Menstrual Cycle & Pregnancy Myths Busted by an Ob/Gyn | Stanford

In this video, Dr. Kate Shaw addresses common myths about the menstrual cycle and its relationship to pregnancy. The average person with a uterus has 450 menstrual cycles in their lifetime. There’s a lot of misinformation about menstrual cycles and periods out there - it’s important to understand how they actually work so you can make the best choices to stay healthy and understand how pregnancy can occur.

0:00 Introduction
0:39 What is a menstrual cycle?
1:12 How does the menstrual cycle work?
2:12 Myth 1: Everyone who menstruates gets their period for one week, once a month
2:42 Myth 2: You can’t get pregnant until after you’ve had your period
3:02 Myth 3: You can’t get pregnant if you have sex on your period
3:28 Myth 4: You can take a pregnancy test the day after having sex to see if you’re pregnant
3:56 Myth 5: Only women have menstrual cycles and periods

Dr. Kate Shaw specializes in family planning, contraception, early pregnancy management and general gynecology and is the Chief of Gynecology and Gynecologic Specialties at Stanford.

The information in this video was accurate as of the upload date, 2/18/2022. For information purposes only. Consult your local medical authority or your healthcare practitioner for advice.

This video is a production of the Stanford Center for Health Education team, in collaboration with Stanford Medicine, Stanford Center for Professional Development, and Stanford Medicine Education Technology Team.

At the Stanford Center for Health Education, we believe that expanding access to engaging education has the power to change behaviors, improve health, and ultimately save lives.

Stanford Center for Health Education

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