What is the point of menstruation?
CrowdScience
BBC
4.8 • 1K Ratings
🗓️ 4 June 2021
⏱️ 41 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
It's a topic that's taboo in many cultures, yet it's also something nearly every woman experiences – on average upwards of 400 times throughout her life: menstruation.
Responding to a flood of questions from our CrowdScience listeners, Marnie Chesterton seeks to unpack how periods affect women physically, mentally and societally.
Why did humans evolve to have periods when fewer than two percent of mammals share our experience of menstrual cycles? Is it really a good use of our limited energy reserves? What can the little Egyptian spiny mouse teach us about PMS symptoms? We hear why periods may reduce the number of faulty embryos that implant and how more menstrual cycles may even increase our chances of developing certain types of cancer.
Finally, as the number of periods a woman has over the course of her life has more than quadrupled since the pre-industrial era, Marnie asks: Do we really still need to have them? Contributors: Dr Nadia Bellofiore, Hudson Institute of Medical Research at Monash University Dr Deena Emera, Buck Institute Lameck Kiula, Jambo for Development Sally King, Menstrual Matters & King's College London Dr Diana Mansour, New Croft Centre & Newcastle University
Presented by Marnie Chesterton Produced by Sam Baker and Melanie Brown for the BBC World Service
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Take some time for yourself with soothing classical music from the mindful mix, the Science of |
| 0:07.0 | Happiness Podcast. |
| 0:08.0 | For the last 20 years I've dedicated my career to exploring the science of living a happier more meaningful life and I want |
| 0:14.4 | to share that science with you. |
| 0:16.1 | And just one thing, deep calm with Michael Mosley. |
| 0:19.4 | I want to help you tap in to your hidden relaxation response system and open the door to that |
| 0:25.5 | calmer place within. Listen on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:31.6 | Hello and welcome to Crowd show that answers your science |
| 0:35.0 | I'm Marnie Chesterton and this is the show that answers your science questions on |
| 0:39.0 | anything big or small by badgering top experts from around the world. |
| 0:44.0 | If you read this on the side of a pill packet, |
| 0:47.0 | may cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea fatigue, dizziness, skin disorders, |
| 0:51.0 | irritability, mood swings, |
| 0:52.0 | general aches and pains, back pain, migraine |
| 0:53.5 | cramps, nostalgia, water attention and may also increase motion sickness, affect appetite, and sleep. |
| 0:58.2 | You might think twice about taking that drug, but these are the common side effects to a completely normal bodily function that half |
| 1:05.8 | of the population will experience every month for decades of their lives. |
| 1:10.9 | Oh yes we're doing the science of menstruation. |
| 1:15.0 | There's a heavy flow of period queries in our inbox from women and men alike, |
| 1:22.0 | so we decided it was time to tackle the bloody |
| 1:24.8 | topic. Our first question comes from listeners Sunny and Chen. |
| 1:28.8 | Hello my name is Sunny. Hello my name is Chen we are in Budapest Hungary and what's your question for |
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