12 Surprising Period Facts You’ve Never Heard Before

You might think that since you’ve had a period for a decade or more at this point, you know pretty much everything there is to know about it, but is that actually true? Probably not. Here are some other facts about your period that will probably blow your mind.

1. You can lose up to a cup of blood during one period. This obviously varies from person to person, but you can lose anywhere from four tablespoons to as much as a cup of blood during your period.  Other sources state that it could be 30 to 40 ml and usually less than 80 ml. A heavy flow could indicate a health issue, especially if it’s abnormal.
2. A woman has about 450 periods in her life. A woman in an industrialized country, that is. In prehistoric times, that number was almost 300 lower, according to the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals. That’s a whole lot of tampons and pads to go through.
3. The moon can have an effect on our menstrual cycle. That’s right, the moon controls our tide as well as the ocean’s. A new study in the Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica  found a relationship between the menstrual and lunar cycles. Of the 826 female volunteers with normal cycles, 28.3 % occurred during the new moon. At other times during the lunar month, the biggest grouping of women menstruating during a certain phase was just 8.5% to 12.6% of the participants.
4. Science can’t prove women sync up. There have been small studies that could potentially demonstrate the phenomena, but they’ve been brought into question. Larger, more recent studies like the 2006 study titled “Women Do Not Synchronize Their Menstrual Cycles,” writes that “while menstrual synchrony among women is widely believed to occur and argued to be adaptive, its very existence is scientifically controversial.” You can read up on these studies here.
5. You bleed more than just blood. If bleeding out of your vagina isn’t gross enough, turns out our period “blood” is also made up of endometrial cells (AKA your uterine lining) and clots. Self, with the help of women’s health expert Jennifer Wider, M.D., does a good job of explaining it.
6. Your period changes your voice. Researchers in Croatia have actually measured vocal changes in over 60 women over their menstrual cycle. The results showed that women not on birth control had changes in their pitch throughout their cycle. Because women on birth control didn’t have any variation, hormonal changes during your menses seem to be the cause.
7. You can still get pregnant while on your period. While the chances of getting pregnant on your period are low, it’s not impossible. A woman is fertile up until she has her period and soon after, so if you’re cycle is on the shorter side, you can even be fertile very early in your cycle, when you’re still finishing up your period. To be healthy and happy, just use a condom.
8. PMS symptoms are similar to being pregnant. In both cases, you’ll notice brest tenderness, cramps, moodiness, fatigue, and cravings (albeit very different types of cravings). You can learn more about these similarities here.
9. PMS can affect your brain and emotions. PMS has actually become a legit criminal defense because the severe hormonal changes can make women violent. It helped several women in the UK either be acquitted or receive lower sentences in crimes ranging from murder to arson. It can also make you spend more money. PMS has also been found to make women “stupider” in that the pain can reduce attention span and cognitive performance. Thankfully, it’s temporary.
10. You can bleed from other places while on your period. A condition called vicarious menstruation can cause you to bleed from other areas of your body such as your ears and your mouth. Some could even bleed from the eyes, according to one study. Another case presented painful and bloody ulcers on the leg for the duration of the period. By the way, it’s still period blood coming out of these body parts.
11. Men are scientifically less attracted to you while you’re on your period. You may be hornier when on your period, but many men want nothing to do with you while mother nature is visiting.  Animal studies proved that a man’s testerone levels (the hormone that makes both all genders frisky) is influenced by a woman’s scent, and when she’s ovulating, testerone levels do not inccrease. A study in 2010 found that men’s T-levels were higher when smelling a t-shirt of an ovulating woman than a non-ovulating woman. Coupled by the fact that you’re out of commission for a few days and the ick factor, it’s not surprising that you have a serious lull in your sex life just when you need it the most.
12. Walt Disney made a “period” piece. Back before it was cool to talk about your period, Walt Disney actually created a 10 minute video titled “The Story of Menstruation” in 1946. We should definitely bring that back. You can watch this short here.