Three Surprising Questions About Periods

In honor of Valentine’s Day, I’m celebrating the 10s of millions of people who will be menstruating on the Hallmark holiday. What should you do if you have your period in the field? Check out Emily’s video on The Brain Scoop! https://youtu.be/jjFZ1nzijrI Subscribe! http://bit.ly/1FkxVLb ‖ Twitter! https://twitter.com/gross_science ‖ Tumblr! http://grossscience.tumblr.com/ ↓Want more info?↓ Paper on proteins in periods: http://1.usa.gov/1QrzJ4L LiveScience on why menstruation remains a medical mystery: http://bit.ly/1PD17x0 Francie Diep writing for PopSci on why you poop more when you have your period: http://bit.ly/20oMYIC Regarding the section on how menstruation evolved, as I indicated in the video, this is one hypothesis. Here’s more info on it, along with other ideas: Paper on the hypothesis I discuss about why menstruation evolved: http://bit.ly/1msFqaw Pharyngula on the mother-fetus conflict hypothesis of how menstruation evolved: http://bit.ly/1PNJvC2 Paper on energy economy in the evolution of menstruation: http://bit.ly/1QVOXlb BBC article that addresses multiple hypotheses for the evolution of menstruation: http://bbc.in/1KFFE9B Also, a note: In this piece, when I say menstruation, I’m referring to “overt menstruation,” where the lining is shed and then expelled from the body. Some people use the term “covert menstruation” to talk about animals that have “estrous cycles” and reabsorb their endometrium. -- Host, Writer, Editor, Animator Anna Rothschild Additional Research and Writing Karishma Desai Many thanks to Dr. Kathryn Clancy and Dr. Deena Emera. Also, special thanks to Vanessa Hill, Joe Hanson, the entire PBS Digital Studios team for the awesome brainstorming session, Seeta Joseph, Allison Eck, Greg Kestin, and Jeffrey Wood. Bad Music Provided by APM Original Footage and Animations ©WGBH Educational Foundation 2016 Footage and Images Lady Parts Cross Stitches Courtesy WhittyB To purchase the patterns, visit her Etsy shop: http://etsy.me/1K81Klb Female Scientist Examining Erlenmeyer Flask With Red Liquid Hd Pond5/motion_poland Color SEM of uterus endometrium (secretory phase) Professor P.M. Motta & E. Vizza / Science Photo Library Phylogeny Courtesy Dr. Deena Emera File:Schimpanse Zoo Leipsig Wikimedia Commons/Thomas Lersch File:Pallas’s long-tongued bat Atsme (Betty Wills) File:Eastern Rock Elephant Shrew Wikimedia Commons/Marktittley File:Do i look funny or something Wikimedia Commons/Emily Killian Molina from austin, United States SFX Cockroaches Freesound/StateAardvark­ (used with permission from author) Squeak Pack/squeak_10 Freesound/Corsica_S Pencil_check_mark_2 Freesound/jakobhandersen Short Fart_01 Freesound/DSISStudios Gross Science is produced by WGBH for PBS Digital Studios