Interview study, 2025
Do the seasons affect menstrual cycle symptoms?
Yes. Seasons affect both physical and emotional symptoms during the menstrual cycle, with many women reporting worsening of symptoms in certain seasons.
What they did
Researchers interviewed 30 women with regular periods. They asked about how their menstrual symptoms changed across different seasons of the year. The interviews were recorded and analyzed for patterns.
What they found
Women reported that seasons affect their menstrual symptoms. Different seasons caused worsening and increases in many physical and emotional symptoms during the menstrual cycle. Researchers identified five main themes: menstrual cycle characteristics, how women perceive their cycles, seasonal effects on PMS symptoms, seasonal effects on physical symptoms, and seasonal effects on emotional symptoms.
What it means for you
Seasons may genuinely affect how women experience their menstrual cycles. This was a small interview study based on what women remember and report about their symptoms, so the findings are not yet confirmed with measurements or larger groups.
30
women interviewed
5
main themes about seasonal effects identified
About the study
- Original title
- Seasonality and the menstrual cycle: a qualitative study
- Authors
- Bilge Nur Yıldırım Bayraktar, Kevser İlçioğlu
- Journal
- Biological Rhythm Research
- Year
- 2025
- Study design
- Interview study
- Participants
- 30
- What was tested
- Qualitative interviews
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1080/09291016.2025.2523979
Topics
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