because a shark might smell you."

I wanna do, like, [sings "Jaws" theme].

[laughing]

"PMS is made up."

Hm.

Myth!

"Tampons can 'get lost' in the vagina."

That is a complete and utter myth.

The vagina's not that big.

It can do lots of magical things,

but it's not that big.

I'm Dr. Wendy Goodall McDonald.

I'm a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist,

and I specialize in caring for humans with vaginas.

I am Dr. Kiarra King.

I'm a board-certified obstetrician

and gynecologist in the Chicagoland area,

and I see women throughout

all of their reproductive stages,

from adolescence through menopause.

And today we will be debunking myths about periods.

King: Myths from social media.

"Periods should always last a week."

A normal period can last anywhere between

two and seven days,

so if someone has a five-day period, that's OK.

If someone has a two-day period, that's OK.

If someone has a six-day period, that's OK.

It's all within the realm of normal.

If we're getting past that seven-day mark,

if you're going into eight, nine, 10 days,

two weeks of full bleeding,

that can be abnormal.

Goodall McDonald: "Tampons can 'get lost' in the vagina.

That is a complete and utter myth.

The top of the vagina is literally almost like --

we call it an apex, but there's, like,

a dome-shaped space, almost,

where the cervix kind of hangs down into that space,

but that's it.

It can't penetrate that tissue.

It can't get lost inside of your abdomen.

Occasionally, a person will come in

saying that their tampon is lost,

and they don't see it, and I don't see it.

Well, you probably took it out,

or it fell out.

Or it will be there, kind of tucked up

in a ball behind the cervix,

but it can't get lost inside the vagina.

The vagina's not that big.

"PMS is made up."

Hm.

Myth! [laughs]

Who is saying this?

It is not a person with a vagina saying this.

It can't be.

PMS is very real.

It stands for premenstrual syndrome.

It encompasses both physical and emotional symptoms

related to the period.

Often the symptoms will arise

anywhere from 10 to 12 days prior to the period.

Depressive symptoms, anxiety,

stress, just feeling not yourself,

or cramping, headaches, body aches.

Very real.

And some women even have something called PMDD,

which almost takes some of those mood changes

to kind of the next level.

Goodall McDonald: Regular exercise has been shown

to improve PMS symptoms.

Birth control sometimes can help.

Sometimes it can make it worse.

Sometimes people can take supplements

or increase their plant-based component of their diet,

decrease their simple sugars.

It's so important to acknowledge

that these symptoms are real

so that people don't then feel

like there's something wrong with them

for having symptoms that are physiologically

occurring in their body.

"Severe period pain is normal."

King: Up to about 80% to 90% of women

will experience some period pain,

but the thing that I look at most

in terms of quantifying pain

is how it's impacting someone's life.

Is it causing them to miss school?

Are they incapacitated and in bed all day?

Are they not able to be present in their lives?

That is not normal, to be in such pain

that you can no longer function.

Severe period pain

can sometimes be relatively genetic.

But it can also be due to endometriosis.

Fibroids can cause severe pain.

You'd be surprised how much menstrual discomfort

is also related to constipation or diarrhea.

IBS symptoms can kind of coincide with menstrual symptoms,

but I would definitely want a person

who is having severe pain

to see if there's a possibility

for an ultrasound or other evaluation

to try to manage that pain better.

Our lives are so much more than our cycles,

and we should be able to do our regular activities

even when it's happening.

"Menstrual cups are one-size-fits-all."

Menstrual cups are one-size-fits-most.

King: A person that's looking to use a menstrual cup

may want to try one or two sizes

to see what fit is going to be best for them.

You may have to go within one or two different brands

to find a cup size that is right for your cervix

and for your vagina.

Goodall McDonald: There usually are at least

two to three sizes within any particular company.

If you were to give just

the gentlest of tugs on that stem,

if the menstrual cup moved out of place,

it's probably too big.

If you feel that there's a little bit

of resistance and a little bit of give

and it doesn't seem to be moving,

then it's probably a good fit for you.

Goodall McDonald: Myths experts hear the most.

"You can't get pregnant

while you're on your period."

