"Would you stop menstruating if you could?" at the Museum of Menstruation and Women's Health

Why didn't the Great Creator tweak that whole process a bit so that nothing is lost?

In 1984 I had my uterus removed because I was bleeding all the time, just a bit. I was a school teacher with one daughter. In the spring of 84, after two d&c's and a refusal to use birth control pills to stop the bleeding, my doctor, a wonderful Swedish man practicing in Florida (whose office was later bombed because he gave abortions) suggested I have the uterus removed. He theorized and I think he is right, that an IUD I had back in the 70ís for a year caused some upset to my female system. The IUD was painful and never comfortable. After it was removed, I started having sporadic bleeding. I still have healthy ovaries.

I always considered menstruation a pain in the neck and felt it really unfair that men and boys had no alternative "curse."

I'm a writer and I am writing about the differences in how boys and girls were treated in my teenage years in Texas.

In no way did I or do I consider that miserable bleeding every month a badge of anything except frustration, pain and something to be rid of. In fact, I think the process is flawed and do not quite understand why all that nutrient-rich blood has to flow out. Why didn't the Great Creator tweak that whole process a bit so that nothing is lost?

I can't imagine using all that paraphernalia and being in some small way slightly incapacitated for part of each month. And, don't even get me started on all the ways that girls can be made fun because of bleeding every month.

"I have imagined slicing open my abdomen with a knife and using my hands to yank out my 'female organs' because it would be less painful."

Good evening,

I came across this site via a link and decided to take a quick look. As
I'm eating right now, I'll probably not spend too long on this site at
the moment, but when I saw this, I HAD to reply.

Would I stop menstruating if I could? Yes, and I have. I have been
plagued with menstrual issues all my life, from an early start to severe
cramps that have left me motionless on the floor at work. I have
imagined slicing open my abdomen with a knife and using my hands to yank
out my "female organs" because it would be less painful. Since my
surgery at age 17 (to remove a grapefruit-size cyst along with the ovary
it was attached to), I have never been regular and I've been plagued
with clots, some quarter-size, some larger, but most smaller. My cramps
were so severe I was, at one point, put on a special narcotic just to
kill the pain. I seriously considered taking steps to get a
hysterectomy.

Speaking with my doctor led me to make the very simple choice to take
birth-control hormones constantly (no STOP hormones) and I haven't had a
period for about 18 months now. It's glorious! No more worrying about
clots falling out while I crumple over in pain. No more worrying about
pads (due to a physical restriction I don't wear tampons). No more
bloody sheets. Nothing! It's amazing, wonderful, and awesome.

And people say being a woman is glorious. Hmph. I'm glad I don't have
periods anymore.

"Yes, Yes, Yes! I never wanted it in the first place."

I'm in my mid-30's and would definitely stop having a period if I could. To
that end, I'm seriously thinking of the depo-provera injections. I started
my period at 11 years old and I can still remember the shame and fear of it
every month. It took years for it to normalize into something I could
reasonably understand, prepare for, and predict. I hated it and still do.
It gets more painful every year and I keep having painful ovarian cysts
develop during some cycles, but not big enough for surgery...just big
enough to hurt like hell when they burst. When I was younger, I couldn't
understand why God would curse me with such an embarrassing and painful
event every month just to have kids. Now that I'm older, I still don't
understand, but I really don't want kids and I see my period as a useless,
exhausting, and fruitless monthly episode. I really, really can't wait for
menopause. I know menopause symptoms aren't pretty, but afterward I can
finally relax and not worry about this particular problem.

This e-mail is too long for the page. Read it here. (February 2014)

I love not having a period.

Probably yes. I did not like the PMS, unexpected bleeding, cramping, etc. but mine were never the nightmare some women have described. Lucky me I am through menopause and have not had a period in three years! I love not having a period. I do miss ovulation or as my friend called it "mating week". My husband was suddenly extra appealing that one week a month. He misses that week too. I do feel as though my 50's are my favorite time of life, the kids are grown, I love my husband, my life, my friends, and my hobbies. I worry far less about what others might think of me. I am back in college studying fashion design and having the time of my life.

A girl in Germany conveys her teacher's memorable opinion

To the point about stopping menstruation: We had one memorable biology lesson where one of the boys (after being asked) told the teacher (the same one mentioned [below in brackets], not actually a feminist but rather tough) that there were three weeks of menstruation and one week pause in a month. To that she said if that were the case she would shoot herself.

[This student also writes, "I heard tales (read curses) of people who grew up with cloth belts. For example, my German teacher [see above] told us there were five women at home and the bucket where the soiled pads soaked was never empty [a slap in the face to synchronous periods]." Kotex indirectly showed this in a powerful November 1921 ad. To show this old way in the museum in my house I strung up a clothes line with bird's eye cloth hanging from it; this cloth that women used to diaper babies also diapered themselves during menstruation.]

[The writer also wrote, "I've got a contribution for the Word for Menstruatioin page: (As I'm German so are the words.) My father always calls it "Ölwechsel" (changing of oil) and tampons and such "Putzwolle" (cleaning wool/fleece). Between my mom and me it's usually the famous 'visitor'; even though ours has no name it is not less unwelcome.

"Also I think the can-can girls (just been flitting over the website) were the first to be allowed to wear closed underwear for decency's sake."]

It make sense of my life, why would I want to stop it?

I would not stop if I had the choice! I would go on forever. I can't imagine what my life will be like when I have gone through the menopause, how will I know where am. Menstruation is not just about one week a month, it is a cycle, every day changes, moves on around the wheel, dreams reflect that, events and people are seen through these slightly different coloured lenses every day. It make sense of my life, why would I want to stop it? The bleeding has bought me to bed sometimes, and is 'inconvenient' in terms of normal everyday society, but I don't look upon this as bad, its a gift. Everything is made more amazing by my bleeding cycle, its bought to life. I don't want it to stop. I have suffered PMDD, now I am nearly 50 and my cycles becoming erratic this seems to have eased, but is still part of the richness, although terrible. I am in the UK.

I want it to be gone for good.

Yes. I'm a 28-year old woman and would love to stop. I've had erratic periods since I started in my mid-teens and have developed severe headaches and panic attacks before having mine along with my periods getting gradually more painful and heavy. I also don't intend on having children either and thus, making this useless.

While I have been put on the pill to help with some of these issues and it has been helping, I want it to be gone for good.

This e-mail about menstrual customs in India affecting the writer's desire to stop is too long for this page. Read it here. (September 2013)

This e-mail from Australia is too long for this page; read it here. (July 2013)

I already did. ... What I tell to other women. If periods make you feel sick don't give up till you find a doctor that understands and will help you.

I already did. I am 32 years old and it has been 10 years since my last
period. I take depoprovera shots every 3 months and this was the best
decision I have ever made in my life. And as far as i am concerned I am
going like that till real menopause.

I got my first period when I was 12. I was never regular, had periods
lasting 10 days, heavy bleeding and cramps. With the years things started
to get worse. I started having cramps the whole month, be swolen migraines
throwing up the whole day almost everyday, tumor on my face during periods
and colds. The last year I had period I spent the whole year with a cold
that would go away full of fluids on my lungs. It was terrible. After going
to lots of doctors that said everything was normal and that women should
have periods and passed me only normal birth control pills. I also
discovered I have alergy to estrogen. I had to take only progesterone.

Then I discovered the injection by one female doctor and started taking it.
The first two months I had little spots. But once it stopped it stopped for
good and with it so it stopped the colds, the migraines, I lost 27 kilos in
6 months, I can wear any color of clothes any day, go anywhere I want, have
sex at any day i want, do anything i want. I never felt so female in my
life and it was the first time since childhood I knew what real quality of
life was.

I thank God I didn't have the bad things other women that took this
injection did. For me was just good things. I will never have a period
again even it I needed it to keep me alive. It's not worth living the way I
was living when i had periods. Now I am free. Now I know health and quality
of life. Now I am a real woman. And for having kids. There are so many
things in life. I don't need to have children to be a woman. And if someday
I want one I can always adopt.

What I tell to other women. If periods make you feel sick don't give up
till you find a doctor that understands and will help you. You don't have
to live like that, everybody has the right to health, freedom and quality
of life. Everybody has the right to happiness. I found mine, and so can
you. I don't regret my decision 10 years ago one bit.

"I have never been labeled 'nervous' or 'depressed' by a female clinician of any sort in the Spanish health system."

I live in Spain, though I grew up in the US. Would I stop menstruating if I could? Most definitely. I started very young, at just 11. Well it was "very young" then, though I've heard since those days (1973) that girls are starting as young as 9. In that place at that time, it was unusual. The pain was horrible. I literally ran a low-grade fever for the first couple of days, shivered uncontrollably and had extremely heavy periods that lasted 10 days. My mother, a mother of 10 who had married at 15 in 1944, told me it was "all part of life" and was less than sympathetic. My periods were irregular, and not until I went to college and was able to go to the student health centre on my own, did I find out that low-dose contraceptives would help with the pain and regulate my cycle. Then I moved to Spain. That was 30 years ago, and more than one doctor told me that the pain was "all in my mind" and "there is nothing there to hurt" and "if you have a baby all of
that will go away." I now understand they thought I was bored and idle and needed a child to take my mind off myself. Any symptom they couldn't define quickly was put down to "nerves" or "depression." These doctors were of course male. Of late years more and more medical professionals are women, and they know what I'm talking about. I have never been labeled "nervous" or "depressed" by a female clinician of any sort in the Spanish health system. I am now 50 and haven't had a period for about 6 months, and I am delighted. No more mess, pain, smell or stains on clothing in spite of wearing the heaviest protection available. No more feeling self-conscious. No more mouthfuls of bubbly saliva that make me vomit if I don't spit them out quickly. I'll take the occasional insomnia and hot flashes, any day of the week. Charlie horses? Bring them on. I'll deal with them. But I am not the sort of woman whose identity is defined by her reproductive capacity.
You can't patch a hole with anger.

I would gladly stop this monthly hell if it would be possible and safe enough.
Sadly now there are only little few options left for people not wanting it, and all of them have some counter-indications and quite intrusive themselves. First you have to attend a gynecologist, which is not quite possible when you actually not even feel female enough. And explaining this to Russian doctors... And explaining why you don't want it... Hard and psychologically uncomfortable. (Continued because of length.)

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Yes. And "I would like to post a response to the person [right below] who thinks everyone should know when their period is due, and that anyone who doesn't is basically stupid":

Not everyone has regular periods! With some people it is impossible to work out when they're due because they pretty much come and go as they please. Mine were like that from the age of 12 when I started, until I started having provera injections in April 2011 (I am 22 now). I would sometimes get two or three separate periods in a month, and sometimes I would have one for the whole month. Sometimes the gap between would be a few days, sometimes a few weeks. I suffered from heavy, agonisingly painful periods ever since the first one, and when I got to my late teens they were getting worse and worse. I had literally all the symptoms of endometriosis and the pill wasn't helping, so they gave me a laparoscopy to see what was wrong. Apparently everything was normal, which was kind of frustrating because it felt like they didn't realise how bad it was, and since there was nothing to treat they were just going to leave it. I went back to my gp after my next horrific period, and said I simply couldn't cope with it any more; I was bleeding so badly that a tampon and pad would leak after less than an hour, making it impossible to go out anywhere because of the lack of available toilets and fear of leaking, and I couldn't sit down without feeling like I'd been stabbed in the vagina (pretty difficult for a wheelchair user!) He suggested the depo injection, which I accepted as a last resort,and thank goodness it has worked! I haven't had a period since my second injection which was well over a year ago, and although I get the odd twinge of stomach cramps sometimes, the whole situation is 100% better.
I don't know what I'm going to do if I want children in the future because I'm worried that if I stop the depo to try and get pregnant, the symptoms will come back, but I suppose I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. So in answer to the main question,along with most other people on this site, yes, I would stop my periods, and for the moment, I have :)

Cornwall, UK
October 2012
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No. ... [And] eventually I realized that tampons were the cause of my never ending yeast infections.

In a nutshell, no. However at age 53 now I think maybe they have stopped. At least I haven't had one for 4 months now. We shall see since I have never been
particularly regular.

I guess I have been lucky in that my periods didn't usually bring pain. I didn't
often get cramps. No breast tenderness or bloating either. No food cravings,
irritability or mood swings. But in my late 40's and 50's I did get migraines and
those were no fun. They would sometimes start at the beginning of my period.

And I did have heavy periods. Not in the beginning. They got worse in my 30's so
no tampon was good enough. I had to use pads as backup. And then eventually I
realized that tampons were the cause of my never ending yeast infections.

My 40's became worse still with not only longer periods but super heavy ones as
well. Night time was the worst. I would use two Overnight pads overlapping and
then an assortment of smaller pads all over my panties until they were almost
covered. Because I often sleep with my feet elevated, the flow was shooting past
the pads and up my back. I couldn't sleep well because I was always getting up to
change pads. And I was sleeping on underpads and still managing to get stains
everywhere. I had little washable underpads that I would sit on when I could. If I
didn't have those with me, then I might sit on a stack of paper towels. And I would
try not to sit on light colored surfaces.

I had to change my wardrobe. I could no longer wear colored pants. It was black
pants almost all the time and if I did wear any other color it was dark brown or
navy blue. I never knew when my period would arrive. I rarely had symptoms. I
never knew when it would end.

My mom told me to have a hysterectomy. That's what she did. And she is paying for it now. Once you remove it, other things shift around. Her bladder did. She
needed surgery for that. Of course I could see a hysterectomy if it is medically
warranted but I don't think mere heavy bleeding would qualify.

I became anemic off and on. I took low doses of iron to try to prevent this. I
took Black Cohosh. It seemed to really help! Or maybe it was just my age. But the
periods eventually got lighter. They got more normal as far as the amount of flow
coming out of me. But they were still irregular and might last a while.

And then it would seem that they stopped. Do I miss them? No. Do I even think of them? No. Not very often. Everything seems pretty normal now. I never had any other the problems that I was dreading that are associated with menopause such as hot flashes or weight gain.

But thing I won't do is start wearing the white and pastel pants. I have noticed
that older women often gravitate towards these colors. And why do I think this is?
Because they can!

October 2012
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"Now I have Mirena IUD, which I was terrified of getting, but fortunately
the insertion pain was not even as bad as the cramps I used to have, so it
seems worth it."

