Culture Time

I recently told you about The Museum of Menstruation and Women's Health. If you thought to yourself, "I wish this was an actual, physical museum," then you're in luck! Cracked.com recently brought to my attention the fact that you can schedule appointments to view the actual museum. More information can be found on RoadsideAmerica.com.

Cramps Change your Brain

Menstrual pain can re-shape the brain from Time:

It's a common gag that women don't think quite the same they get their period. But according to neuroscientists in Taiwan, in some women menstruation may change the very structure of the brain.

They don't yet know what these changes mean, however.

Menstruation Mecca

It is with great sorrow that I realized this gem has existed on the interwebs for many years without my knowledge. I bring you The Museum of Menstruation and Women's Health. It is a treasure trove of facts, information, discussions, and links. In the words of "mouse":

i check it every could years (the angry thread) because it offers so much insight into how women variously feel about their bodies and society.

Presented Without Comment

"Some people just want to know when the bleeding is going to stop so they can get busy. Those people use Flojuggler."

Ok, I lied...one comment: The people who shared this with me were divided on whether this was offensive and excessively creepy or offensive and acceptable useful.

Reality Check

The absurdity of most feminine hygiene product commercials has been the butt of many jokes but it's really encouraging when the advertisers themselves finally catch up to how inept they are at their jobs. U by Kotex® is by far the best ad campaign I have come across in recent history. Below is the commercial that caught most people's eyes:

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