We all know the feeling: You have a headache, the cramps start, and then all of a sudden you have a case of the runs too. Talking about periods isn’t always easy, but PBS Nova’s “Gross Science” host Anna Rothschild wanted to take away the baffling shame and secrecy around the incredibly basic event. That's why she devoted her latest episode of the hit web series to the topic, and answered some of your most pressing questions about that time of month. Periods “combine bodily fluids and sex, two topics that make some people a little squeamish. But they’re a totally normal part of life, and are experienced by about half the population.”
The answers are surprising, but also fascinating because you get to learn the science behind that time of the month. Rothschild explains that period blood is composed of cells from the uterus, immune cells, vaginal secretions, and blood. But your period also contains 385 unique proteins not found anywhere else in the bloodstream, and someday, doctors could use those proteins to diagnose reproductive issues.
Some women may also notice that they have more bowel movements during their period, and that's literally because their bowels are moving more. Prostaglandins, the hormone that causes the uterus to contract each month, can sometimes cause your bowels to contract as well. And progesterone, the hormone that “helps you maintain a pregnancy,” is “slightly constipating.” Because progesterone levels drop during your period, there’s less of it to regulate your bowels. But while scientists do know a lot about periods, there have been shockingly few studies done on the menstrual cycle – anthropologist Kathryn Clancy told Rothschild that it’s “one of those reasons that diversity in science is so important.”
Check out Teen Vogue’s March issue cover star, Zoë Kravitz.