According to a study done
by menstrual cycle tracking app Clue, and the University of Oxford,
women's periods do not magically align like the stars or Olympic
swimmers because they spend a lot of time together. Contrary to popular
belief, whether they're siblings, best friends or a mother-daughter
pair, women's bodies do not find a way to menstruate at the same time -
ever - regardless of emotional closeness, physical proximity, pillow
fights or braiding each others’ hair.
"According to these results, cycles are actually more likely to diverge (get out of sync) over time," the study said.
Analyzing the data of three months' worth of cycles in 360 pairs of
women showed that 273 duos, over 75 percent of them, had a larger
difference in period start dates at the end of the trial than at the
beginning. Only 79 pairs showed the opposite results, with the gap in
their cycle start dates lessening.
The Clue study is the latest to debunk the McClintock Effect,
published in 1971, that tried to demonstrate the existence of an "alpha
uterus," (not kidding) with "strong hormonal pull that influences the
cycles around it to ovulate and menstruate in unison." No scientific
evidence has been found to substantiate the existence of said mythical,
dominant uterus.
The data was collected by Clue and lead researcher Dr. Alexandra
Alvergne. "We'd like to continue to do more analysis on this topic and
others in the under-researched field of female health," the study said.
Maybe having a woman at the helm will lead to more scientific-based
hypothesis about the female body than an angry, bossy uterus.
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