Period brain doesn't exist, says new study

Lauren Sharkey
A new study has proved that women are just as competent while menstruating [Photo: Getty]
A new study has proved that women are just as competent while menstruating [Photo: Getty]

Many people (mostly men) believe that a menstruating woman is incapable of making decisions and therefore should not be taken seriously.

But a new study has disproved that theory once and for all.

Researchers from Ruhr University Bochum and Aristotle University of Thessaloniki studied 88 women on their periods.

They assessed each woman’s general competence including visuospatial working memory, attention and cognitive bias against their hormone levels at four points in two menstrual cycles.

The study found that fluctuating hormone levels had no link to cognitive function [Photo: Plan International]
The study found that fluctuating hormone levels had no link to cognitive function [Photo: Plan International]

They found no correlation between women’s cognitive function and their hormone levels during menstruation.

There was a slight change in working memory in the first menstrual cycle. However, this didn’t occur in the second cycle, leading researches to believe that this was down to “random variation”.

“There is no consistent association between women’s hormone levels, in particular oestrogen and progesterone, and attention, working memory, and cognitive bias,” they concluded.

What that basically means is that there is no proof that being on your period turns you into an irrational person who can’t make sensible decisions.

Researchers say that women on their period should not be treated differently in the workplace [Photo: Getty]
Researchers say that women on their period should not be treated differently in the workplace [Photo: Getty]

This is a huge pushback against the argument that women are less able to do their jobs while on their period.

The study’s lead author, Brigitte Leeners, commented on exactly that, saying: “I think this research shows very clearly that women function very well despite having hormonal changes.”

“You cannot use hormonal changes as an excuse that there would be limitations in their performance.”

Take that sexism.

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