We started writing about the myths about periods that guys believe in. Soon enough, it was clear that some of these period myths might not be exclusive to guys.
There are plenty of women who grow up believing the things taught to them by their mothers, sisters, school friends, bad gynecologists, or that creepy old uncle we call the internet.
So regardless of your sex, let’s forget those unverified facts from the internet so that you can learn some… unverified facts from the internet.
1. Periods Aren’t Always ‘That Time of the Month’
Periods don’t perfectly line up with the months. We’re unsure if we can call this a period myth or just sheer human stupidity.
Months are arbitrary divisions of a year, so there’s no reason a woman’s menstrual cycle1 should be perfectly monthly. Yet I’ve consistently encountered guys riding around with this assumption.
2. Periods Don’t Always Last the Same Number of Days
Sometimes, you’ll think the bloodbath is all over, and then you get a surprise visit. So no, periods don’t always last for the same time.
3. Period Blood Isn’t How You Imagine It
Makes sense since it’s your uterine lining2. However, some women’s periods are thin and watery. Too descriptive? The devil’s in the details, lads.
4. It Is Possible to Get Pregnant on Your Period
A common misconception is that you can’t get pregnant while on your period. Although this is unlikely, it is possible for some women whose periods overlap with their next ovulation.
You can get pregnant on your period even if you don’t have this overlap. Consider women with short menstrual cycles who begin ovulating 3-4 days after they finish their period.
If they have sex on their last period day, they can still get pregnant, as sperm can live for up to 5 days when inside you!
5. Periods Are Not a Girl’s Worst Fear
You typically see this in first-time boyfriends: a girl’s period breaks and the guy starts panicking because he feels he has to fix something.
Newsflash: Unless she’s a late bloomer and it’s her first time, she’s been having this every month for a while. So, it’s not a problem, it’s just another day at work.
We hope this info made you a wee bit smarter and that you’ll put it to good use. In other words, next time you want to get down and dirty while on your period, just use the bloody condom.
- Mihm, M., S. Gangooly, and S. Muttukrishna. “The normal menstrual cycle in women.” Animal reproduction science 124.3-4 (2011): 229-236. ↩︎
- Rodriguez, I., C. Jimenez, and A. Hernandez. “A microscopical study of uterine lining modification, binucleate cell numbers and trophoblastic development, at day 14, 20 and 24 of gestation in single and multiple pregnancies in sheep.” Small Ruminant Research 35.2 (2000): 163-168. ↩︎
Last Updated on by Namrata