Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Does the menstrual cycle affect anorectal physiology?

N A Jackson1, L A Houghton, P J Whorwell

  • 1Department of Medicine, University Hospital of South Manchester, UK.

Digestive Diseases and Sciences
|December 1, 1994
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Heartburn as a Marker of the Success of Acid Suppression Therapy in Chronic Cough.

Lung·2021
Same author

Editorial: preventing unnecessary investigation and surgery in the irritable bowel syndrome-the critical role of the general practitioner.

Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics·2018
Same author

Minor digestive symptoms and their impact in the general population: a cluster analysis approach.

Therapeutic advances in gastroenterology·2018
Same author

Esophageal dysmotility according to Chicago classification v3.0 vs v2.0: Implications for association with reflux, bolus clearance, and allograft failure post-lung transplantation.

Neurogastroenterology and motility·2018
Same author

The effect of inflammation on serum zinc concentrations and the prevalence estimates of population-level zinc status among Congolese children aged 6-59 months.

European journal of clinical nutrition·2017
Same author

Gastro-oesophageal reflux events: just another trigger in chronic cough?

Gut·2017
Same journal

Standardizing Transition of Care for Adolescents with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: The Need for a Unified Approach.

Digestive diseases and sciences·2026
Same journal

Rapid Gastric Emptying: Insights from a Large Cohort Study on a Controversial Disorder.

Digestive diseases and sciences·2026
Same journal

Readability, Quality, Understandability, and Actionability of ChatGPT Generated GI Patient Education Versus AGA Patient Center.

Digestive diseases and sciences·2026
Same journal

Distinctive Endoscopic Ultrasound Features of Pancreatic Adenosquamous Carcinoma: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis.

Digestive diseases and sciences·2026
Same journal

FIGThe Efficacy and Safety of Clip-Assisted Endoscopic Cyanoacrylate Injection for Gastric Varices: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Digestive diseases and sciences·2026
Same journal

Gastroscopic Removal of a Duodenal Foreign Body in a 94-Year-Old Patient.

Digestive diseases and sciences·2026
See all related articles

Women experience looser stools during menses, but anorectal physiology remains unchanged throughout the menstrual cycle. This indicates bowel habit changes are not linked to anorectal function, suggesting manometry testing can be done anytime.

Area of Science:

  • Gastroenterology
  • Gynecology
  • Physiology

Background:

  • Bowel habits, including stool consistency and transit time, vary across the menstrual cycle.
  • Women report harder stools and delayed transit during the luteal phase and looser, more frequent stools during menses.
  • The impact of the menstrual cycle on anorectal physiology and manometry testing timing is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between the menstrual cycle and anorectal physiology.
  • To determine if anorectal manometry testing needs to be standardized within the menstrual cycle.

Main Methods:

  • Anorectal responses to balloon distension were measured in 20 healthy women across four menstrual cycle phases: menses (days 1-4), follicular (days 8-10), luteal (days 18-20), and premenstrual (days 24-28).

Related Experiment Videos

  • Measurements included rectal sensitivity, rectal motility, rectal compliance, and sphincter relaxations.
  • Stool consistency was also assessed.

    • Main Results:

    • Stools were significantly looser during menses compared to the luteal phase (P < 0.04).
    • No significant changes were observed in rectal sensitivity, distension-induced rectal motility, rectal compliance, or the volumes required for internal anal sphincter relaxations across the cycle phases.
    • The Bristol Stool Scale scores indicated looser stools during menses (2.32) versus the luteal phase (1.98).

    Conclusions:

    • While stool consistency changes during the menstrual cycle, anorectal physiological responses to balloon distension remain unaltered.
    • Menstrual cycle-related changes in bowel habits appear independent of alterations in anorectal physiology.
    • Routine anorectal manometry can be performed at any point in the menstrual cycle without compromising results.