I can hardly wait till I no longer have periods. I'm 43, never had children
and don't want to at this point.
It took half my life to get diagnosed with Endometriosis,
Ovarian Cysts, & Uterine polyps despite my telling EVERY doctor that I had
excruciating cramps and awful periods since my teens.
The b/c pills I tried back then all made me feel crazy and didn't do much
else for me..
So I just tried to deal till I had a ruptured ovary cyst take me to the
hospital 5 years ago.
Finally I've had 2 operations for these conditions, and had no more
periods while taking b/c pills for the last 2 years. [I highly recommend
this! It was great! If the pills can be safely tolerated.]
Unfortunately, I had to go off them due to high blood pressure and
interactions with other medications I have to take..
Now I have Mirena IUD, which I was terrified of getting, but fortunately
the insertion pain was not even as bad as the cramps I used to have, so it
seems worth it.
Downside is that I am back to having periods again, but at least now they
are much more tolerable, and they may go away after a year.
That would be SO nice! To me these options seemed better than a
hysterectomy, because usually people need some type of Hormone Replacement
Therapy forever after that anyway. So, If I can tolerate IUD till
menopause, I'll be SO glad that I'll have a party to celebrate!! Thank you
for your informative and archival site, it's very interesting and helpful.

October 2012
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"WHY do women get saddled with this crap while men can la-dee-da their way through a whole month?"

Y-E-S spells YES! I am sick of having to be prepared for it, always on the lookout for it, and then it comes and I get awful cramps and moodiness. I am prone to leaks, so I have to take extra time and effort into making sure that It doesn't happen, or if it does, I have to pray that I can clean off the "evidence". Travel is a nightmare during my period, trying to keep from leaking onto motel or guest beds (that happened just recently, and I bawled for over half an hour out of embarrassment for having to leave a red splotched sheet for the poor maid to clean! just recently, I went to visit family, unintentionally and inavoidably during my period. I tried not to shift when sitting or laying down and was in constant fear of leaking onto something. I stayed standing as often as possible, and one night I had such heavy flow that I had to sit on the guest toilet for several hours, feeling absolutely miserable and angry. Now I am trying to use Ibuprofen to control the flow, but if that doesn't work I am going right to my doctor. I do try to see the period as a natural process, for I am interested in and connected (I feel) with nature, but I fail to understand how our evolution resulted in the female human bleeding constantly for up to a week every month. In fact, it's surprising we're still here--surely the blood was great advertising for hungry prey, back when humans lived (and some still do) in primitve rain forests, etc. Now I have a job, and soon it will be time to deal with my period while at work! :*( WHY do women get saddled with this crap while men can la-dee-da their way through a whole month?

October 1012
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"I am so done with it, I can't wait to be rid of it and I hate the fact I'm probably looking at at least another ten years of this torture."

I've been reading all the stories on your website; for the most part enjoying the black humor with which many women look at the subject, and sympathising with those who suffer too badly to find anything to laugh at.

To add my voice, YES, I would get rid of it in a heartbeat. I'm 41 and got my first period aged 11. Until I was well into my 20's I suffered excruciating pain every month, to a point where, if I was driving, I would have to pull the car over and stop until the pain passed as it was too bad to concentrate on the road. These days the actual pain is not so bad but now I get headaches and migraines and an upset stomach for the duration, and the bleeding goes on for 2-3 weeks at a time. My doctor says this is normal, though frankly I don't know how she can say that without running any tests; unfortunately I live in America and don't have any medical insurance so more in depth medical care is not available to me. I have been suffering symptoms of menopause for four years, including crippling hot flashes which exhaust and overwhelm me, but the process is not progressing and my doctor informs me it's not uncommon for people my age to suffer pre-menopausal conditions for up to ten years. I've had the only child I'm going to have so it's no use to me any more; my fiancee won't come near me while I have my period and since that, on a bad month, can be 3 out of 4 weeks, our relationship is not what you might call close. On a low income I can only afford the cheapest pads and tampons so I frequently have rashes and skin problems in the most sensitive areas; similarly while I am on hormonal birth control it's the cheapest money can buy. It stops me getting pregnant but it doesn't have any of the other benefits good hormonal birth control can provide and in fact has some pretty awful side effects. I've tried skipping the sugar pills to try and avoid the period but it doesn't work on this brand.

I have NEVER been one of these "embrace your womanhood" people, I am sure I would feel just as female without a period, maybe more so as I wouldn't have to limit my activities and mode of dress to accommodate the monthly curse. I am so done with it, I can't wait to be rid of it and I hate the fact I'm probably looking at at least another ten years of this torture.

Thanks for an interesting site, and for the contributor stores which help me feel not so alone :)

September 2012
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"We don't live in a natural world anymore."

I take birth control pills and skip most of my periods by skipping the sugar pills. I don't intend to have children and it seems unhealthy to keep having periods when I have no need to. If I changed my mind I could easily just top taking birth control pills. I feel that because women now experience so many more periods than in pre birth control days it may not even be healthy to keep having periods. I have done this for several years. I am 24. I don't enjoy anything a period. No sex, inconvenience, I could never remember to keep tampons handy. I don't need a period to feel like a woman. And so I had four periods a year. Unless I don't refill a prescription in time and end up having to take the sugar pills. From those who states it's what natural keep this in mind. Women of yore married young, had frequent pregnancies and miscarriage and had far fewer periods as we do today. That is what's natural. We don't live in a natural world anymore. Some technological advances have changed the playing field.

Periods are icky gross and annoying. Sticky stinky blood coming out of you against your will? I can be a strong independent woman without them, thanks.

September 2012
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"I really enjoy my period." Not.

I really enjoy my period. The little reminders left behind on the sheets, ruined underwear, extra bathroom trips! My dogs really appreciate it also. They just love chewing on the plastic applicators.

September 2012
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Yes, I would stop menstruating

I've never had major problems with my period, but it is definitely a
pain. I usually have cramps for the first few days, then am stressed
for the rest of the week. My periods are not quite regular, so I
always have a week beforehand of stress waiting to see if it's come
yet or not.

I know I'm just 18, and I suppose I might want children someday, but
if the choices were between getting rid of my period and having kids,
I'd definitely take the no periods. If I ever really want a baby,
there's always adoption. Menstruating is a messy, expensive business,
and natural or not, I'd really rather go without.

(Also, quite unfair. Men really have nothing to compare with it.)

18, Hawaii

August 2012
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Those who say that menstruation should "cherished," OBVIOUSLY have never had a period problem in their life.

The answer for me is an emphatic YES YES YES. I have suffered endometriosis from my teens and have surgery for it. I have the growths so severely that I would loose too much blood to have all of them removed. I also suffer from severe pain, bloating, mood disorders, and flatulence each month from my period. I also suffer the "cramps" (feels more like being stabbed) some report feeling when they ovulate. My doctor confirmed I develop large cysts during ovulation. (Confirmed by ultra-sound.) My hormones are all screwed up. I have to wear a Mirana as it's the only method I found to control the bleeding. (I get uncomfortable frequently with that every once in awhile due to the severe muscle contractions I get in my uterus during my cycle.) I have bled so badly, I have had to replace a mattress set, unable to work because I couldn't get out of bed, and have had a developed a semi-lunar valve murmur during my periods due to blood loss. In fact the rip-roaring yeast infections that always start right before my period and can't be controlled with prescriptions are the least of it. If this is a "natural, beautiful, introspective" process, I think I'll go with the artificial. I am severely sick from my periods. This is auto-immune and my body is destroying itself because of a menstrual cycle. I knew that motherhood was never an option for me from my early teens due to how severe my period problems were and I am completely GREAT with that. Those who say that menstruation should "cherished," OBVIOUSLY have never had a period problem in their life.

It's been utterly useless. [But] I've kept it.

I've been looking forward to menopause, just because I know I won't
have my period anymore. As a woman who has no reproductive goals
whatsoever, my period has been nothing but a nuisance for the last 34
years! Not to mention a huge expense! It's been utterly useless. If a
hysterectomy wouldn't have interfered with my natural hormone balance,
I'd gladly have had one done. However, in this patriarchal society,
not enough is known about the female reproductive system, and
hysterectomies are often done much too radically. I would never trust
my body, particularly my uterus, to this medical system, so I've kept
it, and my period, all these years. Someday my menopause will come! :)

July 2012
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June 2012
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No. Not until my body comes to that point naturally through menopause.

My maternal grandmother grew up in a culture that obsessively hid any evidence of a woman's reproductive stages, including pregnancy.† While raising her own daughters, she strongly avoided discussing any part of the menstrual cycle, childbirth, menopause, or other "women's topic" with them.† When my mother began her period at 13, she thought she had damaged her internal organs and was bleeding to death.† It was a kind teacher who explained to her what was going on and what to do about it.† Neither my mother nor my aunt have a "comfortable" relationship with their reproductive cycles.† My mother swore that the situation would be different for any daughters she had.
†
Mama never hid the fact that she menstruated from me.† She called it her "period," instead of using any scientific terms (which she was unlikely to have been taught), never acted as though it were a big deal, but did say that she would be glad to get to menopause, so she could be done with it.† I knew where the pads were kept and how they were used as early as age 6.†In fact, she had to scold me once for taking one to school to show my classmates on the playground, because they didn't believe what I'd told them...
†
I began menstruating at age 11. I have migraines for 2-3 days at the beginning of my period.†At first, I also had severely irregular and heavy periods.† This lasted until I was in my 30s, when I discovered that I was allergic to the drugs given to most commercially raised meat animals.† Shifting to a vegetarian (not vegan and not macrobiotic) diet resolved the irregularity problem.† My periods have been on a 22-day cycle for over 10 years now.† I still have the migraines.† Those, I could get rid of and happily never miss.† But I take it as a sign that my body is ready for a rest and a little pampering, so I slow down during my period and indulge myself a†little.†My husband shares the same philosophy, especially as he is grateful that he doesn't have to try to cope with wild mood swings and irritability.† I differ from many of the ladies who have posted here in that I don't feel I am "getting in touch with my feminine side," "connecting with womankind," or any of the new age silliness.† I am not a white light and unicorns kind of person.† Instead, I am "recharging" my creativity and my connection with the inner me, both of which strongly enhance the other areas of my life.† Also, the wait until the bleeding stops seems to strengthen the desire between me and my husband.† No loss there!
†
I have two daughters of my own.† They are being raised with the same openness toward information that will impact their bodies as I was.† I don't call it a "period," because that is for me a "common" way of expressing it that doesn't really describe what's going on.† I've always called it my "moon time." One of my daughters is out on her own now, and would gladly dispose of hers if she could, because she was born with a birth defect that damaged her reproductive system when the surgery was done to preserve her life.† Her periods are painful. I truly feel for her with them.† She needs and deserves pampering on those days.† My younger daughter is not yet old enough to know much.† But I am preparing her to take pride in ALL the distinctions of womanhood.† She sees the best and worst of it from her sister and from me.† But she loves the days when I am bleeding, because we cuddle up on the bed and talk, read stories, nap, snack, whatever we feel like doing.† My bedroom becomes the Red Tent for those days, and is a female-only sanctuary devoted to fostering a sense of quiet, calm, serenity, and creativity.†My husband only comes in when he's bringing us something to snack on or another video.
†
Menopause?†I have begun to show symptoms of it, but only just.† I am planning a natural menopause, using whole foods, herbs, and yoga to make the transition easier and more pleasant.† There is strength in knowledge, I've always heard. My research and planning for this phase of my life started years ago.†I plan to handle this stage with an attitude of peacefulness, also.
†
No. I would not give up the bleeding years.† They have taught me too much about who I am and how strong I can be.† They have taught me to slow down and give myself time to reflect.† They have given me opportunities to become closer to my mother and my daughters.† That's worth the discomfort and the occasional mess.
†
Age 47 in Tennessee, USA

May 2012
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So, based on the experience of NOT having my period for 23 months straight, I would definitely be happy if I could make it cease.

Definitely!

I don't know the exact age I began menstruating, but I think it was around
age 12 or 13. I am now 40. I had pretty severe cramps in my teenage
years. The timing of my periods have always been fairly regular, and the
flow has been light, with the duration usually being about 1 week. I've
never recorded them on a calendar, as I have not really been concerned
enough to do such a thing. Occasionally menstruation has started while
being completely unprepared for it, but for the most part, it tends to
notify me that it is there during my first bathroom visit and wipe in the
morning. So, thankfully, not too many messes. I had always just accepted
the fact that, as women, we have to endure this every month. It is mostly
just an annoying inconvenience for me. Kind of like when you cut the tip
of your index finger by mistake, and have to modify some of the things you
do daily because you don't want to apply pressure at the end of your index
finger until it has healed. I guess I had never really given too much
thought to what life would be like without menstruating until I became
pregnant at 37. Nine months without menstruating was so wonderful!
(However, pregnancy introduces some unique new physical challenges!) Then
on top of the nine months, your period normally doesn't return while
breastfeeding. Another year passed after my son was born, and still no
period. Yay! I had planned to breastfeed long term, and was incredibly
disappointed when my period returned 14 months after giving birth, despite
the fact that I was still breastfeeding. After a quick online search, I
discovered that 14 months is the average length of time for menstruation to
return for a woman who continues to breastfeeding. I have to admit... I
immediately starting thinking about becoming pregnant again! So, based on
the experience of NOT having my period for 23 months straight, I would
definitely be happy if I could make it cease. And that is coming from
someone who doesn't really have any adverse side-effects from it. I am
definitely going to read more on the vegan diet!

April 2012
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I like being in tune with my body.

I don't think so.

As I type this, I am holding my 2-week-old daughter, my third child. I know
that I was able to have my precious daughters because of my periods. I see
my period as a natural part of being a woman, and was taught this. I have
never really felt a stigma or "uncleanliness" associated with menstruating.
I also know other women who are currently on birth control, and haven't had
a period in over a year, and feel that it isn't right. They are young and
want to feel that their body is doing what its supposed to.

When I first started my periods at 11, they were weird, and inconsistent. I
know I went through quite a few really painful cycles in my teens, where
all I could do (when not at school) was lay in bed with a heating bag on my
tummy or lower back, but by the time I was 17, my cycles had settled down.
I was able to accurately predict within 1-2 days when my next one would be
by the time I was in university, and only missed that count a few times,
mostly due to stress and improper nutrition. I also learned to predict my
ovulation based on body temperature and other clues. I like being in tune
with my body.

