Book Club

There are indeed countless books about menstruation, a universally fascinating subject. Read Bookslut wax philosophical about the need for accurate menstruation information and review the new book Flow: The Cultural Story of Menstruation.

Hope

While menstruation can be an annoying and uncomfortable time for women around the world, for some women, the lack of access to things that we take for granted, such as tampons and pain relievers, can make their periods a huge obstacle when attempting to live their lives and survive.

This is actually merely one of the issues brought up in an interview with Michealene Cristini Risley, director of Tapestries of Hope, a documentary about the (often young) female victims of rape by HIV Positive men in Zimbabwe who are seeking the "virgin cure".

You can read the interview here: Tapestries of Hope: Director Michealene Cristini Risley on the Tenacity and Optimism of Zimbabwe’s Rape Survivors

In honor of New Moon

Warning: Even I was a bit grossed out by this.

Twilight Cycles from Brandon Routh

Symptom #2

You might have PMS if just thinking about dealing with customer service makes you want to cry.

Breathe

Good news for those who have asthma and don't want to have kids right now: 'The Pill' May Reduce Asthma Symptoms.

For the (figurative) kid in you

A little Disney:

A little musical animation:

Early Menstruation and Breast Cancer

It seems that all signs point to early menstruation being bad, which is unfortunate since the average age of menstruation is getting younger.

"For young women who have breast cancer, it could be because they started their menstruation at nine or ten years of age," said Senior Staff Nurse at the Community Health Nursing cum Chairperson of Breast Cancer Support Group (BCSG) Hjh Jaliha Hj Momin, in an exclusive interview with The Brunei Times.
-from Early puberty adds to breast cancer risk

Ramadan and Menstruation

Not being Muslim, I know very little about Ramadan, save for the basics of the fasting. Here are a couple of interesting links about the Muslim holiday and women:

• The responsibilities of women and fasting during Ramadan
• Women Taking Pills to Stop Menses during Ramadan

From Sojourners

Prayer of the Day: Women with Unintended Pregnancies

07-28-2009

Jesus, we pray for women facing unintended pregnancies.  May the church offer them loving embraces and support amid their vulnerability. 

Categories: Prayer of the Day, Verse and Voice

An Educational Video for You

Linda's Film About Menstruation: An Intentionally Funny '70s Filmstrip

In this surprisingly charming and funny filmstrip, a girl named Judy and her boyfriend take a trippy journey and learn everything they need to know about menstruation. (Let's not take the film's advice and use two tampons at once!)

Early Menstruation and Ovarian Cancer

As if the emotional dangers associated with early menstruation weren't enough, now evidence shows:

Among women with ovarian cancer, those who had their first menstrual period before the age of 12 and who had the most menstrual cycles over a lifetime are more likely to die of the cancer than those who had fewer ovulatory cycles, a new study shows.

Forbes Article: Early Menstruation Lowers Odds of Surviving Ovarian Cancer

Viral

This video and the whole surrounding Tampax® campaign is taking the internets by storm.

Read More: P&G's Tampax behind boy with 'girl parts' viral

Sympathy Cramps

The Science of Menstruation

Menstrauting to Death

Not to be an alarmist, but if you have an exceptionally heavy period, it could be a symptom of a bleeding disorder. Read this article for a list of other warning signs. Bleeding disorders going undiagnosed; new guidelines to help.

Athletic Amenorrhea

Ballerinas and female athletes share quadruple health threats - A study led by sports medicine researcher Anne Hoch, D.O., at The Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee has revealed that young female professional dancers face the same health risks as young female athletes when they don't eat enough to offset the energy they spend, and stop menstruating as a consequence.

What is amenorrhea?

Women in Power

I am pretty much sick of this idea that emotional means not-rational. I am no less competent at work when I have PMS than when I don't. I'm pretty sure the same is true of women with higher-powered jobs. The same sort of ignorant "jokes" made about Supreme Court nominee, Sonia Sotomayor, were made about Hilary Clinton when she was running for President.

G. Gordon Liddy On Sotomayor: ‘Let’s Hope That The Key Conferences Aren’t When She’s Menstruating’

But...but...CANDY!

I notice that I definitely crave more sugar and more salt when I have PMS. This article links certain foods to PMS and suggests what one should eat to ease symptoms: Studies find out foods to ease PMS.

Reality TV

" Over share time. Clearly it’s around that time of the month when I almost cry watching a clip of Beyonce on X-Factor."

In The News

The Latest in Menstruation News:

• Two new genes decide when a girl starts menstruation - Reproductive lifespan is closely linked to the risk of developing conditions such as heart disease, breast cancer and osteoporosis and in the western world particularly, children are reaching puberty at younger and younger ages - some girls at the age of seven - the study provides the first evidence that common genetic variants influence the time at which women reach sexual maturation.
  
• Study: Childhood Sexual Abuse May Cause Earlier Periods - The idea that sexual abuse actually changes girls' bodies, rushing them into physical maturity and making them vulnerable to pregnancy at a younger age, is perhaps even scarier than the sheer prevalence of physical and sexual abuse among African-American women. This possibility reveals, in the most upsetting way possible, that social as well as genetic factors may influence menstruation.

But What is Normal?

Most US Men Believe PMS Is a Normal Part of a Woman's Cycle

There's No Crying in Baseball

Symptom #1

You might have PMS if you cry during Galaxy Quest.