In general, there is a lot of talk about female hormones, as if it were a subject in which everyone is a specialist.
Above all, all strange behavior (especially if it is bad) of women is usually attributed to hormones.
Bad mood? Hormones sad? hormones It’s a simple explanation, but not always true.
These are some facts that you need to know about female hormones, to demolish myths and speak properly.
1. It’s not just estrogen
Generally, the most talked about hormone is estrogen. You have a reason: estrogen is the quintessential female hormone. It is the one that determines gender and is in charge of functions such as breast growth and genital maturation at puberty.
However, there are many other hormones at play. Progesterone is super important in the development of the uterus, and in pregnancy.
Women also have testosterone, although in lesser amounts than men. It influences, among other things, the sex drive and the growth of bones and muscles.
In addition to these, which are the main ones, there are many more hormones that have a role in the female body, regulating all the rest of its processes.
2. They are different in each woman
As a man, you don’t want to believe that you know everything about female hormones because you’ve been in a relationship for many years.
Every woman is different, and therefore, her hormone levels and how they influence her life.
Some women may feel the stereotypical bad mood before menstruation, for example. But maybe others feel the same as before, or different in other ways. Generalizing is a mistake, because there are as many ways of influencing hormones as there are women.
3. The menstrual cycle varies
The process of the menstrual cycle, in the books, is simple. It lasts 28 days, in the middle of it an egg is released. If it is fertilized, there is pregnancy. If it is not fertilized, the lining that the uterus has accumulated is shed, and that is the period.
However, the reality is not so simple. Not all women have a “regular” period. The cycle can vary according to the woman, and that does not mean that she is sick or has something wrong.
Simply, there are women who have the cycle as the books say and others who do not.
4. Menopause is a gradual process
Menopause is, put simply, that the woman stops being fertile. However, it is not like turning off a switch.
Women are said to begin premenopausal when estrogen and progesterone levels begin to fluctuate and become irregular. That process starts much earlier than you think.
These changes begin in your late 30s and early 40s, and can last for years. Hot flashes and other uncomfortable side effects come later in menopause, or even in the postmenopausal stage.
5. Women are not their slaves
Let’s keep it simple. It is true that hormones play an important role in a woman’s body, but they do not cause extreme imbalances.
Justifying any change in a woman’s mood due to her “hormonal status” is a simplification that, in many cases, justifies ill-treatment towards them.
It is good to know that certain times, such as the pre-menstrual period, hormones can affect a woman’s mood, but these changes are not the only thing that affects it.
In fact, women are no more slaves to hormones than men because, if you didn’t know…
6. Men have them too!
Hormones are present in all human beings, in many ways, and they always condition our behavior in one way or another. That applies to both women and men.
In fact, just as women have small doses of testosterone, men also have estrogen. When estrogen in men is unbalanced, it can promote diseases such as obesity, diabetes and being overweight.
So now you know. Hormones affect our behavior, but they are not the only excuse!