Why do women who work together tend to menstruate at the same time? Does living with other women make your menstrual cycle be commanded by pheromones? Do women who live in the same environment have PMS (premenstrual tension) at the same time?
It is no accident that this happens, there is a scientific explanation: studies have revealed that odors body, including the axillary ones, really affect menstrual cycles, these odors are pheromones The word pheromone derives from the Greek and means “that transmits excitement”. They are substances that act as messengers, triggering predictable physiological and behavioral responses.
Pheromones are chemical messengers in the human being, instead of acting on the individual's own body, they act on the other person. It would be a "chemical communication" between beings of the same species. The substance responsible for period regulation in women is the steroid 5-a-androst-16-en-3-alpha-ol.
Most women who live with or near other women adjust the timing of their menstrual cycle with each other. This phenomenon is common among women who work together for a long time.
A recent study exposed a group of women in contact with each other's sweat. This made their menstrual cycles advance or slow down to match those of their peers, this was proof that people produce and respond to pheromones. But it is worth remembering that this phenomenon is only valid for women who have a natural cycle, that is, there is no interference from other hormones like those found in birth control pills.
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By Líria Alves
Brazil School Team
Curiosities - Brazil School
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SOUZA, Líria Alves de. "The hormone that influences the menstrual cycle"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/curiosidades/o-hormonio-que-influi-no-ciclo-menstrual.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.