I am currently 29, and don't plan on having any more children. However, I
would not give up my period. I also don't plan on using hormonal birth
control, as the times I used it between my children, it messed up my
period, made it unpredictable, and didn't actually prevent me getting
pregnant. I would much rather just deal with it on a monthly basis they way
I did before getting pregnant the first time, letting my body run its
natural course.

In response to those who say that its unfair that we have monthly menses,
and many mammals don't - many larger mammals only ovulate for a few short
days each year. We are able to get pregnant 12 times a year, instead of
only 1 or 2 times, and are also able to control when/if we get pregnant. I
personally feel that this choice is worth bleeding once a month.

*Sent from the west coast of Canada*

April 2012
....................................................................................................................................

I think it should be treated as normal and not gross or unsanitary.

HI- I have been reading the different articles on your website and I find them fascinating. I am e-mailing in response to if I would stop having periods if I could. My answer is below.

I would definitely stop menstruating if I could. I don't get periods much and when I do they aren't very bad, so they're almost pointless .I don't want children and I don't see anything magical about birth, pregnancy, or menstruating. That said I don't think it should be looked at as a bad thing, and I think, despite the discomfort some women have and the drag it is, I think it should be treated as normal and not gross or unsanitary. Isn't this blood supposed to be the cleanest thing that can come out of the body, considering it is meant to feed a baby? So I think it would be nice if people didn't label menstrual blood as dirty. I also think that people should use menstruation and all that be the only source of empowerment for women. Again, I'm not saying it's bad, but frequently in women's art, for example, it is through depictions of periods or blood or birth or pregnancy that women are depicted as strong. I think there are other ways that women are strong and it sometimes depresses me that this is the only source of strength we are sometimes labelled with.

17-year-old Canadian
March 2012
....................................................................................................................................

Girls and women do most of the physical work and
yet suffer this damn thing.

I have started my menstruation when I was eleven and not even a year has
passed. I'm only twelve now. I know it's too early to hate periods but I
hate it so much! It's so irritating! Damn! I want to get the hell rid of it!
I wish I was a boy. I hate being a girl. Plus my mother has so many rules
against roaming around here and there, watching tv etc during periods. She
tells me to sit in one place. Hell, is this a life? Sometimes, I feel like
killing myself. I'd rather die in hell than get this awful yucky
menstruation. I always have heaby flow on the first day and I keep counting
until my periods will be over. But how long do I have to stay like this?
Years and years, hell that's too much! Do I now have to wait until I'm 55 to
get rid of this awful thing. Why doesn't modern science find out some ways
to kill this awful *** periods. Oh! I hate the thought of having children
when I grow up! I don't want children for whom I have to survive through
this pain all long. And why do girls menstruate right from the age of 10 or
11. Does anyone marry at this time or what, huh? Why doesn't period occur
when a girl turns to a women. Hell of a period! Cannot the modern scientist
find out some way to help us women. What does a man do, anyway that he has
to be compared to a god? Girls and women do most of the physical work and
yet suffer this damn thing. Why doesn't men understand our problem and
please, I request you to find out some ways to stop this ***

February 2012
....................................................................................................................................

Yes Yes Yes

Started my period at age 10, and I am turning 50 this year, so it has been with me for 40 years! 40 years of spending 1/4 of my lifetime bleeding. For what? I was diagnosed with PCOS some years ago, and have had several bouts of tumor removal over the years. I was never able to have children, why do I need this to continue? I am not ashamed of it, nor do I feel that it is "dirty" in the sense of my doing something evil or shameful, but it is surely a mess- I get diarrhea for the whole 6 days, I should buy stock in Advil since I need to use so much of it, I soak through a super tampon worn with a pad every 3 or 4 hours for the first 2 days, I sleep on a towel and hope that I can get through the night without soaking through the sheets, I casually drop my black jacket on my chair at work in case I leak through, I get cramps that make me consider yanking out my uterus with pliers, I have a closet full of dark colored pants and skirts and have not worn white in years. When it starts now, it almost makes me cry. Enough already!

Why can't modern science find a way to turn off your periods and only restart them when you are trying to get pregnant? Most other female mammals are spared it, why not humans? I don't see any evolutionary advantage to it and if it is an example of intelligent design, it is a pretty mean spirited one. As a teenager, mine were rather irregular, but now they are usually right on time, regular as clockwork-figures, doesn't it? I am writing tonight because I thought of this website when I started bleeding this morning, at the airport on the way back from a trip-I could almost hear it saying "Hi, did you miss me? I didn't want you to go home without me!, Now you get to sit in a comfy airplane seat for 5 hours with cramps!" Early last year I went 2 months without my friend and was hopeful, but of course it came back. I have a nightmare vision of being 80 years old, toddling down the street in Florida with a walker,wearing a purple hat and a huge purse, and still having to buy ##$$@@ tampons!

I do like some of what I have been reading on this website about women who embraced a healthier lifestyle and saw changes for the better concerning their periods.. I am not sure that I am ready to become a vegan but cutting out processed carbs, white flour, and sweets, de-stressing, and exercising more can't hurt and may help. I hope that if I continue to make these changes I may see some improvement during these last years of my cycle. I am in fact finding myself craving healthier foods, I want to eat fruit and vegetables and salad all the time, and I have discovered that if I avoid carbs and sweets I crave them less, so I hope I can improve my overall health this year in all ways. I am at the age now where I don't really care what I say, so I have told everyone I know that the only thing I want for my birthday is my last period! I don't hate being a woman or hate my body, but enough is enough.

Age 49.5, USA

Feb. 2012
...................................................................................................................................

YES.

I have endometriosis, and have been crippled by my periods since day one. I am now on birth control pills for the rest of my bleeding career to be able to live a normal life and not allow the diseased tissue to spread even more.

The vast majority of mammals do NOT bleed as part of their cycle, so why should I? Absolutely pointless and not necessary to be a fertile animal. How did it evolve that an upright naked mammal was to bleed all down the insides of her long legs for years on end....?

January 2012
...................................................................................................................................

Read a long contribution from a man (on another page to save space).
January 2012

Now I know it happens for a very good reason.

I probably wouldn't want it to end. I want to have kids when I'm older. It doesn't ruin my life in any way.

[Later she wrote] I don't have any pains from it. It doesn't affect my life in any way. I wouldn't be able to have kids if it stopped. I started in when I was 12 and thought it was pointless. Now I know it happens for a very good reason.
December 2011
...................................................................................................................................

Yes.

I’m only 13 but i sure would as long as I'd still be able to have kids when i was older?
i get dizzy and faint and before and after my periods i get a brown discharge, which warns me when I’m going to get my period.
It is sooooooo annoying and all the blood goes to back where my bum is when im sleeping ANNOYING much??
December 2011
...................................................................................................................................

Read 2 long contributions from the same person (on another page to save space).
December 2011
...................................................................................................................................

Why not have a time, monthly, that is devoted to slowing down and turning
inward and comfort and warmth and just being?

In response to your question about whether I would want to stop
menstruation, I wholeheartedly answer YES. [The writer is 57 and British]

"I now take low dose birth control pills continuously
and must only have a period about every 4 months. It surprises me how few
people know about this method and how apparently underused it is.

"Of course I would!"

"I am delighted to be a woman. And menstruation is part of that. . . . I live in the Midwest, USA, where menstruation is never discussed."

I've been using a menstrual cup . . . .

Oh YES I would

OMG YES I WOULD.

"Damn Right I would"

"[M]enopause was THE BEST thing that ever happened to me!"

"The other thing I find curious or even amusing, is that so many women have 'no idea when they will begin their period'. Speaking generally, most women can chart their period from month to month..say for a year. I did this when I was trying to get pregnant and became so tuned into my body that I can get within a day or so of beginning and ending my period."

Well, bully for you. I have been menstruating for 35+ years, and I would say that the first 20 years were predictable and uneventful. The last 15 years have been hell. Every 24 days? 35 days? Sure, whatever! Two periods in one month is the ultimate cruelty. Just when you think it's normal, its not. Yes, I have kept a calendar, for years...a calendar of TORTURE.

August 2011
...................................................................................................................................

"The many problems mentioned on your website are a direct result of a woman taught to hate that aspect of her self, including poor nutrition and decreased exercise."

Good afternoon,

Menstruation is a gift given to women that patriarchal societies have turned women against. As a little girl growing up, I was taught that having my period was dirty. I dreaded having periods once upon a time. What's more, I wished I was a man because I was taught that women were a disgrace to God.

My perception of Self was shaped by family, community, research on female anatomy conducted by prejudiced males, research conducted by male psychologists, religion and even other women whose perceptions of Self had been altered. This perception of course caused me to resent that aspect of Self that is empowering, spiritually powerful and natural. Furthermore, my periods at the time were painful and uncomfortable. They also lasted four or more days. My menstrual flow was heavy and it smelled. It's amazing what the Mind creates, not just in our thinking, but how it affects our body physically. Mind, body and spirit, it's all connected.

Women, in patriarchal societies, were taught to disconnect body from mind and spirit. The many problems mentioned on your website are a direct result of a woman taught to hate that aspect of her self, including poor nutrition and decreased exercise. It's true that nutrition and exercise impacts quality and duration of a womanís menstrual flow. I know this from personal experience. With good nutrition, exercise and a healthy state of Mind toward life and Self, my periods are only 2 to 3 days long. My periods do not smell. I only have a heavy flow the first day I start. The cramps have significantly decreased.

I have learned over the years that menstruating is a time of receiving
spiritual medicine. This is when a woman is in her greatest power. Perhaps this is the reason why women were taught periods are dirty and unwomanly, because a woman in her power is a time when she is closest to God. It's a time when she is most spiritual. Why? Her womb is expelling the old to prepare for the new. It is always keeping the uterus healthy for a new life. This is on a physical level. On a mental level she is being challenged to throw out thinking that does not serve her well so that she can embrace the state of Mind that will serve her well In return, a healthy Mind produces a healthy fetus. She is also challenged to exist on a physical plane or to become connected to her spiritual Self. Menstruation is a time to realign body with Mind and Spirit; bringing the three in harmony so that she can produce a strong and healthy child. What is wrong with that? Nothing.

The blood tells the woman the state of health she is in, not just
physically, but mentally, emotionally and spiritually. If she is having a bad experience it's a time for her to re-examine her overall health. It's a time when she is able to decide what course of action to take. For example, blood that smells could be a sign that she is consuming too much sugar, refined carbohydrates, refined fats or that her body is too acidic. A heavy flow could indicate lack of exercise, poor nutrition, stress, obesity, diabetes or perhaps it could be a medical condition needing professional care. Pain and cramps can indicate stress, caffeine, smoking, excess sugar consumption.

It is time woman know their truth, one that has not been altered by illusion. It is time she knows her truth so that she can help other woman come to know their truths. Menstruation is not what it seems for many. That is illusion.

There is a resurgence of truth that is resurfacing about women and their cycles; one that will help women to love them Self, womanhood and menstruation. Woman will once again feel empowered instead of disempowered, like so many feel now. She will once again love her divine Self, being a woman. And her experiences with periods will once again become positive.

Aho.

Respectfully,

I love being a woman and I love the fact that I bleed once a month

P.S. A healthy vagina does not smell.

...................................................................................................................................

"When I had a traumatic brain injury the cycle became shorter. . . . When menopause hit I was never so happy."

The day my older sister's explained to me that I would soon be getting my period I vividly recall telling them I would get rid of as quick as possible. Just 6 months from that talk I started my cycle. At 10.5. I hated it then, I hated it till the very last day. It was always reliable. I could count on it coming very 21 days.Ý When I had a traumatic brain injury the cycle became shorter.Ý Because I didn't have children I had my cycle most of adult life. When menopause hit I was never so happy. Other then the hot flashes. I am greatful to get rid of the bother.

Looking back now since I didn't have children, I had my cycle longer then any of my sisters.

"The other thing I find curious or even amusing, is that so many women have 'no idea when they will begin their period.'"

I am quite entertained by some of your respondent's regarding their monthly cycle. It is what it is! Do I LIKE it...not really. Do I LOVE it...no.

Do I HATE it...again, not really. I mean...it is part of being who I am.There are so many different options out there for handling "problem" periods...the problem is women don't find it "important" enough to actually pay for it or make lifestyle changes. As far as surgery, if it is an elective...you will have to pay for it. Seems to me to be a small price for getting rid of something that seems to be so absolutely horrible to some of these women.

I am 47 and have never had my own biological children. Would I have liked to be rid of my period when I realized I would never have my own children? Yes! Did I want it bad enough to pull the money out of my pocket for it...no!

The other thing I find curious or even amusing, is that so many women have "no idea when they will begin their period". Speaking generally, most women can chart their period from month to month..say for a year. I did this when I was trying to get pregnant and became so tuned into my body that I can get within a day or so of beginning and ending my period.

Oh...and a great way to stop the staining (because you don't know when you start...) would be to wear a panty liner a day or so before you should begin. My bet would be that most women don't pay attention to their body unless it is screaming at them. Self awareness, not to be confused with selfishness, is a key!

Hi Harry! This is a contribution to the "would you stop menstruating if you could?" And also, thank you very much for making the awesome site, too!!

To all of the women and girls who said that menstruation was unnecessary/obsolete: you may have been right!!

But I'm not talking about using birth control or getting surgery; I mean NATURALLY women may not have to bleed at all!

You see, I was reading about vegetarianism and how that type of diet affected the menstrual cycle, because I just became a vegetarian a few weeks ago. So I found this site where a lady, her name is Debbie Took, went into a lot of theories on how menstruation may be normal, but NOT healthy. Because when people switch over to eating a vegan (which is a bit different from vegetarianism btw) diet their menstruation may either get really light... or totally stop, and never come back! Now, a lot of people may think that absent menstruation is really unhealthy, and that the person must not be getting enough nutrients in their diet. But the lady's article explains why the opposite may be true! Here's the link to the article, and I'll post some quotes from the article below: http://debbietookrawforlife.blogspot.com/2009/04/periods-they-may-be-normal-but-are-they.html.

