Menstrual blood is regular blood. This myth probably gained traction because menstrual blood flows from the vagina. And because vaginas are a normal part of the female body, there’s nothing unusual or wrong with menstrual blood. And did you know it has no odour? Now that’s a fact!

Just like your digestive system doesn’t need a cleanse, your reproductive one doesn’t either. “The most common misconception I hear from my patients is that a period is a healthy way for the body to ‘cleanse’ itself every month. This sounds lovely, in theory, but is false,” says Maria Sophocles, a board-certified ob-gyn. Think of the process as a way to get rid of extra layers of tissue that no longer serve a purpose.

While there’s no hard-and-fast rule about how many days each and every woman’s cycle must be, it’s wise to track your timing each month, because having a regular cycle personally is a sign of really good health. Talk to your doctor if you bleed between periods, if your once regular cycles get off track, or if you have a missed period.

Folklore says that if you spend enough time with your friends, your flows will become one. But science says otherwise. It’s simply a numbers game. The average onset of menstruation between two women is seven days apart, and since it usually lasts for five days, there’s bound to be some tampon twinning.

Don’t fall for this myth. Your period doesn’t slow down or stop in water — it just may not flow outside the vagina because of the counter pressure of the water. When you’re in the bathtub or the shower your period does not stop and it’s no different than being in a swimming pool or the ocean.

Nothing can get lost in your vagina. Your vagina ends at your cervix and a tampon can’t get beyond that. But if you can’t remember if you removed your tampon or not, try lying down and reaching into your vagina with clean fingers. The vagina is only about 3 to 4 inches long, so chances are, if a tampon’s in there, you’ll be able to feel it.

This isn’t true and sweating from working out can actually prevent PMS symptoms from cropping up in the first place. There’s no reason to adjust your workout during your cycle except if you bleed very heavy and feel more fatigued. Consult your doctor if you continue to experience tiredness for several days, as this may be a sign of anemia.

Those mood swings and cravings you feel just before your period arrives? Totally real and totally normal. 20 to 50 percent of women have emotional and physical symptoms of premenstrual syndrome five days before their period starts. Both exercise and pain medication have been known to lesson the symptoms, but if they are really bad, see your doctor for other options.

Despite what a lot of people believe, this isn’t true. Tell every female you know who’s sexually active or plans to be any time soon that you CAN get pregnant during your period. Once inside you, sperm can live for 3 to 5 days. Ovulation can occur during, or soon after, the bleeding phase.

As long as you and your husband feel comfortable, it’s totally fine to have sex during your period. You might even notice you want to have sex more while you’re on your period and that’s totally normal, too, because menstruation causes a fluctuation of hormones and increase blood flow which can actually increase arousal.