Tag: menstrual cycle

A new Hertility Health study, the largest analysis of menstrual cycle awareness in UK women to date reveals widespread gaps in how women understand their own cycles, with significant implications for reproductive health, early diagnosis of PCOS and endometriosis, and clinical care. The menstrual cycle is increasingly recognised as a vital sign of overall health, a window into hormonal function that can signal everything from irregular ovulation to conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis. Yet a major new Hertility Health study reveals that for a significant proportion of UK women, their own menstrual cycle length remains unknown to them. Published in the peer-reviewed journal Reproductive Health in February 2026, the research analysed self-reported data from 383,085 UK-based women aged 18–50 making it the largest UK cohort study of its kind to examine menstrual cycle self-awareness in adult women. The findings are clear, awareness is low, it often only develops in response to fertility goals, and the gap begins early in a woman’s reproductive life. What did the study find? The headline finding is striking: more than 1 in 5 UK women (22.2%) could not report their own menstrual cycle length. Among women under 25, that figure climbed to 1 in 3 (33.4%) a cohort already navigating contraception decisions, first reproductive health appointments, and the foundations of lifelong health behaviours. Awareness of period length, how many days a bleed typically lasts, was somewhat higher, but 9.5% of participants still could not report this, rising to 13.8% in those under 25. About the research Data were collected between September 2020 and January 2025 via Hertility’s online health assessment (OHA). All participants were UK-based, aged 18–50, and provided consent for their anonymised data to be used for research. When does menstrual cycle awareness improve and why? The data reveals a clear age-related pattern. Menstrual cycle awareness improved progressively through the 30s, likely driven by increased engagement with reproductive healthcare during fertility planning and pregnancy. Women who had previously been pregnant were more likely to know their cycle length (79.2%) than those who had never been pregnant (77.2%), and those actively trying to conceive showed the highest awareness of all at 82.5%. These findings highlight a broader pattern in how menstrual cycle self-awareness is acquired rather than being embedded as a routine component of health education, it often develops reactively, prompted by fertility planning, pregnancy, or symptom management. — ALI ET AL., REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH, 2026 This reactive pattern has real consequences. It means a large proportion of women who are not actively trying to conceive may spend much of their reproductive lives without the knowledge needed to spot early warning signs of menstrual health conditions. Menstrual cycle awareness shouldn’t be a byproduct of fertility planning, it should be a baseline component of every woman’s health literacy from the outset. Awareness dipped slightly after age 45, consistent with the natural cycle variability of the perimenopausal transition,a phase of reproductive life that itself has received far too little research and public health education attention. Does ethnicity or contraception use affect menstrual cycle awareness? Differences in cycle length awareness across ethnic groups were statistically significant but small, approximately 1 in 5 women across all ethnicities reported uncertainty about their cycle length. However, the study found that Black participants showed slightly higher discordance between their perceived cycle regularity and their reported cycle lengths. The authors suggest this may reflect broader systemic barriers within healthcare settings,  where cycle irregularities may be more frequently minimised or normalised during consultations rather than individual knowledge gaps. This is consistent with wider evidence that women from minority ethnic backgrounds are more likely to report feeling dismissed when raising reproductive health concerns. Hormonal contraception users reported the highest levels of cycle length uncertainty (36.3%), compared with 16.7% of non-hormonal contraception users. This is largely explained by the fact that hormonal contraceptives suppress the natural menstrual cycle, meaning there is no endogenous cycle to observe, so this figure does not necessarily reflect a lack of menstrual health understanding. Why menstrual cycle awareness matters for your reproductive health Limited menstrual cycle awareness has consequences that extend far beyond not knowing a number. Delayed recognition of abnormal cycle patterns is a well-documented driver of extended diagnostic timelines for conditions including PCOS and endometriosis, where earlier diagnosis is directly associated with better quality of life outcomes. These challenges are compounded by existing barriers to help-seeking. The Women’s Health – Let’s talk about it’ survey shows that 77% of women feel uncomfortable discussing menstrual health with healthcare professionals, and four in five report feeling unheard when they do raise concerns. When individuals lack the foundational awareness to recognise that something might be worth mentioning, these barriers become even harder to overcome. One encouraging finding: women with a diagnosed reproductive health condition were less likely to be uncertain about their cycle length (21.2% vs. 26.2%). This suggests that clinical engagement and guided symptom monitoring may meaningfully improve menstrual self-awareness, reinforcing the value of involving women in actively tracking their own health data as part of their care pathway. What needs to change to improve menstrual cycle awareness in the UK? The study’s authors highlight the need for coordinated change across three areas. 1. School-based menstrual health education Despite menstrual health being included in the UK curriculum since 2019, delivery remains fragmented. Research shows only 63% of teachers deliver any lessons on the menstrual cycle, and where teaching does occur it typically focuses on biology rather than practical cycle interpretation. Over one fifth of girls in the UK first learn about menstruation only after their first period. Education needs to move beyond isolated biology lessons toward integrated, applied understanding,  teaching women not just what a cycle is, but how to read their own. 2. Clinical conversations beyond fertility Healthcare providers have a critical role. Integrating routine discussion of menstrual cycle health into clinical encounters, not only in fertility or gynaecology contexts, can normalise these conversations, improve patient confidence, and enable earlier identification of concerns. 3. Clinically accurate digital […]