Before I read her article, I would have said NO, no way did I want to stop menstruating! Because I like to bleed and use my awesome menstrual cups and cloth pads!! But after reading the article, I've decided that I like my body being healthy more than I like bleeding, so...my answer now is yes, if it meant that my body was in good health, then YES I wouldn't mind if I stopped menstruating.

In the 21st century 'developed' world, the women most likely to report light or 'absent' periods are so often the healthiest. They're often athletes - women at the peak of physical fitness. And/or they're women who have at least eschewed the disease-causing substances listed above and following diets high in raw plant foods. They may eat voraciously, but they eat healthily.

In general, the less healthy women are, the better the diet (in terms of eating refined foods; she explains that in the article too), the more they are likely to be plagued by heavy periods. Studies have shown that overweight women tend to have heavier periods.

'Little bleeding', 'no observed flow', 'tablespoon of blood', 'half a day mucous flow' - doesn't seem to make sense, does it, when we've been led to understand that the 'womb lining' has to be shed each month. But, many women in developed countries following healthy diets/lifestyles, some indigenous women, and gorillas, don't seem to be shedding any womb lining, but are still having babies! Why is that many, if not most, women in developed countries do appear to shed a lot of gunge along with the blood, but the most natural-living women don't appear to?

One theory, (and this is backed to some extent by scientific observations of monkeys), is that the womb lining can, instead of being shed, be reabsorbed by the body when not needed as a bed for the fertilised egg.

'If the endometrial tissues are not needed - in a truly healthy woman, as in animals in their wild state, those tissues are mostly reabsorbed. What remains is expelled over a short period of time as a slight mucus discharge.' (Dr H G Beiler)

So - could it be that the womb lining that the average woman has built up contains toxic substances due to things ingested (like refined foods) and the body is saying 'No way - don't want that reabsorbed thank you!' and chooses instead to dump it?

Viktoras Kulvinskas in 'Survival in the 21st Century' reports the case of a woman treated by Dr G S White, who changed her diet to vegan. '[She] flowed bright blood five or six days of each month [and] had such severe cramps that she could not hold her position as stenographer. [He treated her for six months, after which her]periods changed to half a day mucous flow with no blood at all. She was able to resume her work and did so for two or three years. She married and has had three daughters. Each of them had a mucous flow for about half a day each month and are in perfect health. One is married and had a healthy baby girl.'

'Menstruation (bleeding) is NOT a necessity following ovulation...We have been conditioned to believe that menstruation goes hand in hand with ovulation...Most women, including myself, experience menstruation because they are not truly clean on the inside...Menstruation is the body's desperate attempt to free itself from toxins, and many females experience PMS in addition to the needless bleeding. Abdominal pain (cramping), headaches, fatigue and irritability do NOT signify an optimal state of health, yet most of us brush these symptoms off as the norm. If you feel such symptoms, this is how your body is communicating that it wants you to change what you are doing; we must listen to Nature's messages...Presently, on a mainly raw diet, I do not even realize that I am menstruating until I feel moist and decide to take a peek'.

From a 16yr old living in Georgia, U.S.A. (I'm orginally from New Jersey though!)

"[M]enstruation meant saying good bye to freedom" - and what's this about whistling?

If I had been asked the question before I hit menopause, the answer would have been a resounding Yes! After nearly 4 decades of menstrual problems, I didn't have any problems with menopause, which I felt was a case of "Justice at last" I SO do not miss menstruation.

I began menstruating at 12, which I felt was way too young. (I know some women begin even earlier and they have my deepest sympathies.) There were two reasons for this: the memory of potty training was still reasonably fresh, I had achieved a control over bladder and bowels and menstruation felt like that control had been ripped away. The second reason was that menstruation meant saying good bye to freedom, women definitely had a lot more restrictions placed on them back then than men did.

I was most interested to read that many of the other women who have had problems with menstruation mentioned diarrhoea. I always got what I thought of as "period diarrhoea" but no one ever mentions it.

The cycles of the moon story never cut it for me, as I tended, if left to my own devices, to have a 3 week cycle, of which about 10 days were spent bleeding. In reality, you have a lot more chance of getting in touch of your feminine side during ovulation. I don't see anything "feminine" or "girly" about the bleeding. I think of "feminine" as clean and sweet-smelling. Oozing blood isn't clean, it's messy, I don't think we are going to see menstrual blood scented products on the market any time soon and period diarrhoea has its own particular stench.

As a teenager, my belly would swell a dress size with menstruation, when the period started it was not unusual for me to lose consciousness (did that one time on a school trip, going down marble stairs). On occasions, the pain was such that I would chew my blankets to stop crying out. No one needs to be tortured. The worst part was knowing that the same torture was coming next month. Once the first couple of days were over, it still felt as if I had been kicked in the guts.

If someone found that urinating was agony, or lifting their arms, or chewing or whatever, then the medical profession would admit that they had a problem. When it comes to menstrual pain, especially in teenagers, it's not seen as a problem. The doctors warble on about possible risks to future fertility if they try to treat the problem with something effective (I already knew I didnít want to have children) and even trot out the "Once youíve had a baby, the menstrual problems will go away" line. Again, as other women who've described their experiences here demonstrate, this is egregious bullshit. When I was a teenager, there was a story doing the rounds that Catholic and Jewish women were more prone to dysmenorrhoea than Protestant women because they were trained by their religions to feel more guilt. My Protestant friends assured me this was bullshit.

I would see the female reproductive system as possible evidence of "intelligent design", or rather, "dumb as dogshit design", as it is hard to imagine how a system that works so badly for so many women could survive evolutionary selection. The fact that people look after each other when they are unwell - and menstruation can make you feel exceedingly unwell, may explain how the system got past the selection test.

[An interesting side note here: youíve probably heard that "breastfeeding stops you getting pregnant" and also met women who fell pregnant whilst breastfeeding. That breastfeeding stopped pregnancy used to be true, about 15,000 years ago, before humans took to basing their diet on grains. I have wondered if a diet without grains would reduce menstrual problems.]

If I could redesign humans, I would make menstruation optional, unless you were specifically trying to fall pregnant, in which case it does have a point. I would also get rid of underarm hair, pubic hair, facial hair and underarm sweat, I'd build in immunity to colds and 'flu and I'd make whistling impossible [yer MUM hates that nervous, barely audible whistling]!

Yes, perhaps. If I was able to control it, like urination, I wouldn't mind it at all - the pain sucks, of course, but I can handle it. But I hate the feeling I get that I'm not at all in control of what happens down there. I just have to wear a pad and pray it doesn't leak...I'm not young or ancient enough to have incontinence problems! I am not sexually active, nor do I plan on having children, so I don't use my period as a pregnancy test. I'm glad when my medications get switched around a lot and causes my period to skip or be very light.

I started my cycle when I was 11. I will turn 42 in March. I have had enough. I do not have kid and do not plan on having any. I had my tube tied almost two years ago so there would be no accidents. If there were a way that I could get rid of my periods without surgery, I would take it without hesitation. I have been trying to find a way to permanently end them without having to take the pill for a couple of years. All they are is a bother to me. I can never plan spontaneous sex with my significant other because I am never sure when old mother nature is going to show up. Now he works out of town and I cannot plan on when to go visit him because I never know when it is going to occur. I hate my periods. If they were going to serve me a purpose I could see them continuing but I am not going to reproduce so why continue in the monthly disgusting body function that God gave us. We should be able to say when we want it to stop. It is our body. We should have the right to chose if we want to end our menstruation just like we have choice of right to life. Doctors and insurance should not have a say so.

Yes!! Please!!! I was on Depo for about 11 years and after so much nagging from every doctor that Depo is not healthy to use for so long and I'd have osteoporosis, etc I finally stopped using Depo 3 years ago, got my tubes tied and MEA. I have no interest in having children and even the thought of being pregnant is my worst nightmare and absolutely disgusting to me. I'd rather have tapeworm! So OK, I got the whole contraceptive thing out of the way, but I still get a period and I hate it! This is so primitive! Birds have the right idea; lay an egg and wait till it hatches to a baby bird. Better yet, bury the eggs like a turtle. If this were a man's issue, there would have been a better solution ages ago! But no, there are too many feminist women that feel empowered and more 'womanly' or something because they have a period. Right now, I know I should start my period today or tomorrow. Tomorrow I have a race to run. Would my period interfere with my run? You bet it would, just like it will interfere with everything else in life. If you look at the math, you get your period once a month for 5-7 days. So you spend nearly a quarter of your life from your teen age years until you're in your 50s with this misery. Somebody fix this please! It's just not right!!

Yes. "I think for me the reason I don't like having a period is...the mess."

I am working on my Masters in Women's Health, but I still hate having a period every month. I find it very interesting to read people's responses. I have to write a response to a discussion question that asks us to contrast and compare modern day views on coming of age and a girl's transition into womanhood...including menstruation to those in Biblical times. I found a site that spoke of how the transition into womanhood (in the Bible) was a time of celebration and the women did not have to do there regular duties of cooking, serving, etc. The rested and relaxed for the days they were on their period. I think that I wouldn't mind my period so much if it were like that nowadays! hahaha. However, I think for me the reason I don't like having a period is...the mess. I don't have a long period, but it is heavy for the 1st two days. I feel so dirty, yucky and stinky. I think that I would still feel that way no matter how many showers I took during that time of the month. I don't feel girly or anything pleasant when I feel that gross. Others may think that I am not proud to be a woman or some other granola crap, but it is not true. I am proud to be a woman! I don't think a period or female organs define ones femininity. It is all about attitude! Everyone is entitled to their own opinion because that is what it is...an opinion...not fact. I did say "I", which means that is how "I" feel and I don't expect everyone to agree with me and I'm not pushing my opinion on anyone.

Yes. "I don't need to be unhappy, unhealthy and in pain to prove my womanhood."

I'm 45 and have had my period since I was 11 years old. I have had cramps, diarrhea, moodiness (to the point of annoying even myself), headaches, backaches, iron shortages, tiredness and a laundry list of symptoms the entire time. I have had doctors prescribe heavy drugs that knock me out and make it impossible to function. I have had other doctors tell me there was no such thing as PMS. I have had a few doctors who have helped, so it was not all bad on the doctor front, but unfortunately too many doctors all together for a problem only some of them think is real. I past any age of wanting more children and am more than ready for the periods to end. However my mother and grandmother both had the cycles well into their 60's, so no hope for an early end!

People have included how proud they are to have periods to prove they are women. I believe I would still be a woman if the menstruation stopped. I don't need to be unhappy, unhealthy and in pain to prove my womanhood. Every woman is different and I am happy (and jealous) of the women who do not have any the of extreme problems that afflict others. But those of us who have had problems should be able (if ever possible, please!!!) to put an end to a very unhappy situation.

Hell yes. We need a once a year pill that allows you one cycle a year--you take it, you predictably get one cycle, lasting no more than 3 days, and you're done for another year, with no weight gain/loss, loss of sexual desire, effect on future fertility or increased risk of malignancy.

Oh dear. No, absolutely not. (Unless my current circumstances changed and I started having such heavy periods that were a threat to my life.)

It makes me really sad to read some of the comments from women who say they hate their uterus, that must be really heart-breaking to feel that way about one's own body. There are lots of diseases (cultural and physical based) that can provoke people to start hating parts or all of their bodies, and it always makes me sad to hear about people suffering that way. I know some people think that the whole "connection to the earth and moon" is much too new-agey fru-fru for them as a rationale for keeping the menstrual cycle, and I certainly don't think that women that don't menstruate (for whatever reason) are less than fully WOMEN, but I definitely like to connection to myself that my cycle gives me. A lot of the time I lose track of time, the passage of days and weeks, in the chaos of everything I'm trying to remember to do, but I like that my body keeps right on progressing with it's functions without my conscious thought needed-- my lungs breathe, my heart beats, my uterus sheds it's lining monthly. All is in working order! And, as a sexually active adult female, it's always nice to have a check in to let me know I'm not unexpectedly pregnant...!

I have found my own ways of managing and handling the blood and occasional cramps (raw kombucha, moon cups and fabric pads, here I come baby!) that work for me, so I would never want to give up my menstrual flow artificially. Maybe if they didn't work, I would feel differently. I'm sure the onset of menopause will produce it's own issues! But hopefully once it's over, I won't be fertile anymore and won't have to worry that a lack of blood is an indication that I might be pregnant.

It's worth mentioning however, that for the girls and women who have already commented while in their teens that they absolutely HATE their cycles, that the first several years of menstruation can be the most chaotic-- onset of menarche doesn't actually mean that all of the bodily organs are FULLY mature, it'd be more accurate to say that the body is gearing up and kicking into high speed. It still needs time to adjust which can actually take several years, into the mid-twenties, before one's cycle becomes more regular, and some women find they get lighter cycles as they mature also. So it's worth considering that their experiences may change as they get older.

Also, I sincerely hope that no one considering how much they dislike their monthly cycle, thinks that a hysterectomy to actually remove the 'offending' organ is a simple matter -- it isn't, and, there can be life-long consequences that have nothing to do with bearing children. (Believe me, this isn't coming from a woman that thinks that childbearing is god's gift to women to make them feel whole-- I don't really like kids very much, never intend to have any of my own, my own body being impregnated creeps me the hell out.) Some women have reported a loss of sexual pleasure after their uterus was removed, in part probably because the sexual and reproductive systems are quite complicated and interconnected. Personally, I KNOW that losing my uterus would be devistating to me, because I quite enjoy deep penetration at times during intercourse as well as the heightened intensity of orgasm that I often achieve while on my monthly flow. I would be very sad to lose those.

Lastly, just to the commentor that talked about the sewage problem related to the disposal of so-called "sanitary products," specifically, "...the tampon applicators, not to mention pads and wrappers that get flushed. These products break our equipment, clog pumps and dull the teeth of the grinders." That's a totally legitimate-- and also inexcusable, problem, that isn't caused so much by menstruation as it is by women flushing things that were never intended to be flushed! Most applicators shouldn't be flushed, unless they're cardboard (in which case the lady or gentleman commentor would know more than I as to whether even the cardboard ones cause problems), and certainly not pads or wrappers. That's just... ridiculous. Read the directions people.

Oh and, for the record, I'm 26 years old and from the US. (And I'm a Gender & Sexuality Studies major at University, if that lends any credence to my claims on scientific facts, since I don't have the names of the studies on hand to quote from directly.)

