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ArticlesTopic 05
Leaks, heavy days, stains and surprises. A calm plan for every part of the month.
PeriodsEvidence check
Anti-inflammatory painkillers like ibuprofen and naproxen have the strongest trial record for period cramps. Across 80 trials, about half of women got moderate or excellent relief on them, against 18% on placebo, and no single brand stood out. The combined pill also eased cramps, at the cost of more irregular bleeding. Here is what the reviews found and when cramps need a closer look.
PeriodsEvidence check
A late period after a long trip is a familiar story, but ordinary travel hasn't been well studied. In 71,077 nurses, 20 months or more of rotating night shifts went with somewhat more irregular cycles. Flight attendants report more cycle problems than teachers, and heavy lifting on the job may be part of why. Here is what the research shows and how to plan a trip around your period.
PeriodsQ&A
Ask for assessment and an explanation of your individual contraceptive plan.
PeriodsEvidence check
Many women with endometriosis try diet changes, from cutting gluten to adding fish oil. A review found 9 human studies of diet for endometriosis; most reported benefits, but all had moderate or high risk of bias. In a placebo-controlled trial in young women, vitamin D and fish oil did no better than placebo for pain. A large nurses' study linked more omega-3 fats with lower risk and more trans fats with higher risk. Here's the evidence.
PeriodsEvidence check
"Go for a walk" is the cramp advice nobody wants on day one. The best evidence says the timing matters: in 12 trials with 854 women, exercising about three times a week through the whole month cut period pain by about a quarter on a 100-point scale. Here is what the trials used, what they couldn't show for women over 25, and when worse cramps after 40 need a check.
PeriodsEvidence check
Guidelines often suggest exercise for PMS, but on weak evidence. A UK review of 15 trials found women assigned to exercise for at least 8 weeks reported fewer PMS symptoms, mood, physical and behavioral, though most trials had a high risk of bias. A 2025 review of 82 studies with over 100,000 women linked low activity with more PMS and period pain. Here is what the research shows and how to start.
PeriodsEvidence check
After surgery, endometriosis gets a stage from I to IV based on how much disease was seen. It's easy to assume a higher stage means more pain. In 244 women, stage didn't predict how often or how badly their periods or pelvis hurt. Where the disease sat mattered more, for pain during sex and on the toilet. Here is what the studies found and what to ask after surgery or a scan.
PeriodsEvidence check
Many women on the combined pill run packs back to back to skip the monthly bleed, or shorten the break. A Cochrane review of 12 trials found continuous or extended use worked as well as the usual monthly pattern, with similar safety and normal womb lining checks. Women skipping breaks reported less menstrual pain, headaches and bloating. Breakthrough spotting is common at first. Here is what the studies show.
PeriodsConversation script
Ask the prescriber to check your actual contraceptive method alongside lamotrigine before changing your plan.
PeriodsEvidence check
Most women with painful or heavy periods go to work anyway. In a Dutch survey of 32,748 women, sick days for periods averaged 1.3 a year, but working at reduced capacity on period days cost 8.9 days of productivity a year. Only 1 in 5 who called in sick said it was their period, and two-thirds wanted more flexibility. Here is what the numbers show, their limits, and how to ask for help.
PeriodsExplainer
Period apps predict from the cycles you've logged, and in your 40s those cycles stop behaving. In data from more than 600,000 app-tracked cycles, the swing from one cycle to the next jumped after age 40. Here is what app data shows, why only 13% of cycles were 28 days to begin with, and how to use an app well now.
PeriodsEvidence check
After stopping the pill, many women wonder when normal cycles will return. A US study of 140 women found cycles behaved a little differently for the first few months, with later ovulation and lighter flow. Fertility returns quickly: across 22 studies of 14,884 women, 83% conceived within a year of stopping contraception. Here is what to expect and when a missing period needs a check.
