Is Menstruation Obsolete?Is Menstruation Obsolete? argues that regular monthly bleeding is not the "natural" state of women, and that it actually places them at risk of several medical conditions of varying severity. The authors maintain that while menstruation may be culturally significant, it is not medically meaningful. Moreover, they propose that suppressing menstruation has remarkable health advantages. Because of cultural changes, shorter durations of breast feeding, and birth control, the reproductive patterns of modern women no longer resemble that of their Stone age ancestors. Women have moved from the age of incessant reproduction to the age of incessant menstruation. Consequently, they often suffer from clinical disorders related to menstruation: anemia, endometriosis, and PMS, just to name a few. The authors encourage readers to recognize what has gone previously unnoticed that this monthly discomfort is simply not obligatory. They present compelling evidence that the suppression of menstruation is a viable option for women today, and that it can be easily attained through the use of birth control pills. In fact, they reveal that contraceptive manufacturers, knowing that many women equate menstruation with femininity and that without monthly bleeding would fear that they were pregnant, engineered pill dosage regimens to ensure the continuation of their cycles. Indeed, throughout history societies have assigned menstruation powerful meaning, and Is Menstruation Obsolete? presents a fascinating history of how menstruation inspired doctors to try therapeutic bleeding for a variety of ailments, and how this therapy remained dominant in Western medicine until the early 20th century. Is Menstruation Obsolete? offers women a fresh view of menstruation, providing them with the information they need to make progressive choices about their health. This is a message whose time has come. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
1 Menstruation in Western Civilization | 15 |
The Basis of Therapeutic Bloodletting | 35 |
3 Why Women Menstruate | 55 |
4 Premenstrual Syndrome | 67 |
5 Menstrual CycleRelated Disorders | 81 |
6 Natural Suppression of Menstruation | 107 |
7 Medical Suppression of Menstruation | 117 |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
abdominal amenorrhea amenorrheic anemia associated with menstruation bleeding blood loss bloodletting body bone density breast breast-feeding cancer cardiovascular cause cells century changes condition contraceptive pill deficiency DepoProvera disease disorders doctors drugs dysmenorrhea effects endometrial endometrial ablation endometriosis endometrium Erasistratus estrogen excess fallopian tubes female fertility frequently Galen genetic Gestrinone Gynecol hemorrhage Hippocrates hormone replacement human hundred hysterectomy implants increase inhibit ovulation injections iron lactation levels LHRH males Marilyn medicine menarche menopause menstru menstrual blood menstrual cycle menstrual cycle-related menstrual flow menstrual period menstruation menstruation-free migraine months myomas normal Norplant Obstet occurs oral contraceptives ovarian ovaries ovulation pain patients pelvic percent physical physicians pituitary gland pregnancy premenstrual phase premenstrual syndrome primates problems production progesterone progestin prolactin reduce reproductive result risk sexual steroid strual struation suffer surgical symptoms therapy tion tissue treat treatment tumors uterine lining uterus vaginal vein Vesalius woman
Popular passages
Page 172 - Schmidt PJ. Nieman LK. Danaceau MA. et al. Differential behavioral effects of gonadal steroids in women with and in those without premenstrual syndrome.
Page xiv - R. (1983). Early menarche, a risk factor for breast cancer, indicates early onset of ovulatory cycles.
Page 177 - Casper RF, Hearn MT. The effect of hysterectomy and bilateral oophorectomy in women with severe premenstrual syndrome. Am] Obstet Gynecol.