Absolutely I would!! I have two children and only ever wanted two. All my period does is make a huge mess and prevent me from making love or going swimming. It lasts for at least 8 days and has precisely no good function.

What a waste of good iron! If I could stop having them from now until I die I'd be over the moon!

Yes, I would absolutely like to stop menstruating forever. I started my period when I was just 10 years old, at the moment I'm 18 and really have had enough. I can imagine a life without: fear that I get my period unexpectedly, ladies sanitary aids and not forgetting to change them, loads of painkillers, general physical discomfort resulting from it (like bloating or digestive problems) etc. And infertility wouldn't be an issue to me - I also never want to have kids; if I wanted, I would adopt, because all the pregnancy and giving birth frightens me too much.

Hi Harry - I love the MUM website, it's got so much information about the history of menstruation - thank you for keeping it going!

I want to add my voice to the long ongoing debate of "would you stop menstruating if you could?":

No, I am proud of my period. It's been a part of my life for 13 years, and I wouldn't want to part with it now. It's helped to shape my self-esteem, my identity, and who I am. Menstruation is a mixed blessing for me, I can't change it so I like to focus on the good things about it. I don't like the pain but it is manageable now at the age of 23 (I used to get very bad pain sometimes as a teenager). The pain has made me a stronger person. Menstruation makes me feel more connected to other women & prouder of being a woman. Menstruation has brought me closer to my mother, and makes me feel more connected to her & my sister. I also like the blood, I find it fascinating (to me, blood and the colour red symbolize women). The blood tells me about my body, and menstruation makes me feel more connected to my body. I see my period is a welcome excuse for me to take time out, watch television during the day and nurture myself.

My answer would be a resounding "Hell Yes!" I have never in all of my 31 years been able to justify why I personally should be subjected to such a monthly ordeal. I have known since I was 13 that I would NEVER breed or bring another life into this world and have taken such measures to accomplishing that. I've been looking into the option of getting a hysterectomy since I was about 27 and naturally I was told that surely I wouldn't want such a procedure because what if I wanted kids in the future.

I think this is the most ridiculous argument. Do they discourage people who need amputations with similar arguments? Surely those people would like to continue walking in the future. Frankly, I think by denying young women the option to stop menstruation by surgical means is nothing short of typical misogynistic medical oppression. It is a complete disregard of what a woman wants for her own body.

And as for those delusional women who think that bleeding every month defines them as a woman, take note: you are so much more than your genitals.

thanks for a very informative guide. I always enjoy my periods, and always look forward to it coming. As you said, I feel so girlish and feminin.my boyfriend loves me more during these times. [Actually I didn't say that but many contributers to this page have said similar things.]

No, I would not. Yes I've always had a heavy flow in which I would bleed through SUPER tampon in about 15 mins. Even my first period was very heavy...etc but no I would not stop menstruating if I could. I say this because for whatever reason, my period is kind of like my own sweet little secret. It makes me feel so feminine and girly. It's special and intimate and nobody knows except for me.

"Right now I'd say HELL YEAH NO MORE PERIODS, because I'm menstruating at the moment and it sucks. . . . I still wish I was a guy sometimes."

I like reading all the different answers to this question. I suppose I'm in the middle as to how much this monthly business affects me physically and emotionally. Right now I'd say HELL YEAH NO MORE PERIODS, because I'm menstruating at the moment and it sucks. I began when I was 11, and had some pretty painful periods right from the start. Throughout high school they weren't so bad, because I was very physically active: I had to walk everywhere and was forced to go to gym class five days a week. Now that is more of a challenge for me because I work at home and I could sit in a chair all day if I wanted to. Over the last four or five years I was moving to different houses and changing jobs like dirty laundry, and my periods became more and more painful, to the point where I'd be writhing around on the bathroom floor at 3 am, screaming for my mom. When I met my boyfriend, who I'm living with now, my cycle became perfectly regular for the first time in my

life. It's still painful, but for much less time than before. I guess if I've learned anything from all of this it's how complicated your body is, and how much it's affected by your environment, your daily routine, the people around you, illness, even the weather (humidity=big bloating)

Two months ago I stopped drinking coffee and alcohol and decided to make a lot of changes in my diet, so hopefully that will help even more. These experiments are kind of interesting, to see how quickly or gradually I respond to a change, but I never wanted to think about my period so much. I still wish I was a guy sometimes.

"I managed to find a Dr. who finally rid me of my uterus & one ovary at my age of 32.....he said I had blood clots 'from nipples to knees'! I praise God every day for that man!"

I started my period a few months shy of my 13th birthday. Every single month, I would be felled by cramps, nausea, hot & cold flashes, and constant diarrhea. At 15, my Dr. wanted to put me on birth control pills- this was the early 1960s!

I married in 1965 & was on the pill for 4 yrs. until we started our family.....stopped nursing at 6 weeks so I could get back on The Pill...($2.50/month at the time!) Anyway....we had another child 30 months later; my husband had a vasectomy, so I was back to my 'normal cycle'. Same old symptoms.....only worse!

I had to Dr.-shop to find someone who would perform a hysterectomy....I would bleed thru two tampons, two pads, and a beach towel between my legs on the first two days of my period, post-childbirth. I managed to find a Dr. who finally rid me of my uterus & one ovary at my age of 32.....he said I had blood clots 'from nipples to knees'! I praise God every day for that man!

Anyway.....about 50, with one active ovary, I went on Premarin for hot flashes & insomnia....did that for about 10 yrs., then gave it up. I am now symptom-free, travel light (no pads, tampons, or anything else!), and am very happy grandmother of 4 lovely grandbabies! My sympathies with those who've experienced what I have....and I have total respect for those who are not going thru what I have.

Yes. "I have the best of both worlds - I still get the energy and sexiness that comes with a woman's natural hormonal cycle, but with none of the swelling and pain and shedding that is due to the build up and release of the lining."

Since getting a Mirena IUD for birth control, I have stopped menstruating at the age of 38, and I am thrilled. I used to have awful cramps, vomiting, diarrhea, and mood swings. Now I feel good all the time - no pain, no depression, no weird distractions of cramps and clots. It is wonderful, and with none of the emotional side effects of the Pill which were very extreme.

The Mirena doesn't interfere with my natural cycle, or pump hormones all through my body, it just releases a tiny amount of hormone right into the uturus, and this thins the lining so it is almost gone. So I have the best of both worlds - I still get the energy and sexiness that comes with a woman's natural hormonal cycle, but with none of the swelling and pain and shedding that is due to the build up and release of the lining. I feel so powerful and LUCKY that I discovered this early enough to enjoy it! I recommend it to anyone. On the commercials they say that only women who have had a child should consider it, but I have never been pregnant at all and it fit just fine.

Through out most of my life, it hasn't really been an issue. Just a normal biological function that happened on a monthly basis. After an emergency c-section with child # 4, my periods have become painful & heavier. Also, in the past couple of years I've begun experiencing severe depression lasting around 10 days that coincides with it. So - if given the option I would love to have a hysterectomy and simply get it over with. I will not be using my uterus again and see no reason to keep it. Not that uterus removal would be likely to take care of the hormone issues that are causing the depression, but hell, at least life would be less messy. Just to be clear though, it's not about shame. I don't despise being female or having a vagina. I'm not angry about it. It's served it purpose, acquired some damage the last time around and should be properly put to rest.

I get one or two days during my period that completely disable me, but I still love it. People think I'm crazy, but women in industrialized countries are taught to hate our periods, to hide them, to feel ashamed, which is why people respond so negatively to anyone who respects menstruation. Sexism is part of the motivation for the negative views, as in, "men don't have this 'nasty' 'horrible' 'smelly problem' every month".think about it! What's so shameful about a body indicating fertility? There are so many products that are aimed at hiding menstruation-but this is unnecessary-a tool for feminine hygiene companies to make more money. Try reusable cloth pads or cups or sponges-these aren't bad for you or the environment. I get it-it's really really hard to see where I'm coming from if you answered "no" to the question, and for you sisters who have periods that are so painful they merit medical attention, I understand your situation is different. For everybody else, all you have to do is try, try thinking positive after all the pain about what it all means-it will change your entire outlook!

I haven't had menstrual problems like very, very strong pains or fainting, but it hasn't been easy for me too. But, although I don't love the fact that I have the bleeding, it doesn't only remind me of the fact that I'm a female (and that's a fact that I DO like), but it's also very natural. If God has created us like this, why should we try to stop it? I know how it is to feel sick or how it is when you've been caught having menstruations at SCHOOL. But I still wouldn't give this up. I must sound crazy, but I've learned to live in peace with my body (and I understand that that's not actually a very easy goal when you're in great pain). The fact that you have menstruations can mean (most of the cases, anyway) that you're only healthy and everythings alright with you.

"I already have. . . . I think I would rather die a thousand agonizing deaths than to have to have those periods again."

Your site is so interesting! Here's a story for your "Would you stop menstruation if you could?" page. :) Sorry if it's too long. Feel free to summarize or take out excerpts if you still want it.

I started my period when I was 12 and, from the beginning, I had very heavy periods. They were so bad that I refused to go to school on my heaviest days; I would stay home in bed and cry. After I got a little older, my mom got me an appointment with a gynecologist to see if I could get some help. The first visit he just prescribed me some Naproxen for cramps. I went back later and tried to more fully explain what the deal was: it was the cramps, it was the bleeding. So this time, he put me on Seasonique birth control.

The idea of only having a period every three months made so happy I almost cried. I was delighted. Unfortunately, after being on Seasonique for a while, I started having very heavy breakthrough. I was afraid it would be something I would have to deal with forever. It interfered with my life so much that I became depressed for a while and was prescribed Prozac. I remember coming home from school one day, having dealt with the heavy bleeding all day, and sitting in the bathroom and just screaming my head off. At that point I was beyond crying.

It had gotten to the point where it was like I was having a period, every day. After a few weeks of that I went back to the doctor and he put me on a different birth control, and told me to skip the placebos and take the active pills continually to supress my period. I liked that idea, but after a while it stopped working, and so the doctor schedule a laparoscopy to see what was wrong with me.

I was terrified at first, but the experience wasn't too unpleasant. The doctor did the laparoscopy as well as a DNC, and he burned off the excess endometrial tissue he found. He also removed a few small polyps. My appendix had endometriosis on it, so he just removed the whole thing.

I woke up from the surgery feeling pretty good. I had almost no pain post-surgery. The worst part was, when I went to the bathroom at the hospital, finding out the doctor had put a tampon in me. Having never worn tampons I didn't realize what the cord hanging out of me was until the nurse looked at it. I nearly had a panic attack; I think I thought my intestines were falling out or something. I've always hated tampons.

Anyway, after the surgery I did very well for a while. My doctor never fully explained that I had a condition called endometriosis. He just told me that he burned off the tissue; I didn't know it was a disease. My mom explained to me what it was. Eventually the heavy breakthrough came back, and I got put on a different birth control, and another. I had to try a few before I found one that worked for me.

Now I'm on Ovcon 50. It's a very high dosage, very few pharmacies carry it, and there's no generic for the 50mg dosage, so it's very expensive. However, it works, and that makes me extremely happy. I skip the placebos, so I no longer have a period. My friends tell me how I lucky I am that I don't have to have a period. I don't think they fully understand what I went through, but I know that I am lucky for endometriosis to be the only health problem I have. It could have been a lot worse.

At the time I wished I could have just had a hysterectomy, but I was too young and it was too extreme a solution for my problem. Right now I'm glad to just have birth control and no more period. I think I would rather die a thousand agonizing deaths than to have to have those periods again.

No, I would not stop menstruation artificially. To me, menstruation means an opportunity to remember periodically that I am a fertile woman and that my body is available and gives me the opportunity to receive a new life.

The inconveniences of menstruation (discomfort, unpleasant feelings, uterus pain) are an invitation to slow my pace of activity and work, to pay attention to the changes in my body, to take some extra time for myself. Bleeding periodically can be a natural gentle regeneration at biological and energetic level. I think menstruation is also surrounded by magic. I believe the close affinity with the moon it is not a mere coincidence. I usually have my period in crescent moon and I found out that I was born and that my children were born or conceived with a crescent moon. The physiology of ovulation is part of the mystery. Girls are born with hundreds of thousands of ovules. Many of them will disappear, about four hundred will wake up 15, 30, even 50 years later to produce ovulation and just a few of them will generate a new life. It is also amazing that the signal to ovulate comes from the hypothalamus, which is also the central unit of emotions. When a woman has anomalous periods, she may have emotional or psychological aspects which require attention.

In addition, for some cultures, like the indigenous people from Australia, menstrual blood is used in medecine.

There is a recent documentary dealing with menstruation that probably you already know: "The moon inside you," from Diana Favianova. It can be viewed on line here. www.cultureunplugged.com/play/2369

"The blood loss is so great that I have to have blood transfusions continuously. So, HELL YEAH. I would stop it without a doubt."

I am 16 years old and begun my periods on my 12th birthday. The most painful day in my life without a doubt. I have the worst period pains known to mankind (well maybe not the MAN-kind) as well as the fact that I have anaemia and faint at least 4 times in the 5 days that I have my period. The blood loss is so great that I have to have blood transfusions continuously. So, HELL YEAH. I would stop it without a doubt. No second thoughts, nothing. I don't care about the fact that I can't have children, although I am young to be saying this, I already have knows for years that I would rather adopt in the future.

Would you stop menstruating if you could? (¿Dejarías de menstruar si pudieras? No, aunque muchas mujeres piensen lo contrario. Me agrada el misterio que hay en la menstruación, porque es la esencia de la femeneidad, representa totalmente el hecho de ser mujer, porque no le ocurre de ninguna manera al hombre.

Además es una indicadora del funcionamiento de mi cuerpo. Tengo resistencia a la insulina, una enfermedad crónica similar a la diabetes tipo 2 aunque menos grave, y uno de sus síntomas es precisamente tener ciclos irregulares.

Mis ciclos nunca han sido regulares. Esperé los dos años después de mi primera menstruación (que fue a los 12 años y 7 meses), sin embargo seguía tan irregular como en los primeros ciclos. A los 17 años fui por primera vez a un ginecólogo debido a mi irregularidad. Mis ovarios no poseen quistes, según reveló la ecografía. Lo que me hace irregular es el alto nivel de azúcar en la sangre que tenía antes de comenzar mi tratamiento.

