no menstruation!

[mayoraasei]

A pill that magicks away periods!

Okay, while I'm one of the whatever percentage of women who suffer from debilitating period cramps (although for the last year I've been abnormally free from cramps *crosses fingers*), and a life without needing to wear diapers for 7 days every 6 weeks (my periods are long, heavy and far apart, 'kay?) is infinitely appealing...

I echo the sentiment of the lady at the end of the article: "For women in that situation, I certainly can understand the benefits of taking these kinds of medications, but for most women menstruation is a normal life event - not a medical condition," said Elson, who researches the sociology of gender and medical sociology.

"Why medicate away a normal life event if we're not sure of the long-term effects?"


There are pills to ease menstrual pain. It's never a good idea to meddle with something as complex as hormone systems, because we know so little about them and a little tweak can have a long chain of ramifications...blood clots, emotional imbalance, cancer...

(PS: I envy the girl who looked at me when I complained of cramps and said, "Huh? I don't feel anything when mine comes." ARGH. Blessed she be.)

Comments

[siu.livejournal.com]

I agree - it's one thing to have birth control, but another thing to stuff up your body, esp. hormones, that we have difficulties trying to really understand it at the moment. Menstruation is a fact of life, and has been one of the main things that, (unfortunately,?) make us different from men. One would think that having a monthly period would be 'normal' and 'healthy'. Are your periods regular at least?

[luna-rainbow.livejournal.com]

No, not really. I think it had one or two years where it was fairly regular (i.e. once every 6 weeks). But in the last two it's been late often. I think last year I only had my periods four times? It was the GAMSAT in the beginning of the year ==; I missed like 4 months of periods in one go.

[siu.livejournal.com]

Hmm.... Do you have any facial hair growth or ance or anything? Kind of sounds like PCOS (polycystic ovaries syndrome) maybe? Apparently 5-10% women have it. Though, I guess stress can also be a contributor to irregularities.yy

[luna-rainbow.livejournal.com]

Hmm.....yeah, I have a problem with that (or as they so quaintly put it "hirutism"), but I don't really have an acne problem or skull-hair-falling-out problem.

Then again, I was kinda born, uh, "hirutic"? Apparently I looked like a boy since birth, anyway, so I don't really think it has much with to do with my secondary sexual characterstics =P

Also...I think it says PCOS people don't ovulate, which is why the spike of androgen? I know this sounds weird...but sometimes I think I can tell which days I'm ovulating ==;;; Yeah, okay, that sounded weird.

I kinda assumed it might be stress.

[siu.livejournal.com]

Yeah... The hirutism sounds like a PCOS thingy because I know someone else who has a similar thing to you. Long, heavy, painful periods, and very irregular. I think they assume that she is insulin resistance and is telling her to take medicine, exercise - maintain a good weight, and proper diet. There is also a history of diabetics in her family as well.

Though, from what I know, if she starts taking it now, it increases the probability of her getting pregnant later on, because of increased fertility due to the decrease in androgen or something like that, or maybe increase in oestrogen. Also, so the cyst size and/or amount will hopefully decrease as well. Have you been gaining weight lately as well?

Hmm... I guess it's not too weird to tell which days you are ovulating if you feel differently on those days or are in-tune with your body.