Whither menstrual synchrony?

Abstract

The initial report of menstrual synchrony indicated that social interactions among groups of women could regulate their ovarian cycles. The initial focus on menstrual synchrony was just the beginning of a discovery process, not all facets of the whole phenomenon. Menstrual synchrony was similar to an archeologist finding a fossilized tooth, which demonstrated the existence of a prehistoric creature. Menstrual synchrony could have turned out to be like the chronodonts, prehistoric creatures for which we still have only their fossilized teeth as evidence for their existence. Fortunately, after almost 3 decades of work, we have excavated the site and been able to unearth more about the structure of this particular creature. It is social regulation of ovulation throughout the lifespan--a creature made up not only of menstrual synchrony, but various forms of the timing of spontaneous ovulatory cycles in adults. It also includes the social regulation of ovulation at other points during the reproductive lifespan: puberty, inter-birth intervals and reproductive senescence. Menstrual synchrony is but one indicator of the phenomenon; it is now clear that there is a great deal more to it than was seen at the time of the original report.