Felizmente ahora me he vuelto más regular. Es un proceso lento. Antes mis ciclos variaban en su duración de 25 a 48 días; ahora duran entre 31 y 38, lo cual es un gran avance, en los tres años que llevo como insulinoresistente diagnosticada.

Sí, tengo algunas molestias cuando menstrúo, pero se solucionan con paracetamol para mujeres. Nada grave. Sólo es desagradable la sensación de estar manchada, aunque nunca he visto la temida mancha roja en mi ropa. Por cierto, gracias al sitio Mum.org que me atreví a probar los tampones.

Son cómodos y bastante seguros, aunque al principio es difícil acostumbrarse, ya que al ser virgen como yo el tamaño de la vagina es diferente.

Una vez mi mamá los probó y según ella fue un desastre, se manchó entera y nunca más quiso usarlos. Incluso guardó un tampón (era Tampax), sin embargo, lamentablemente lo botó a la basura hace algunos años. Si hubiera sabido de la existencia de este sitio lo habría conservado y enviado.

Aquí en Chile no todas las mujeres usan tampones. Le expliqué de esto a una amiga, y me dijo que ella jamás los usaría. Creo que es por la gran cantidad de católicos que hay aquí (yo no soy católica), y son bastantes conservadores en este aspecto. La menstruación generalmente es un tema tabú, al igual que el sexo.

I'd surprisingly have to say no! I've only had my period for about two and a half years, I'm currently 15 and I got it at 12. I used to HATE it SO much, but now I feel better once I get it if you know what I mean. Like, before my period I feel all bloaty and gross when I'm pmsing, but it feels great to finally be done with that. I think the main reason's because I used to get very heavy periods when I was 12 and 13, and some of the time when I was 14, but now their not so bad, if anything on the lighter side.

Plus, my cramps have also gotten much better since my first. Womanhood's not so horrible after all!

P.S. I love your website Harry, keep it up! I actually found it when I was looking for first period stories, since I love reading them.

"I know is a contradiction, but I am a contradiction, and that's why I can not make up my mind regarding this."

By one hand it would be a relief as my period is not allowing me to keep going with the normal course of my life. By the other hand I think there is a kind of sacred thing in our blood. It is also well-known that we, women, get a really good cleanse while we have our periods and that I feel well when the period is over. So, if I don't have my period anymore how I am going to enjoy that moment of being free of pain? I know is a contradiction, but I am a contradiction, and that's why I can not make up my mind regarding this.

"Maybe, if I took the right attitude about it, my periods would put me in touch more with my feminine side, but I'm one of those girls who really should have been born a guy."

I'm 17 and have very irregular periods, sometimes bleeding for a month straight, but sometimes going for three or four months without a drop of blood showing. The unpredictability makes my life, uh, interesting, but at least the flow is light and I don't have severe cramps or noticeable mood swings. So, while periods are an inconvenience, they're nothing I can't put up with.

Maybe, if I took the right attitude about it, my periods would put me in touch more with my feminine side, but I'm one of those girls who really should have been born a guy. Not to say I'm lesbian or anything, just missed out on the Y chromosome.

"I have a few family members and friends that have had hysterectomies and oh how I envy them so."

Do we even need to ask this question????Ý I would stop it in a minute, given that there are no ill effects as has been stated by others.Ý I have fibroid tumors and the extreme pain and excessive bleeding wreak havoc for me.Ý I usually plan my life around that "week".Ý

I started menstruatingÝ at age 13 and it was the worst experience ever.Ý I remember thinking after the first two times it occurred, "Whew, I survived and I'm glad it's over", then my mother reminded me that this event will happen every 28 days for the next 30-40 years of my life.Ý I was devastated!Ý It took me over a year to get used to the changes, but it's still not my friend!Ý I have a few family members and friends that have had hysterectomies and oh how I envy them so.

I know periods are definitely a pain, but I'm not sure I'd stop them all together. I'd have to question what effect it would have on my overall biological functioning. If there were no negative side effects associated with it, I think I might consider it, but still, not sure I'd do it.

I'm almost 23 years old, and have been having periods since age 12. On the one hand, periods are painful. When I was on birth control (which I started using at 19 years old), it wasn't so bad, but now that I'm not on birth control anymore they're so much more painful. My whole lower back hurts pretty bad, and I'll randomly get dizzy or hot. I don't want kids (literally, ever), so do I really have a need for a monthly period? On the other hand though, I do like the monthly assurance that I'm not pregnant. I know I could easily get a pregnancy test, but having a period is free. I'm a student, money is tight sometimes.

I don't think having a period is beautiful and it definitely doesn't make me feel more connected to other women or nature, but I don't hate my uterus either (or my periods, for me they're just not that serious). I wouldn't say having a period is symbolic of womanhood as post-menopausal women are still women.

I'm on the fence about what I'd do in this situation. My biggest concern is what effect removing a process from my body all together. I'd wonder what effect it would have on my immune system (which works in sync with the menstrual cycle) and other processes in my body. If it was safe to do, I just don't know if I'd actually do it.

"I'm 18 years old and i started my period at the age of 10. i was diagnosed with endometriosis at 17 and was told that i need a hysterectomy. after years of suffering and STILL suffering im ready for it to stop. i hate being on hormones it only does my body more harm than good. i have horrible cramps,heavy bleeding,lower back pain and swelling, painful urination and diarrhea. my endo is and will only get worse with every period and bleeding i have. im in college and i want to have fun. i cant have fun when im literally being frozen(cant move one inch without being in pain) while on my period. absoubly no pain killers,birth control pills,iud,shots,etc work. im fed up with periods. why cant men have them? lol

"Messy and inconvenient, but not so much as to take measures such as medications or devices that may topple my decent hormonal balance."

My last child almost killed me (through the birth process), and I had a necessary tubal ligation in my mid 30s to prevent further pregnancies. At 43 years old, my periods have always been irregular, so it is always a surprise when Aunt Fannie comes to visit again, usually after 25-45 days.

Messy and inconvenient, but not so much as to take measures such as medications or devices that may topple my decent hormonal balance.

And I suppose when the big M begins, it will be the stigma of becoming an old lady. So, I will put up with a bit of mess, and be thankful I have modern hygiene products and facilities at hand.

"You can not do all the good the world needs, but the world needs all the good you can do." -Anon.

"I guess if there were no side effects and it wasn't from something hormonal, cause that can fuck your body up if you're unlucky, I would choose *not* to bleed every month."

Not too sure where to start. I guess every woman's interaction and reflection of her period and all that goes with it is a very personal account based on her individual situation, heaviness, methods of handling the blood that drips/flows/pours out of her vagina as often as it does.

So for me, I don't have painful periods, not too long, usually fairly regular and I have always plugged them up (with non-applicator tampons), I really hate pads for the dripping/leaking and plastic-y/nappy wearing feeling - and have just used a diva cup that my sister gave me a while back, but I put off using. It was ok as I was able to forget about it for longer (it holds more than a tampon), and I didn't need to remember to carry more tampons (as I often get my period first thing in the morning, while still half asleep and I forget about it until later when it's time to change it...) but - it isn't as easy to use - I'm really worried I'll drop it in the toilet or drop blood all over the floor getting it out!

Interesting to see how much blood comes out, I've thought about next time collecting it into a cup hahThe consistency of the fluid is interesting.

I don't really care about the mess any more. I have had a lot of really healthy relationships - mostly with women, but also with men that don't mind the bleeding blood.

Specially when dating lesbians, if you want to have sex and you're cycles aren't synced you're going to end up painting the town red more than once. Can be quite fun if you're arty! (and comfortable!)

I guess if there were no side effects and it wasn't from something hormonal, cause that can fuck your body up if you're unlucky, I would choose *not* to bleed every month.

Like the other contributor who made the comment about if we didn't get periods, and then someone asked you if you wanted to bleed every month, have some cramps, have hormonal changes, perhaps headaches, food cravings and feel generally shitty - we'd probably turn down the offer, right?!

BUT I do *not* hate my period - it can be a good time to bond with other vaginas, and all get a bit more TLC than normally.

I'm more worried about the "hot flushes" that my mum and grandma have been talking about more recently. Eikk!

The retired teacher that wrote about her family herstory is amazing! Such an asset, I hope that she has been put in touch with other historians to pick her collective memories for these stories of 150 plus years ago! Wow.

"I don't need to bleed once a month (or in my case, at this point in my life, every two weeks) to prove or feel like a true woman."

I'm a 44 year old Canadian who has been peri-menopausal now for nine years. My body has recently "kicked it up a notch" and, gathering from what my mother and grandmother have told me, I'm now going through the last stages and likely will stop altogether and reach menopause before I hit 50.

If I could have ended my period long ago I would have. I don't need to bleed once a month (or in my case, at this point in my life, every two weeks) to prove or feel like a true woman. I already know I am. I have the womanly bits to prove it and there's no question about it genetically either! (Let's just say that I have more than my share of womanly gifts in other areas, because genetics is awesome that way, and leave it at that.)

I started getting my period when I was exactly twelve and a half years old. When I got it, and I did before most of my friends, they were all jealous and I got a lot of congratulations, which was fine. I was never "taught" to hate my period or hate this aspect of my femininity, but I have lived in a private hell when it came to my monthly cycle right from the get-go. My mother didn't understand. Her periods were regular, PMS-free, pain free and did its thing and ended. No problem. For me about a week or so before my period would start, I would feel cranky and short tempered, would get severe lower back aches, headaches and, while extremely regular (I could tell you what day and what time of day I would start), it came with 10 days of cramps so bad I saw stars, migraines, vomiting, excessive flow and sometimes fainting. I'd miss at least three days of school each month because of the pain and sickness, and eventually I would be on painkillers so strong, I was too stoned to make any sense of anything. After three days life became more tolerable, but I still had bad cramps, still was pale as the walking undead and tired from the whole ordeal.

I have had tests upon tests done on my reproductive system since my doctors, male and female, were concerned I had some sort of problem that caused such a nasty experience and execessive flow, but even today, all my tests have come up normal. I eventually had to accept the fact that I'm one of those lucky women (and I mean that with every ounce of sarcasm I can muster - and that's a considerable amount, trust me) who have what I lovingly call "the periods from hell".

And to make it just that much more a stab in the heart (which I would have much preferred), I found out in my mid-20's I was unable to carry a child to full term and often would miscarry just before or around the first trimester (one manged to make it to nearly four months - the first one I lost). As I said it once, "The little guys take, but when they get to the size of a pea, the little sailors jump ship and that's an experience I would never wish on anyone!"

I long accepted that I was unable to have children and didn't feel it necessary or desireable after a certain point to have any of my own. So, I didn't consider fertility treatments. Anyway, my problem wasn't that I couldn't concieve...that I could do easily enough. My problem was, I was unable to carry a child to full term...and no one knew why or even how they could effectively fix the problem without driving me insane. Or causing me further trauma or pain.

Once I accepted that, I firmly wanted my periods to stop. Nothing at the time was available to me that I could use to make them stop (that didn't involve surgery or removing bits of my anatomy - which no doctor will do even now when I emphatically tell them I want it done because the whole aparatus is not ever going to be used for the purpose it was developed). Because of other health problems unrelated to reproduction, most of those methods are still unavailable to me (or don't work to stop my periods, just make them a teensy bit lighter - but eventually these would even stop working).

Then I started peri-menopause. That just made everything worse. Now I never know when my period is going to start, how long it will be, or even how heavy and bad it will be. It's gotten so disgusting to clean up the nasty messes. I have to wear double or triple the amount of pads (three pads at the same time have me now referring to the whole get up as my "lady diaper") and right now have a cupboard stuffed with them to get me through the next few months (hopefully) and always go nuts picking up boxes of pads when they go on sale (tampons turned out to be unuseable for me - they actually make my cramps worse and I'd still have to wear a pad anyway).

So yeah, I'd love to make it stop, right now. No more expense, no more mess, no more pain, no more mood swings, no more any of it. The good news is, by the time I finally stop, most of my friends my age will just be getting started.

For those women who love getting their period and think it makes them more feminine, connects them to other women, reminds them of their fertility (which was totally ironic for me), etc. well, I'm glad they can feel that way and pat them on the back for it, but those of us who hate having our periods and would stop it in its tracks if we could shouldn't be considered less of a woman, or be judged has hating our bodies and hating ourselves or women in general. As other's have said, this is my body and I should have the right to deal with this particular function of it as I wish. Since the chamber is decidedly empty, will never have anyone move into it, why should I keep it open for tenancy? Or have reminders that while it may have a temporary resident, it won't make it to the end of the lease. For a long time that was more heartbreaking than the hellish period itself.

Now, my period is just a nasty annoyance. I can't wait for menopause to hit...and according to just about every woman I know who has gone through it, that's worth celebrating more than starting getting a period it in the first place.

No. "I see my period as a reminder of my fertility, which I haven't yet tested by trying to get pregnant, but I hope it will possible for me and my husband."

I wanted to contribute because I seem to be one of the few who would probably not stop my periods if I could. I want to have children someday and therefore need to have periods for that purpose, and currently it is helpful to know every month whether I'm pregnant or not. However, that's unlikely because I've been on the pill for about 8-9 years. From what I hear from friends, not everyone is as lucky with the pill as I have been - I did not gain weight and my cramps and bleeding didn't get worse, but reduced significantly.

I am now 27 and interestingly, for the last few years my period became VERY light and only lasted about a day and a half. Recently, my period stopped entirely for about four months. I was a little concerned and saw a doctor about it, I chose to switch to a very low-dose pill to see if it would return. I'm hoping it does. I may have this attitude because my sister went through a rare premature menopause during her late teens and I am happy to be reminded that I did not have to go through such difficulties. I see my period as a reminder of my fertility, which I haven't yet tested by trying to get pregnant, but I hope it will possible for me and my husband. [Women in an English cotton mill menstruated without any absorbing material to show eligible men they were fertile - scroll about halfway down the page to "When studying the Suffragist movement . . . ." for the interesting story.]

I can understand why some wouldn't want to have periods, and before I started the pill, I may have agreed as I had terrible cramps that would keep me out of school every month. The silver lining of this is that I found out I could be comfortable talking to my dad about periods (he often picked me up from school when I had cramps) and this added to my respect for him.

