Increased Public Discussion of Women's Hormonal Cycles Is a Positive, Emancipatory Development
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/profile/rhiannon-lucy-cosslett. "Heard about the ‘luteal uglies’? Women know more about our hormones than ever – and that’s beautiful | Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett | The Guardian." August 12, 2026. www.theguardian.com
The Gist
The author argues that young women today know much more about their menstrual cycles and hormones than her generation did, and this is a great thing because it helps them understand their bodies and take care of their mental health. She does warn, though, that companies and political groups might try to exploit this new hormone-tracking trend for profit or control.
Conclusion
The rise in widespread knowledge and discussion of women's hormonal cycles (menstruation, ovulation, luteal phase, perimenopause, etc.) represents a positive, emancipatory shift, even though vigilance is needed against commercial and political exploitation of this knowledge.
Premises
- Previous generations of women (including the author) were taught to overcome or suppress female biology rather than understand it, leaving many uninformed about basic aspects of their own reproductive cycles.
- Today's young women have access to extensive tools (apps, online content) and vocabulary (e.g., 'luteal uglies', 'matrescence') that allow them to understand and articulate their hormonal experiences in ways previous generations could not.
- Understanding hormonal patterns provides psychological benefits, such as reframing negative body image or mood swings as temporary hormonal effects rather than personal failings.
- This knowledge has practical benefits, such as helping people recognize conditions like PMDD, prompting self-care, and facilitating access to diagnosis and treatment.
- This new discourse frames reproductive education around self-understanding and mental health, contrasting positively with the typical mainstream framing focused on pro-natalist 'fertility education.'
- The scale of this cultural shift is unprecedented ('never so many, all at once'), constituting a broad social movement rather than isolated individual awareness.
Assumptions
- Increased knowledge about one's own biology generally leads to empowerment rather than anxiety or over-medicalization.
- The information being shared online is largely accurate ('good science') despite acknowledged 'psychobabble.'
- Access to this knowledge and these tools is broadly available across women, not limited to certain privileged groups (e.g., those with smartphones, internet access, or particular cultural contexts).
- Labeling hormonal experiences (e.g., 'luteal uglies') helps rather than pathologizes or trivializes them.
- The commercial and political risks (data misuse, capitalism 'fixing' hormones with products) are separate concerns that do not outweigh the overall benefit of increased awareness.