Nope, not talking punctuation here, but menstruation. It turns out that medical science is questioning the very necessity of regularly bleeding each month.
Now things may get a little blunt here -- but this website pulls no punches.
Each side of my family has an entirely different view. One side thinks periods are a necessary thing. The other side asks: Who needs it? I'm somewhere in the middle.
Birth control pills taken over a long period of time actually thin the lining of the uterus, so you may notice after years of taking them that periods are light or nonexistent. That's because there's nothing to shed. In addition, most women with endometriosis, heavy bleeding, and fibroids are all treated by methods that involve the end result: eliminating the period.
For many women who don't want to get pregnant, there's no need for a period to alert them of their cyclic phases. As long as they take the pill correctly. And that's the big worry. Who doesn't forget a vitamin or think, When did I last take that antibiotic?
I wonder. Are we being overly dramatic about how horrible our periods are -- are we sissies? We run marathons, climb mountains, run companies, manage our own families -- we can't handle pain once a month? Now understand, I am not in favor of making any woman suffer needlessly. But neither am I a big fan of ditching something that's made it through evolution just so some clever drug manufacturer can tell me I don't need a period, I just need a pill.
The pill is about 99 to 99.6 percent effective. If I were taking a test, that'd be a good grade, but if we're talking unintended pregnancies, that's awful. Russian roulette for some women.
It's been called the curse for years -- nothing happy about that. We won't lose our femininity if we get rid of our curses, but we may lose that which binds us together. Menstruation is a commonality, however unappealing. We share in the woes of being a woman. We can exchange our complaints, jokes, and concerns. It's something we've all experienced, more than being pregnant. I hope we don't lose that connection when we lose the period. |
Bernadette Sukley |
| About the author: |
| Bernadette Sukley has written, edited, fact checked for nearly 20 years. Her topics range from health to sports and lifestyle, from human interest to hard news. Her work has appeared in Men’s Health, Sports Illustrated for Women, and ABROAD magazines. Currently polishing up 3 novels for publication, she welcomes discussions on women and literature.
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