“When was your last period?” For anyone who menstruates, this is a routine question during any visit to your doctor. Health care providers generally ask this to determine whether their patient is concerned about a menstrual problem, or a possible pregnancy, or whether menopause is approaching or has occurred. But rarely is the question discussed in the context of exploring menstrual experience as a “vital sign of health” throughout life.
In fact, many providers fail to recognize the fundamental role of the menstrual cycle in overall health. Menstrual experiences throughout the reproductive years and beyond can offer critical insights into a person’s overall well-being, akin to blood pressure, body temperature and heart rate. We are a medical sociologist and public health researcher who focuses on women’s health issues and a professor emerita of psychology who has studied menstrual experiences across the life span and worked to improve menstrual education and body literacy.
Although it may seem as though the menstrual cycle’s main role is to facilitate pregnancy, this is only part of its purpose. In fact, it is a cornerstone of overall health and well-being thoughout the reproductive years and into the menopausal transition. Understanding the menstrual cycle The menstrual cycle , or period, is a term that describes the sequence of events that occurs in the body that prepares for the possibility of pregnancy each month.
It is measured from the time of the first da.