The concept of body literacy comes from menstrual advocacy. The term refers to understanding the intricacies of the menstrual cycle in order to make fully-informed decisions about one’s health. It is a process of observing, learning, and understanding. For many people who menstruate, the only information we have been given in early life about our cycles is that they occur roughly once a month and last about a week. The conversation then rarely goes beyond some basic information on hygiene and perhaps pain management. Becoming body literate aims to change that by supporting developing a real understanding of the entire cycle and thinking beyond the bleed.

Cycle Basics

Learning the intricacies of your cycle is fascinating and something I highly recommend. Today, however, I’ll start with a basic overview.

Many of us think of our menstrual cycles as just the time when we actually menstruate. In reality, our menstrual cycles include the bleed and everything in between. The 28-day cycle is also an average, not a rule, with healthy cycles typically lasting anywhere from 21 to 35 days (Weschler, 2015). Cycles consist of two distinct major phases - the follicular phase which includes menstruation and the days leading up to ovulation and the luteal phase which includes ovulation and the days leading up to menstruation. These two main phases are broken into smaller phases so we then have the follicular phase, the ovulation phase, the luteal phase, and the menstrual phase.

These phases correspond to the thickening and shedding of the uterus’ lining, shifts in hormones and our basal body temperature (our temperature when we are fully at rest), and more.

Health and the Cycle

Different symptoms might also pop up during the cycle. Some of these are normal, like shifts in our energy levels, while others, like severe cramping, are not. A distinction should be made between "normal” and “common” period issues. For example, while severe cramping (dysmenorrhea) or skipping/missing periods (oligomenorrhea/amenorrhea) are unfortunately common issues, neither are normal and both should be addressed with support (Dawood, 1985; Practice Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, 2004). These cycle issues are also not just cycle related. Everything in the body is interconnected.

Why I Ask Clients About their Cycles

For those who menstruate, our cycles can give valuable insight into our overall health. You may have even noticed your cycle being affected by stress, travel, illness, exercise, or other factors. Some even argue that it be included as a basic vital sign along with heart rate, respiration, blood pressure, and body temperature (Hendrickson-Jack, 2019). There are a number of ways to identify exactly where we are in our cycles that I will share more about in the future, but, at the very least, I recommend that menstruating clients track the dates that they bleed each month. This basic information about how consistent their periods are, how long they are, how much they bleed, how many days between them there are, and any symptoms or challenges can be a gauge of overall health and potentially indicate underlying issues. If you struggle with your period, we’ll look to address root causes while also finding ways to mitigate symptoms in the meantime with lifestyle changes. I can also support you in finding specialists for testing, diagnosis, and treatment if needed. If you’re on hormonal birth control and not experiencing natural cycles we can still examine how that is going for you and support your relationship to your body.

How Can You Start Tracking?

I recommend clients start simple. The apps Clue and MyFlo are two that I use. You can also just mark on your calendar. You can start with just inputting the dates that you bleed. Over time, you can start adding in other indicators to get a deeper understanding of your cycle.

References:

Dawood, M. Y. (1985). Dysmenorrhea. The Journal of reproductive medicine, 30(3), 154-167.

Hendrickson-Jack, L. (2019). The Fifth Vital Sign: Master Your Cycles & Optimize Your Fertility. Fertility Friday Publishing Inc.

Practice Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. (2004). Current evaluation of amenorrhea. Fertility and sterility, 82, 33-39.

Weschler, T., MPH. (2015). Taking charge of your fertility: The definitive guide to natural birth control, pregnancy achievement, and reproductive health. New York, NY: William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins.