---
title: Is research on menstruation biased, and does it cause wrong conclusions about cause and effect?
description: Yes. Research often incorrectly assumes that because hormone levels, mood, and behavior all change together during the cycle, one must cause the other. A pilo
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/menstruation-1979/
---

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- Is research on menstruation biased, and does it cause wrong conclusions about cause and effect?

Survey study, 1979

# Is research on menstruation biased, and does it cause wrong conclusions about cause and effect?

Yes. Research often incorrectly assumes that because hormone levels, mood, and behavior all change together during the cycle, one must cause the other. A pilot study found that early education about menstruation was linked to better task performance.

 Early or limited evidence

Pilot study by the authors; population details not specified. Review covers multiple studies.

## What they did

The author reviews how societal attitudes and medical biases affect research on menstruation. They report a pilot study using a new method to study menstruation, examining links between hormone levels, mood, and mental and physical performance, and looking at whether early childhood education about menstruation affected performance.

## What they found

The pilot study showed connections between hormone levels, mood, and mental and physical performance. A link was found between task performance and early childhood education about menstruation. However, these connections do not prove cause and effect.

## What it means for you

Medical research on menstruation may be biased, leading researchers to make wrong conclusions about what causes mood and behavior changes. Early education about menstruation may help women's performance, but this needs more research. A major limit is this is a pilot study with no control group.

## About the study

Original title Menstruation Authors Rogers LJ Journal Australian family physician Year 1979 Study design Survey study Read the paper [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/533476/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/533476/)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Relationships and partners](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-relationships/)[Stigma, attitudes and culture](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-stigma-culture/)

Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits.

Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor.

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