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Analiza Pathak
Born in Guwahati, raised in Mussoorie and Delhi, She grew up reading magazines more than textbooks. She is an experienced writer/editor and has shifted focus to various aspects of communication. Her a ... Read More
Dealing with periods is a challenge for every woman, and it can become even more complicated during space travel. If a female astronaut gets her period while in space, how does she manage it? What happens if someone like Sunita Williams, who originally went on an eight-day mission but ended up staying for over nine months, experiences menstruation during her extended time in space?
When women travel, they usually plan and prepare for their menstrual cycle. However, spending months in space without access to regular facilities raises important questions about how female astronauts handle this natural process.
Although it’s unclear whether Sunita Williams herself faced this issue (as it can also depend on a woman’s age), it’s a significant consideration for women who spend months in space.
To learn more about this, the BBC spoke with Dr. Varsha Jain, a “space gynecologist” who collaborated with NASA to research women’s health in space. In a 2019 interview with BBC journalist Emma Barnett, Dr. Jain shared insights on how female astronauts manage their menstrual health while on long-duration space missions.
NASA faced similar questions when it prepared to send its first female astronaut, Sally Ride, into space. At the time, astronauts believed that menstruation wouldn’t be a major issue unless it became a problem. However, engineers still had to plan carefully, including estimating how many sanitary pads a woman might need.
Initially, they guessed that 100 to 200 pads would be required per week—an overestimation, as it turned out. Today, female astronauts often take birth control pills to suppress their menstrual cycle during space missions. As long as they are healthy, they can also use sanitary products without any difficulties.
Dr. Varsha Jain, a space gynecologist, mentioned that ongoing research is being conducted to help women avoid menstruation in space altogether.
The first woman to travel to space was Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, who made history in 1963. Two decades later, NASA sent its first female astronaut, Sally Ride, into space.
When it comes to the physical effects of space travel, men and women experience it somewhat differently. Both genders adapt to the space environment in a similar way, but there are subtle differences. Women may feel slightly more fatigued or sluggish in space, while men tend to experience tiredness when they return to Earth.
After coming back from space, men may face vision and hearing issues, whereas women are more prone to blood pressure-related problems. It is still unclear whether these differences are due to hormonal factors or something else. More detailed studies are needed to understand how long-term space travel impacts the human body.
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