Examining the phenomenon of menstrual synchrony at an international co-educational boarding high school in Jordan

الملخص EN

Whether or not menstrual synchrony exists has been a topic of debate since 1971, following Martha K.

McClintock’s first research in the field (McClintock, 1971).

By 2006, Dr.

Jeffrey Schank finally put a lid on it, declaring synchrony was a perception rather than a phenomenon (Yang & Schank, 2006).

This study revisits menstrual synchrony particularly among close friends residing in an all-female dormitory at a coeducational boarding school in Jordan.

The conservative culture to which residents adhere suggested a conducive environment for the study.

For the first time in the field, the sample only examined 14-18 year old women -a group that previous researchers either excluded or included within a larger sample for fear that their cycles were far too irregular.

With 85% participation rate, a group of 59 females were studied across a 181-day period.

No significant results proving synchrony or the impact of degree of closeness were found, providing support for previous researchers’ conclusions regarding menstrual synchrony.