Short Take

A period itself is not a requirement for good health, but sometimes not getting your period can be a sign of a medical condition that needs investigation and possibly treatment.

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So much period mythology, so little time.

There is a very common — but false — belief that a period is necessary to remove “toxins” from the body. Consequently, many people worry that a lack of a period (or a very light period) leads to some kind of toxic build up of waste products. Suggesting to women that period blood is “dirty” or “toxic” is wrong on many levels. It is unscientific, shaming and hurtful, and spreads misinformation about a natural, purposeful biologic process.

A period does not remove anything from the body except the endometrium (uterine lining). During a menstrual cycle, the uterine lining builds up each month for a potential embryo. If no embryo implants, the uterine lining then sheds and is released from the body as a period. The cycle, or preparing the uterine lining, then begins again. If the uterine lining were filled with harmful substances, it would be a less than ideal place for an embryo.