Thanks for letting me contribute my opinions and experiences. Please do not use my name - though I personally wouldn't mind, I'd like to respect my family's anonymity since I mentioned them. You were interested in nationality and region, I am in the U.S.A. and grew up in central Illinois.

I started my period when between the ages of 11 and 13. My perioiods are sometimes so bad that i cant even go to school. I get very dizzy and even faint. i fell asleep in the shower once because of it. Almost every single period i get i throw up and my cramps are sometimes so bad that i would compare it to having contractions during childbirth. I am 18 years old now and i still get horrible cramps. My thighs hurt, my lower back hurts, itfeels like my insides are be wrung out. It feels like i have to go poo reeaallly bad but i cant and i know its not that because i can pass gas normalyy and the pain is still presisitant. More than once while at school i have passes out in class due to my period. Ive thrown up at school many a times thinks to Aunt Flow. The past year or so my periods are only about 4 days long. they used to be about 7. the thing about histerectamys and birth conrtol is that i hear they are bad for your body and your hormones.

At the age of 50, after 41 years of menstruating - 492 periods, to be exact, I had the bright idea to ask my doctor, "Do I really have to do this?"

The bloating, the IBS symptoms, the weird food cravings, the weight gain, the inability to fir into my clothes, the muscle ache, the migraine headaches (complete with hallucinations and vomiting), the sudden flashbacks to every unpleasant experience I ever had with anyone over anything - gone. All gone. Best of all, the filth is gone. As Tennessee Williams said, "Nothing human is foreign to me," and it is especially true for those of us who have taken care of infants, and the elderly. But one day the whole business seemed so repulsive to me. Why was it necessary? Why did I have to put up with this every month? What was the point? I'd hated every period I'd ever had, and enough was enough.

The best thing was this: Traveling without a menstrual period. When I menstruated, no matter what the reason, business or pleasure, I always ended up on an airplane or an isolated stretch of Southwest highway, damn near bleeding to death.

Everyone I suggest YAZ to says, "Oh, no, I can't use a contraceptive because..." It reminds me of when I was younger, and women said that they couldn't use a contraceptive "because." They were always "discovering" they were pregnant - as though it were completely out of their control.

I say, have or have not the babies you want, and have or have not your periods. Take control.

Why would I want to stop my menstruation? It's the only way I can be excused for being cranky. I feel close to the nature, the idea of the cycle and the whole concept behind it makes me feel special. I am proud to be a woman and menstruation is part of my life...

"I cant think of anything more putrid than having to wash the huge amount of menstrual blood I produce away by hand."

Im nearly 38 and I say.. yes..

I had 11 yrs of infertility. Month after Month of humiliation, disappointment and mess. I had months of pain, months of having to throw my knickers out every day.. Finally after having a 20cm tumor, ovary and tube removed and 9 months of fertility treatment I fell pregnant and those 9 months were awesome period free months.

I then Bled none stop for 14wks just to teach me a lesson Im sure.. 14mths later got pregnant again and had a second child and ever since my periods have been so heavy and horrendous that even Maxi absorbing incontinence pads leak! Not to mention mid cycle debilitating pain (Mittelschmerz doesnt describe enough the pain)

I have had my kids.. why keep the factory open if its not going to produce anything. If I could have an hysterectomy I would.. I only have one functioning ovary and it would be kept to help my hormones regulated.. but why bleed?

As for moon cups and washables.. NO THANKS.. I cant think of anything more putrid than having to wash the huge amount of menstrual blood I produce away by hand.. YUCK.. some days I wish I could just stand in the shower all day to save the embarrassment of leaks and failed protection..

Its no one else's place to comment on my personal choices for MY Body.. if you love it.. good on ya but i don't need periods to define my femininity nor to have babies any more...

February 2010

"And to those spouting hateful comments about women who choose suppression - Sorry, but living in horrific pain is not a requirement for being a woman. My body is mine, and I'll do what I need to to live comfortably in it."

Came across this page and thought I'd add a comment.

I don't know that I'd feel 100% comfortable with completely ending my period, though the idea is very tempting. But I am currently regulating it, and have been since I was 16. I'm now 23. It was one of the best things I've ever done for myself. I use regular birth control pills to suppress it for four months, then at the end of that fourth month I let myself have a withdrawal bleeding. It's uncomfortable, but fairly light and tolerable. A far cry from how it used to be.

For years my period caused me nothing but pain. It did not make me feel connected to other women or my womanhood. It didn't make me feel sexy or feminine. I didn't hate it because of societal brainwashing. I hated it because the pain was excrutiating. I hated it because I was bedridden for a week, because I was in too much pain to stand and take a shower for days, because I had to schedule my life around it. I hated nights trapped in the bathroom, crying and vomiting from the pain. Every diet and exercise change I made to my life had little to no impact on it. And my PMS was insane, causing me enough physical pain that I'd just wish my period would show up already and get this over with. Not to mention the emotional turmoil. Even after taking birth control pills in the traditional fashion, it made only a small dent in the problem. I felt trapped and tortured by my own body. I couldn't understand how this kind of pain was normal. I couldn't even go to school, so how could I ever hold a job? How could this supposedly normal female bodily function be so destructive to my life?

My mother just happened to catch a special on TV about period suppression, and my life was changed from that moment. I talked to my doctor, started a routine and never looked back. My quality of life has skyrocketed. When I do have the withdrawal bleeding, it's light enough for me to still function like a normal human being. And my body seems to have adjusted itself to the schedule. When that fourth month comes up, I start feeling kind of sore and a little PMSy, just a bit, like it's saying "Okay, it's almost time." My body and I work together now. I feel more connected to it than I ever did on my "natural" cycle.

And to those spouting hateful comments about women who choose suppression - Sorry, but living in horrific pain is not a requirement for being a woman. My body is mine, and I'll do what I need to to live comfortably in it.

February 2010

Yes. "Dr. *** was there in the surgical suite when I came in with his Jimmy Buffet playing. He held my hand while they put me under, all the while telling me what a great person I am, how well I was going to do and that surgery would be fine. It was truly amazing!"

I'm a 46 year old female who had an endometrial ablation a few years ago. As soon as the discharge from the procedure stopped, I have been without a cycle. PRAISE THE LORD! I couldn't be happier! No more pain, no more bleeding all over the sheets at night now matter what type of sanitary product I used... none of it!

My gynecologist was wonderful about performing the ablation. A friend of mine at work had it done and raved about it. She mentioned it to me when she saw how I was suffering greatly from cramps, nausea, exhaustion and anemia. (When my period came, it was no secret. All anyone had to do was look at me. My skin tone changed from a nice medium-to-light tone to stark white. Even the guys could tell just by looking at me!) Since I was definitely done having children, when I approached Dr. *** about it he listened carefully, gave me an extensive list of pros and cons and said "Think about it." I went home, told my husband about it he said "What are you waiting for? Call him back!" I guess he really had noticed all the suffering I endured!

The surgery was done at the outpatient clinic at our local medical center. Prep involved not having any food or liquids after midnight. That was it. Dr. *** was there in the surgical suite when I came in with his Jimmy Buffet playing. He held my hand while they put me under, all the while telling me what a great person I am, how well I was going to do and that surgery would be fine. It was truly amazing! I woke up feeling very groggy, but after I drank some liquids and the staff was confident I wasn't going to vomit, they sent me home with my husband to recover. For the next few days I had some pretty significant cramping and some bloody discharge, but all I needed to handle the pain was some mild pain meds Dr. *** prescribed. I had the procedure on a Friday and had planned to go to work on Monday, but gave myself an extra day to recover. Ever since then I've been happy as a clam!

Almost one year to the day my neighbor across the street had her ablation done by Dr. *** and raves about him and how she feels now also! (I was the guinea pig, I guess.) Now, ironically, my sister-in-law in another state had it done and had a terrible outcome. Her periods got worse as did her cramping. She ultimately wound up with a hysterectomy. If I had known she'd have that outcome, I would have insisted she come here to have Dr. *** do it!

I do NOT miss my period and feel for my poor 17 year old daughter. Since the age of 13 she's been suffering from severe cramping and bleeding AND Dr. *** thinks she already may have endometriosis. She's on the Depo-Provera shot for now which has stopped her cycle all together, but we worry about the future and her ability to have children.

February 2010

"[Menstruation] doesn't put me in touch with the earth or my femininity any more than my snot or shit does."

I am 38 year old New Zealander with two children. During pregnancy and breastfeeding I had a marvelous four years off (apart from one light period between weaning and falling pregnant again). I can't see the point of menstruating any longer. It doesn't put me in touch with the earth or my femininity any more than my snot or shit does.

I use a cup and washable pads because its cheaper and doesn't generate rubbish, not because I enjoy handling bodily fluids - I used cloth nappies for my sons but I don't have a particular affinity with baby shit either.

If worshipping the moon makes women accept their periods more, then more power to them; but I think menstruation, like painful and life-threatening childbirth, is an artifact of evolution that we can moderate, but are unfortunately stuck with.

I am 24 years old. I love menstruating. My cycle is a beautiful reminder to remember what it means to be Woman. I feel more empowered than ever now that I am learning more about my cycle and fertility. I used to get angry about being in a female body and thought periods were a pain. Even if it still hurts a little, now I am giving my cycles attention and I'm feeling even more in tune with my body, the Earth, the Moon, and really the essence of being Human. As a Woman I am grateful for this gift, it is so healing to give my body Love, and accepting this into my life is one of the most wonderful things I've ever done for myself.

"Please try to accept that some people really do have lighter, shorter, painless menstruation and some people really do have terrible pain and heavy bleeding."

I'm kind of surprised by the number of people who are viciously vocal on this page in either direction. Personally, I think there are better options for dealing with menstruation that make it far less annoying or painful. When I was using an internal silicon cup I hardly even knew I was having my period and I only had to clean it in the comfort of my home twice a day. Lately I've been using reusable cloth pads, which I find way more comfortable than commercial ones. I used to have terrible yeast infections and really bad cramps and sensitivity. I still have nasty mid-cycle pains from PCOS that blow menstrual cramps out of the water.

I know that some people have a worse (or better) time than I do, but our voices are equally valid. You don't need to hate yourself or others because your experiences differ. Please try to accept that some people really do have lighter, shorter, painless menstruation and some people really do have terrible pain and heavy bleeding. For goodness sake, don't ridicule people because they're different. Everyone has different genes, different reactions to different products, and different lifestyles.

I do think that people who are suffering might want to try making changes to their lives to improve the conditions they're facing, but I don't see any need to be self-righteous. Nothing works the same for everyone. I hope people will research and try other options before chemically or surgically stopping their menstruation, but it's their right to chose what they want to do with their bodies. They're "real" women regardless of their choice and regardless of their fertility. It's silly to suggest that someone isn't a woman just because her view of womanhood differs from yours.

I am saddened by how much people's body image and their image of their femininity appears to be tied to negative views of menstruation and their genitalia. No, you may not have been meant to menstruate as often as modern women do, but it is still a natural process and not something you need to be ashamed of. It doesn't make you filthy or unclean or disgusting any more than sweating does. I'm not saying it's loads of joyous fun, I don't love sweating either, but needing to clean yourself doesn't mean that there is something wrong with _you_.

I was diagnosed with a rare bleeding disorder in 2007, and ever since then I have been burdened with horrendous periods. Not only is the flow profuse, but the clots that come out are sickening, and the abdominal pain that follows is disabling. I would not wish this monthly curse on my worst enemy.

I have recently met with my doctor, and am in the process of scheduling endometrial ablation to help with this problem.

"I teach anthropology, and we talk a lot about the difference between sex (which is biological) and gender (which is cultural). I think it's perfectly possible to be female in both the sexual and gender senses WITHOUT the pain and mess of having a period."

Yes. At present, its sole function is reassuring me that I am not pregnant. I would happily trade the cost of buying pads and tampons (and, unfortunately, I need both) every month for the cost of buying a pregnancy test once a month. I would love to have the money back I've spent on diagnostic work for the sometimes paralyzing pain I have every month (not to mention the fainting!) only to be told "Well, this just happens to some women."

I teach anthropology, and we talk a lot about the difference between sex (which is biological) and gender (which is cultural). I think it's perfectly possible to be female in both the sexual and gender senses WITHOUT the pain and mess of having a period.

On another note, my mother reached menopause at 51. She rates it up there with getting her first job and marrying my dad as "the best thing that ever happened to her."

I stopped my period for 2 years and let me tell you, it was the worst thing i could have ever done to my body. I I was so depressed, crying all the time, irritable. The effects on my body were awful as well. I had headaches, My libido was gone, I had vaginal dryness, heart palpitations, acne and weight gain all month long. As least when I had my period all of my discomfort was temporary.

So I finally got fed up and had the Mirena removed a few months ago and I'm almost back to normal. Sure my periods are bad but I'm grateful to have it back after what I went through when it was gone. To sum it all up I'm never stopping my period again. It just did not agree with me. I messed with nature and my body pushed back. I'm never stopping my period again.

"As a sewage treatment plant operator I know first hand the consequence of all the female products that get flushed into the receiving streams."

I have no time for those of you who write in with your "I hardly notice it" and "eat organic" comments. If fertility could remain intact there is no way any sane person would choose to go through this ordeal once a month. It is a poor set up. End of story.

Let us assume for a moment there was no such thing as menstruation and the body somehow dissolved the uterine lining or it would be absorbed by the body. Then let us say that we were told that once a month for 3 (give me a break you don't fool me) to 10 days you will bleed uncontrollably out of your vagina. We would be mortified. It would seem RIDICULOUS to us!

Having a period is horrible. It is limiting, expensive, painful, inconvenient and hard on the environment. As a sewage treatment plant operator I know first hand the consequence of all the female products that get flushed into the receiving streams. Our bar screens are littered with "shoots" as the boys call the tampon applicators, not to mention pads and wrappers that get flushed. These products break our equipment, clog pumps and dull the teeth of the grinders. Maintenance costs would be reduced by 36% (yes I figured it out) if these things were out of environment. As everyone knows, the products also make their way into the oceans and waterways, harming aquatic wildlife. I am 37 and have a uterus full of fibroids and have opted for a hysterectomy. People say I am crazy that I forfeit my right to have children. Well, I never thought I would grow up and be the person who didn't have kids, but I am certainly not going to define my life or my womanhood based on wether or not I brought a kid into this world. There are many ways to express motherhood and I am not going to go through my life regretting that I didn't push a child out of my vagina. It is so ridiculous some of the ideas society throws at us.