Partial myth.

And the reason why I'm gonna call it a partial myth

is because, technically,

within a person's menstrual cycle, you ovulate.

If you don't get pregnant 14 days, give or take,

after ovulation, your period comes.

The lining sheds,

the hotel room is turned over

and is ready to receive a pregnancy next month.

So, when that period comes

and when that lining is shedding,

you should not be ovulating,

meaning releasing an egg that could be fertilized.

However, every person's bleeding

is not necessarily a period.

I think a period-tracking app can be very helpful.

So if you know really what your menstrual cycle

looks like and the timing of it,

that can help determine if any other bleeding times

are period bleeding or not.

I have no reason to tell a person

to not have sex on their period.

Again, other than making sure

if they're unprotected

that it is their period

and that they're not gonna be

surprising themselves in nine months.

Take-home message:

Irregular bleeding and irregular periods

is not birth control.

"Having a regular period

is necessary for your health."

I'm gonna take your line, Dr. Wendy.

I'm gonna go with partial myth.

When young girls start getting their periods,

it's like a vital sign that the brain

is sending the proper signal to the ovaries

and the ovaries are signaling the uterus

to do what it needs to do.

So, in that respect,

it is normal to have a period every month.

And there are a few times

where it's not essential.

For example, if someone is on

a form of hormonal birth control.

With a birth-control pill,

you're technically having a withdrawal bleed

and not actually a period that is regulated

by the brain and the ovaries and the uterus.

With something like an IUD,

the lining of the uterus becomes so thin

that there's really not much to shed.

TMI, because I'm a gynecologist:

I have not had a period in five years.

That's five. But I have an IUD

that is progestin-containing

that is keeping my uterus nice and thin,

the lining nice and thin,

so I haven't needed this thing.

I bought it.

I haven't even used it!

Whether or not you have a period

has to do more with who you are,

as in what stage in your life you're in,

whether or not you're on hormonal birth control,

and a conversation with your healthcare provider.

Because either option,

whether you have periods or don't,

can be healthy and normal,

but it can also be potentially

very harmful to your health.

"You shouldn't swim in the ocean

because a shark might smell you."

I wanna do, like, [sings "Jaws" theme].

[laughing]

More than likely, a person that is menstruating

will have in a tampon or menstrual cup

if they're going swimming,

even further decreasing the amount of blood

that could potentially be detected.

So that's one thing.

Two, sharks kind of hunt for their prey,

and humans aren't typically shark prey.

And so when they are looking for their next meal,

they are looking for very specific, like,

amino acids that they will be able to detect.

So it's probably safe to go out in the water

if you're on your period.

But, I mean,

are people just swimming with sharks these days,

just randomly? I don't know.

I mean, if there's, like, shark signs,

"Beware of shark,"

I'm probably just not gonna go out in the water anyway.

"Having a regular period

means you're fertile."

So, first of all, a period cycle,

it's normal for it to be anywhere

from 21 days to 35 days,

day one to day one.

If they're shorter than that or longer than that,

then that's not necessarily

considered a regular period,

and it can bring into question

whether or not a person is ovulating,

meaning releasing an egg every month.

And you need to ovulate and release an egg

in order to be "fertile."

But there are other factors that are involved

when it comes to fertility.

It's the uterus

and whether or not there are structures,

polyps, fibroids in there that can impair fertility.

What are those tubes doing?

What's that cervix up to?

You know, is it healthy?

When's the last time you had a Pap?

A regular period that falls

in that kind of category that I mentioned

is suggestive that a person is fertile,

but it's just not the end of the story.

King: "A person who is menstruating

can spoil food by preparing it."

You wanna eat or not?

You know what I'm saying? Like ... no.

That is a complete myth.

Your menstrual flow has nothing to do with

whether or not you're gonna spoil milk or eggs.

That's not a scientific phenomenon, so ...

So I'm just gonna make my mac and cheese,

and I'm keeping it to myself

if you believe that.

King: Dough will still rise.

Canned goods will not spoil.

Mayonnaise will not curdle.

Goodall McDonald: And period blood, it's not unclean.

There's nothing about it that emits anything