The menstrual cycle is an incredibly important process that governs female fertility and can be a signifier of your overall health. The menstrual cycle is made up of two separate cycles that each run from bleed to bleed. Here’s everything you need to know, from your period to the proliferative phase.  Quick facts: The Menstrual Cycle: More Than Just Your Period When we talk about the menstrual cycle, periods often steal the spotlight. But did you know that your period is just one small part of a much bigger process? Cultural stigmas, taboos, and limited sex education have left many people with gaps in their knowledge about the menstrual cycle. However, understanding your cycle is essential—not just for fertility but also for overall health because it’s intimately linked to your overall health. It can easily be influenced by other factors such as stress, diet, weight fluctuations, exercise, sleep, illness and medications. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has now classified the menstrual cycle as a vital sign—putting it right up there with your heart rate and blood pressure. So yeah, your menstrual cycle is a big deal. Period. What is the menstrual cycle?  The menstrual cycle starts on the first day of your period and ends on the first day of your next period. It is broken down into 2 main cycles, the ovarian cycle (happens in the ovaries) and the uterine cycle (prepares the uterus for pregnancy). Both of these cycles happen in tandem and are carefully regulated by your incredible cycling hormones—oestrogen, progesterone, luteinising hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). What happens during the ovarian cycle? During the ovarian cycle, one of your ovaries will develop an egg which will be released mid-cycle, during ovulation. The ovarian cycle includes three main phases, the follicular phase, ovulation and the luteal phase. Let’s look at each phase in detail. The follicular phase Day 1 of your period is counted as day 1 of your menstrual cycle—it’s also when the follicular phase begins.  For most people, this phase lasts around 10-16 days, ending mid-cycle, around ovulation. (although this can vary from cycle to cycle and person to person). Changes to the length of your follicular phase are usually the main reason why your cycle length may vary from month to month.  During the follicular phase, a few immature eggs in one of your ovaries are selected and begin to mature. The follicular phase kicks off when gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is made from your brain, which promotes the release of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH).  FSH stimulates your follicles—little sacs in your ovaries containing immature eggs, and a few selected follicles will begin to grow and mature. As these follicles grow, they make oestrogen—the main female sex hormone.  Thanks to the rise in oestrogen, generally, this time in your cycle you’ll likely be feeling your best, most confident, sexy and unstoppable. However, not all of the follicles make it. Only one follicle will be picked as the chosen one for that month and the others will stop maturing. This chosen one is called the dominant follicle and will be prepped for release during ovulation. Ovulation Oestrogen gradually increases during the follicular phase and peaks around the middle of the cycle. This triggers the brain to make a hormone called luteinising hormone (LH).  A sudden rise in LH levels triggers ovulation, which is when the now mature egg will be released from the ovary.  Ovulation takes place 12-36 hours after the onset of the LH surge. The released egg will travel through the fallopian tubes, where it will wait in hopes of being fertilised by a sperm.   Ovulation usually happens around the middle of your cycle, if you’re having regular periods. This is usually estimated to be around day 14 of your cycle, but this is based on the assumption that everyone has a 28-day cycle, which is not always the case. Menstrual cycles vary in length and ovulation usually happens 10 to 16 days before the start of your next menstrual cycle. Your fertile window is the 5 days leading up to ovulation and the day of ovulation itself. This is when you’ll be most likely to conceive.  If you’re trying to conceive,, there are a few things you can use to track ovulation.  The luteal phase The luteal phase of the menstrual cycle lasts from the day after ovulation until the day before your next period. It lasts about 14 days. During this time, your progesterone levels rise, which causes the glands in the lining of your uterus to thicken. You might wonder why this is so crucial. If the egg released during ovulation was fertilised by a sperm, then it may travel down the Fallopian tubes and implant into the lining of the wall of your uterus. It helps if the lining of the walls of your uterus are thick and ready to provide nutrients so your fertilised egg can attach firmly and grow.  However, if you don’t conceive i does not happen, a drop in both progesterone and oestrogen levels triggering your period causes the lining of your uterus to break down, shed, and leave your body in the form of your period.  Your period marks the start of a new cycle, and your body goes through this whole process all over again.  This is also the point in your cycle when PMS (premenstrual syndrome) symptoms start to appear. Everyones symptoms are different and can vary from month to month, but the most common symptoms of PMS include: What happens during the uterine cycle? The uterine cycle happens alongside the ovarian cycle and involves all of the changes happening in the endometrium as it prepares to welcome in a fertilised egg.  The menstrual phase  This is when you’re menstruating or having your period. Your endometrium builds up during your cycle. But if no pregnancy occurs, falling oestrogen and progesterone just before your period will trigger the breakdown of the endometrium, because it’s no longer needed to support a pregnancy.  Your endometrium is shed along […]