fossaflute you dont know if it is comparable for other people is clearly what he is saying???
@@painterlyrabbit do you say hypothetically or do you know some women who suffered in a period more than in labor?
30 second in and already shocked …
It bothers me so much how people dismiss the fertility awareness method as terrible. It is SO effective if you are diligent and patient with your tracking. Relying on an app is never the answer, and it's sad that laziness has given the method a bad reputation.
Truly wish that there was this kind of info (and less myths) when I was growing up. Would have given me peace of mind and probably helped to deal better but the horrible pain. Hoping all PEOPLE menstruating get this and better info over time (yes, I said people! As a woman my femininity does not feel threatened by whatever way others identify themselves)
Lmao 🤣
Only real women menstruate. You are literally complaining about "myths" but are spreading another myth in the same comment. Impeccable logic.
Your right to female-only spaces is threatened and these are crucial for females' well-being and safety. If you can't call police on creepy dude in woman's bathroom because he will call you transphobic and you may even loose your job for that, then you are in danger. Think about why those spaces were established in the first place. If you don't need female spaces then use gender neutral ones but don't make decision for all women, including little girls and those with traumas who don't want to change in front of people with male bodies.
it's crazy how these replies made assumptions
I lived with a woman for a few months and we never synced up the way woman say they do in shared working environments. I had a feeling that was based in myth
Lo, growing up in Germany, a "developed" country my sex ed in the year 2018 was still all about menstruation as connected to pregnancy, also I remember the thing that they mostly taught us was "DON'T HAVE SEX!" and if you do "DON'T GET PREGNANT!"
i want one with performance en hance steroids
Please bring back the U by Kotex tampons from 2 yrs ago. The current products DO NOT WORK. As a woman that has a heavier flow I’ve gotten an IUD in hopes of ending my monthly dilemma.
Look up for a menstrual cup. Give it a try.
My sister has a heavy flow, too. With the menstrual cup she deals with it so much better. At least, she doesn´t have to change her tampon hourly anymore.
Is it normal to not have any cramps or pain during menstruation
Yeah, some people are lucky
This video is unfair to the Fertility Awareness Method. You’re not supposed to rely solely on an app, you have to study a little bit in order to understand your symptoms yourself.
For me the FAM has done wonders, a natural method that helps you understand your own body and learn a lot about your health.
The app failed to predict my period a few times and I knew it was wrong from the begining because I also chart my symptoms with pen and paper.
Watching this while having cramps 😂😢
Me too 😅
I've taken Ibuprofen 😃👍
@@whitneyprosperityibruprofen? Didn't know this syrup/tablet is popular all around the world? It's a tablet we take in Pakistan
@msvh-l9616 it is really international medicine 😀
Here to educate myself and hopefully be a better partner, a better friend and a better future dad, weather it is helping my little princess or educating my little prince 😇
It might just simply be the functions of the cells in the uterus to regenerate and reproduce, Not so much a catchers mitt for the implantation of an embryo. That might simply cause another form of growth apart from the natural cell growth of the uterus.
I'm a person who has menstrual cycle :) No ones saying she is a woman
you are a female who has a menstrual cycle.
I’m on mine right now 😊
💚💚💚
Imagine trying to shit out Shaqs' shoe..just one...
Period synchronization is 100% I experienced it many many times....so I can't be convinced otherwise
💯
That thing that men don't get
Definitely we have pheromones. We produce smell and BO. Some people like it; Some people do not. But there can definitely create strong attractions or repellents