Citation

Boudesseul J, Gildersleeve KA, Haselton MG, Bègue L. Neurosci. Biobehav. Rev. 2019; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Univ. Grenoble Alpes, France.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.08.016

PMID

31513819

Abstract

Researchers have increasingly examined the menstrual cycle as a potential source of day-to-day variation in women's cognitions, motivations, and behavior. Within this literature, several lines of research have examined the impact of the menstrual cycle on women's engagement in activities that could negatively affect their health (alcohol and tobacco consumption, sexual behavior, risk recognition). However, findings have been mixed, leaving it unclear whether women may expose themselves to more health-related risks during certain phases of the cycle. We conducted a meta-analysis of 23 published and four unpublished studies (N = 7,571, https://osf.io/xr37j/). The meta-analysis revealed shifts across the menstrual cycle in women's sexual behavior with others (higher in ovulatory phase) and risk recognition (higher in ovulatory and luteal phases), whereas there was no consistent pattern of difference for alcohol and cigarette consumption. These findings help to clarify the proximate physiological and evolutionary mechanisms underlying women's health-related risk-taking and may inform new interventions.

Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Language: en

Keywords

Alcohol; Cigarettes; Evolution; Menstrual Cycle; Risk-taking; Sexual Behavior