verified by medics

〰️

verified by medics 〰️

menstrual cycle guide medically verified

Meet the team of medics who verified this information

In partnership with Mara Health, leading healthcare consulting firm in the UK.

  • verified by doctors

    Dr Alice McGee

    “Everything we should have been taught in school – that’s exactly right. Through simple, compelling, accurate information, this guide helps women to learn to love their cycles, and bodies with it. This guide breaks taboos, and makes medical information accessible.”

    follow Dr Alice on Linkedin
  • verified by doctors

    Dr Kajal Ruparell

    “Wonderfully empowering and a great read! This guide is extremely helpful to young girls navigating their menstrual health. I wish I had an e-guide like this because sometimes it’s hard getting accurate advice online. The sections are easy to follow and the FAQs are reassuring.”

    follow Dr Kajal on linkedin
  • verified by doctors

    Dr Amos Ogunkoya

    "As a GP, I highly recommend the 'Understand Your Cycle' guide. It provides clear and reliable information about the menstrual cycle, empowering individuals to track their cycles effectively and make informed decisions about their health. This much-needed resource is a must-have for anyone seeking accurate insights into their menstrual cycle."

    follow Dr Amos on linkedin

Meet the women who founded Understand Your Cycle

Hi, we're Capu and Tara,


we made this guide based on extensive research born out of a mutual passion for understanding everything there is to know about menstrual cycles.

made by women

Tara Margulies

I went through every form of contraception out there in my late teens and early twenties, until I stopped altogether and started learning about my cycle and how to use it to avoid pregnancy.

I became completely obsessed with all things female hormones and cycle phases, and increasingly angry that nobody teaches young girls these incredibly important things about our bodies.

Listen to Tara’s cycle-related podcast feature 

Favourite FemTech brand:
Fluus: the first fully only microplastic free, fully biodegradable and flushable menstrual pad!

Favourite cycle-related resource:

The Lowdown (website)

made by women

Capu Cogné

I first learnt about my menstrual phases to "bio-hack" my exercise routine 🤸‍♀️.

Since then, I've fundraised £1,000+ for period poverty NGOs, founded two women's networks, and learnt a hell of a lot about my menstrual cycle.

I'm a nerd, so I learn through books - that's where the book recommendations here come from!

Listen to Capu’s cycle-related podcast feature

Favourite FemTech brand:
moon cup ! Am a big menstrual cup advocate. 

Favourite cycle-related resource:
Period Power, by Maisie Hill (book)

knowledge is power

〰️

knowledge is power 〰️

Don’t take our word for it…

hear more from our members

  • Sixtine

    "My boyfriend's reading it tomorrow. Everyone should read this guide. I understand much more about my body, my feelings, my mood, etc. It's also made me aware that I still have a lot to learn and discover, and how incredible our bodies are! Understand Your Cycle is supportive, easy to read and the concepts & information are well explained and illustrated."

    go to guide

  • Jace

    "As someone with a mixed relationship with period, fertility, and other women-related health stuff, this guide was a game-changer.

    It's the first time that I saw the flip side of the coin: the POSITIVE."

    go to guide

  • Raquel

    "IT'S SO GREAT. I've had a book about periods on my bedside table for years - this is much more readable. Can't wait to get my daughter reading this!"

    go to guide

  • Marie

    "Well written, informative, fun, and concise. All I'm going to say is: READ IT. ALL WOMEN SHOULD. MEN TOO ACTUALLY."

    go to guide

Sources

The information on this website came from books and scientific studies that you can access on the internet (but it'll take you far longer to read all of those than it will for you to read Understand Your Cycle!).

Find out more below ⬇️

    • In The Flo, by Alisa Vitti

    • WomanCode: Perfect Your Cycle, Amplify Your Fertility, Supercharge Your Sex Drive, and Become a Power Source, by Alisa Vitti

    • Period Power, by Maisie Hill

    • Menopausing: The Positive Roadmap to Your Second Spring, by Davina McCall and Naomi Potter

    • Wild Power: Discover the Magic of Your Menstrual Cycle and Awaken the Feminine Path to Power, by Alexandra Pope and Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer

    • Borsos, A. et al (1988) Ovarian functionafter the menarche and hormonal contraception, International Journal of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, 27(2), pp. 249–253.

    • Caruso, S. et al (2014) Do hormonesinfluence women’s sex? Sexual activity over the menstrual cycle, The

    • Journal of Sexual Medicine, 11(1), pp. 211–221.

    • Chavarro, J.E. et al (2009) A prospective study of dietarycarbohydrate quantity and quality in relation to risk of ovulatory infertility, European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 63(1), pp. 78–86.

    • Dye, L. and Blundell, J.E. (1997) Menstrual cycleand appetite control: implications for weight regulation. Human Reproduction, 12(6) pp. 1142–1151.

    • Herbenick, D. etal (2017) Women’s experiences with genital touching, sexual pleasure, and orgasm: Results from a U.S. probability sample of women ages 18 to 94, Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, 44(2), pp. 201–212.

    • Jehan, S. et al (2016) Sleep and premenstrualsyndrome, Journal of Sleep Medicine and Disorders, 3(5).

    • Moline, M.L., Broch, L. and Zak, R.(2004) Sleep in women across the life cycle from adulthood through

    • menopause, The Medical Clinics of North America, 88, pp. 705–736.

    • Nose-Ogura, S. et al (2018) Low bone density in elite female athletes with a history of secondary amenorrhea in their teens, Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine.

    • Panzer, C. et al (2006)Impact of oral contraceptives on sex hormone-binding globulin and androgen levels: a retrospective study in women with sexual dysfunction, The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 3(1), pp. 104–113.

    • Roney, J.R. and Simmons, Z.L. (2017) Ovarian hormonefluctuations predict within-cycle shifts in women’s food intake, Hormones and Behavior, 90, pp. 8–14.

    • Scutt, D. and Manning, J.T. (1996) Symmetry and ovulation in women, Human Reproduction, 11(11), pp. 2477–2480.

    • Sherwin, B.B. (1994) Estrogen and cognitive functioning in women:Lessons we have learned, Behavioural Neuroscience, 126(1), pp. 123– 127.

    • Seasonal influence of diurnal rhythms in the onset of the plasmaluteinizing hormone surge in women, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 55(2), pp. 374–377.

    • Stel, M. and Vonk, R. (2010)Mimicry in social interaction: benefits for mimickers, mimickees, and

    • their interaction. British Journal of Psychology, 101(2), pp. 311–323.

    • Sung, E. et al (2014)Effects of follicular versus luteal phase-based strength training in young

    • women, SpringerPlus, 3, p. 668.

    • Clue

    • Dr Lisa Watson: On PMS

    • Dr Kelly Brogan: On Hormonal Imbalance

    • Global Citizens: Period Product sustainability

    • Healthline

    • I drew this graph about sexual desire…I think it might changeyour life.

    • National Cancer Institute

    • NHS

    • Medical News Today: About the Clitoris

    • Sleep Health Foundation

    • Survey by Public Health England (PBE): 49% of women between 25 and 34 were dissatisfied with their sex lives (2018)

    • The Female Lead

    • UNFPA

    • Women's Voices: Tampon testing shows they contain carcinogens

    • Women & Health