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Determinants and Assessment of Menstrual Blood Flow

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Abstract

Purpose of Review

The modifiable and non-modifiable determinants and the currently available methods of assessment of menstrual blood flow will be discussed, with the goal of helping healthcare providers, researchers, and those interested in public health.

Recent Findings

Several factors can impact menstruation. The determinants include modifiable factors such as smoking, nutrition, exercise, stress, weight fluctuation, and benign gynecologic diseases, and non-modifiable factors such as age, race, and the individual’s genes. The intertwined dynamic among these determinants needs more critical attention. Currently, the methods for the assessment of menstruation all have advantages and disadvantages, often with a tradeoff between practicality and accuracy.

Summary

Considered by many as the fifth vital, menstruation provides a window to an individual’s general health. The discussion of its determinants and assessment can be more appropriate for individual contexts, especially from a public health perspective as it can improve the reproductive health of the population.

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Funding

This work was supported, in part, by NIH Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) grant 3R01HD094380-04S1.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins University, 4940 Eastern Ave, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA

    Jinxiao Liang & Mostafa A. Borahay

  2. Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China

    Jinxiao Liang

  3. Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Fiza Ali

  4. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Malini Ramaiyer

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  1. Jinxiao Liang
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  2. Fiza Ali
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  3. Malini Ramaiyer
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  4. Mostafa A. Borahay
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Contributions

Jinxiao Liang, Fiza Ali, and Malini Ramaiyer wrote the main manuscript text and Jinxiao Liang prepared Figure 1. Mostafa A. Borahay supervised the manuscript. All authors reviewed the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Mostafa A. Borahay.

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Liang, J., Ali, F., Ramaiyer, M. et al. Determinants and Assessment of Menstrual Blood Flow. Curr Epidemiol Rep 10, 210–220 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40471-023-00332-0

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