So, I am firing my uterus and never having a period again. I am an athlete and love to hike and camp-I can not wait. No more period for the rest of my life. Oh yeah-diva cups, luna cups and instead all leak too. Some people have better luck than others but to say they are fool proof is wrong. And NO I DO NOT put it in wrong. If after 2 years you still get leaks then there is something wrong with the product, not me.

"I know I'm female and I don't need a monthly messy, painful inconvenience to remind me of the fact"

I've already commented but I feel I had to again after reading the entry from the woman who claimed women who wanted to stop their period "sickened" her and advised them to go get a sex change because they weren't "real women". If she likes getting her period then good for her, but she shouldn't be so harsh on those who don't. I know I'm female and I don't need a monthly messy, painful inconvenience to remind me of the fact, I can see that for myself when ever I get changed or go the bathroom!

"I truly despise my uterus and would be more than happy to have it removed sooner rather than later, so that I waste less of my life having to deal with this inconvenience."

I would happily give up my period at the drop of a hat if I could find a way to do it that didn't have other risks for my body. I think it's ludicrious for me to deal with this mess when I'm not ever going to have children. I am 23 years old, and I got my period a few months before I turned 13. I have fairly easy periods (first day pain only, fairly light bleeding after the first two days) but all in all I consider it a waste of time and money, considering I have no use for it. I truly despise my uterus and would be more than happy to have it removed sooner rather than later, so that I waste less of my life having to deal with this inconvenience.

I usually have 7 days. I am 31 and have been slowly changing my bad lifestyle habits that have been making me sick. (food, sleep, stress). I feel better when i am taking care of myself. I have learned to check things out before taking advice and not let anyone tell meÝhow wrong i am, that someone else knows me better.

I'm 21 years old now and live in Belgium, I started menstruating when I was around 13. To be honest I've never had really bad periods, but I did suffer quite a bit from PMS. The week before my period started (usually very regularly by the way, 28 days exactly unless I was stressed) I had a lot of trouble with my lower back and especially my breasts! God, my breasts. Constantly felt like they were going to explode, not very useful in a country where virtually everything is done by bike... Sex was actually really difficult because every time my breasts 'got in the way' I almost had to cry because they were so tender.

I've used the pill for years but was always rubbish at taking it at the right times, besides that I forgot it every now and then. After that I switched to a vaginal ring, which worked quite well but got a bit troublesome after a while. Neither really affected my periods, with or without it, they always came at the same time.

Last year however, I started using Implanon as a contraceptive. One of the side affects is a change in your menstrual cycle, but in around 20% of women their periods stop completely. I'm so happy I'm included in that 20%. I cannot believe how much EASIER my life is now! To be honest the first few months were really strange, I still had PMS symptoms but never started menstruating. I really felt like 'less of a woman', like I was handicapped in some way. But after a while I got used to it, and I dread the day that I'll have to deal with them monthly again... No more waking up in blood-soaked sheets, no more having to wear mostly black skirts in case you 'leak' when you're away, no more running to the bathroom every hour to check if everything is still ok down there, no more spending money on tampons and pads each month. And then I haven't even talked about the occasional smell, the constant paranoia that you're leaking or that everyone can somehow see it on you, having to cancel fun plans like an impromptu trip, camping, swimming etc. because 'it's that time of the month again'. What is there to miss? Of course, it's there for a reason, and giving birth is no doubt a wonderful thing, but why keep it if it's not necessary? If we can control it? Of course, I got lucky, but if the possibility existed for everyone, I really can't fathom why somebody would look forward to that grueling experience every month.

After my three-year Implanon cycle is over I'm definitely getting a new one, besides the fact that it's super safe as you can't make any mistakes using it, the side effect of ending my periods has honestly been heavenly.

Yes. "I started at the age of 8."

I'm 36 years old and want to stop my menstruation. I don't know why I need it. Women younger then me can by taking shots or pills and they haven't had it as long as I have. I started at the age of 8. I've had my two children and they are about to move out. I had my tubes cut and burned over 16 years ago. I'm tired of bleeding for 14-21 days every month and passing blood clots going threw a pad and tampon every 20 to 30 minutes. So if I can find away to quit having my period I would.

****

September 2009

Yes. "Men don't have to have some horrible, painful routine in order to feel like men."

I'd like to add my comments to your survey. I would definitely stop menstruation if I could. In fact, I found your website when I was doing a search on what options there are to do that.

I began the horrible thing when I was barely 11 years old, after starting to mature when I was barely 9. I feel as though I've missed out on my childhood because of having had a woman's body at such an absurdly young age. When I was a child, I used to pray to God every night to make it go away. When I was around the other kids at school, I always felt very awkward and out of place because of my over-developed body. One of the major reasons why I decided not to have any children was because I was afraid that a female child would inherit it. With the age of puberty getting younger, the child might have started puberty at an even younger age. I'm 38 now.

In response to some of the other comments, I noticed that one respondent eats only organic foods. That's really good, and I also eat organic as much as I can afford to, as organic food is normally more expensive. I've also noticed that a healthier diet reduces the severity of the thing.

Some of the respondents say they wouldn't get rid of it because it gives them the sense of being connected to the other women around the world. Why should suffering be part of being either sex? Men don't have to have some horrible, painful routine in order to feel like men. If menstruation is what makes one a woman, is being a woman really a gift, as some people say that it is?

Although there are ways of stopping menstruation, they're often very hard to access. Many doctors won't perform a hysterectomy on a woman who doesn't have children under the presumption that the woman will later change her mind and have a nervous breakdown because she can no longer get pregnant. This reasoning strikes me as absurd. On the one hand, the doctors find the woman too feeble-minded to make the long-term decision as to whether or not to have children. At the same time, the doctors think that this same feeble-minded woman would have the sanity to raise a child. It's interesting that doctors don't question a woman's ability to decide whether to have an abortion, and even teenage girls are trusted with the ability to decide this, although there are women who've regretted that decision.

There are also a number of medications which can delay early puberty by suppressing the hormones until the child becomes older. Despite the rising rate of early puberty, few people know about the existence of this treatment, and it's rarely used. Even when it is, it's generally only used if the child starts puberty before the age of seven. Is seven a reasonable age to start becoming an adult? If it is, should a seven-year-old get pregnant?

Some people use birth control pills to stop menstruation, but at the same time, there are risks with it, such as an increased risk of cancer. Also it's a prescription medication, and getting the prescription can be expensive for the many people who don't have health insurance. Also, health insurance doesn't cover hysterectomies that are performed solely to stop menstruation. It would be good if there was some way of stopping this which didn't involve a doctor's appointment, such as herbs, or if the existing medications against it were available over-the-counter.

You can print my name if you publish this on the website. [The general policy is I never print names in this section for many reasons.] I live in Germany, am originally from England, and lived in the US for some years. Thanks for letting me have my say.

"[T]he whole thing's nothing but a nuisance and an expense, with no redeeming features whatsoever."

I would happily have gone my entire life without any periods. I started when I was 16 and am now 48, and if my mother's history is anything to go by I still have another five or more years to go before menopause.

I've never had any kind of problems, pain, pre-menstrual tension, or anything like that. I don't have any kind of blood or period phobia. But the whole thing's nothing but a nuisance and an expense, with no redeeming features whatsoever. I have to buy pads (and they don't come cheap), carry a supply if travelling, dispose of them (not always easy away from home), and go without a bath for a week. How much money I've been obliged to spend on pads over the years I hate to think, and it's basically cash poured down the drain.

I can't understand anyone enjoying or welcoming anything about periods. My long-standing fantasy was always to have a hysterectomy and be rid of them once and for all.

I would never stop my menstrual. It sets us apart from men in a big empowering way. I thank God that he gave women so many gifts like being able to birth and hold children and then being able to feed them with milk when they arrive in the world and menstrualing helps this all transpire.

(15-year-old from Montclair, New Jersey, who also contributed Nosebleed pillow and The comma to Words and expressions about menstruation and who "wanted [her brothers] to die thinking I never had a period, which was ridiculous.")
August 2009

Absolutely NOT. I am 23 years old and with a 4 year old son. Every since I had him my periods have been irregular. At first it was because of the depo shot after I had him, but I stopped after the second dose. I switched to the patch, then finally back to the pill. However, after I left my exhusband I stopped taking the pill when I was 21. Condoms became my main choice of birth control, oh and I barely even have had sex in the last 2 years. My period comes whenever it pleases. Sometimes I only get 4 to 6 a year. I get pains in my back that are so unbarable, I get angry, and I get bloated. However, I do not mind what comes with it. All because it might mean I can bare children again one day. Endometriosis is very common in the women in my family and one day when I decide to get remarried and have a stable relationship with the right person, then maybe I can have one more child.

People who say they would get rid of their periods sicken me. If you want so bad to get rid of them, go have a sex change, because you're NOT a real woman at all!

Oh yes.... I would have LOVED to have stopped it! It came when it felt like it... from 27 to 56 days...... I bled heavily for 9 days each time.... flooded through clothing, hot flushes... cramps so bad I wanted to die.... faintness in the street and anywhere else. There were times when I could hardly think straight due to pain and faintness. I HATED it!!! Then... I had firbroids... and it got worse! I eventually had a total hysterctomy .. which plunged me into a slightly early menopause so have to use hrt patches.. successfully ... but I feel so much better! Without the 9 day periods, and the two weeks prior to that swollen to the point of AGONY breasts that went with it!

I'm 24 years old from United Kingdom. I got my first period when I was 11 (I was at school at the time as well... urgh!). They've never been particularly heavy but I've always had painful periods. When I was younger every month on the first day I'd be so sore that I could barely move and I would feel feverish so would have to stay off school, luckily I grew out of that when I was 16, although I still get bad cramps. I've never had any desire to have children, so it annoys me when I get it every month as I'm going through all that discomfort for nothing. I can't take the pill due to high blood pressure (I inquired about it a few years ago for contraceptive purposes) so I can't even stop it that way. I can't wait until menopause, my mum went through hers at 47 so hopefully only another 23 years to go!

Yes I have chosen to stop by continuously taking the pill and not the placebo week. I did this before the new pills came out that allow you to do it. I can't understand why anyone would choose to suffer if they don't have to. It seems like societal brainwashing to me that women should bleed. If you are on the pill anyway, the bleeding is not a real menstrual cycle. It is hormone withdrawal bleeding. The developers of the original pill built the placebo week into the pill packets so that it would mimic women's natural cycles and it would be more easily accepted. It is an illusion so doctors don't have to explain how it works. Some doctors today still don't understand how the pill works.

"The short answer to the question 'Would you stop menstruating if you could?' would have to be a resounding 'no' for me."

My periods have always been irregular, the first occurring when I was twelve, the next when I was fifteen. Even though my first period ruined a ski trip with my father, and the second my hopes of joining the wrestling team, I still wouldn't trade them. My family has a history of a large variety of horrible problems with their reproductive systems, and even though I have no desire for children of my own, it's a comfort to know that I might one day be able to carry a child.

I'm not even one of those women who has easy breezy periods: I get migraines, I bleed for at least a week, I get paranoid and snap at everyone. Even so, I do feel a connection to women across the world, and it's one of the rare times that I feel most like a woman. That in and of itself is amusing, because I don't always identify as female - not having periods at all would make it much easier to be fully androgynous, and yet I still wouldn't trade them in.

"But when I look down and see the strawberry stain in my panties every month, a little of the euphoria from the first time still gets me."

At fourteen, I've only experienced 18 periods so far, but I can honestly say I do appreciate them. It makes me so happy to think of the connection I have with virtually every woman in the world. I will admit, they can be such a pain; and the breakouts, moodiness, bloating, and cramps associated with menstruation are very irritating at times. But when I look down and see the strawberry stain in my panties every month, a little of the euphoria from the first time still gets me. I can't help but marvel at my body and the wonderful things it can do. I view my period as a beautiful thing, it's a monthly reminder of my propulsion into womanhood and maturity.

Since my traumatic first time until now, i have felt that menstruation is the evilst curse in Earth. I can't wish anybody the pain, the nasty odor and all the other "inconvenients" better called punishments associated with this filthy thing. I wonder why? why? Why?

"I HAVE WONDERFUL PERIODS NOW! No pain, 4 days: one moderate, 1 light, 2 drainage. My periods actually make me feel happier."

I used to have horrible painful periods. I had my first menses when I was 10 or 11 years old. I hated my breasts, cramps, and awkward teenage appearance. I ate terrible fast food and RBGH milk at the time. I know the chemicals and hormones in food and environment caused the majority of my problems.

I have since changed my diet to all natural organic. I only buy milk from cows NOT treated with RBGH and stopped eating cheap beef and genetically engineered food.

Let me tell you what.. I HAVE WONDERFUL PERIODS NOW! No pain, 4 days: one moderate, 1 light, 2 drainage. My periods actually make me feel happier. I get increased blood flow to my nether regions (hehe) which at least put me in a good mood when I'm just sitting there. I also get excited right before it starts. I also get "spiritual" around my period. My sense of smell doubles and I gain an incredible sense for what people around me are feeling. Trust me, I had 10 years of period hatin' before I am now proud of everything woman.

Stop buying those horrible dioxin laced disposables! I bought a bunch of homemade cloth pads from women. They are thinner, discreet, block odor, store & wash easily, PLUS they are super comfy. The fleece is warm in the winter and cotton is breathable in the summer. The best thing is that there is no smell like with the disposables because the cloth absorbs it all. They seem to wick the blood right off. I have leaked through TONS of disposables, but I have been using cloth pads for a year WITHOUT ONE LEAK!!! Ebay has a bunch of these for a great price and you can ask the sellers to custom make them for you. Most of them fold up into cute envelope shapes and snap closed- for transportation (so you can easily stash them in your purse before & after using without a mess).

Cloth pads are also really easy to clean. Just toss them in a small hamper after using (don't soak/ don't prewash). They can sit like this for a few days. The morning before you do laundry toss them in the washer with water and oxo-brite (or any oxygen cleaner) and let them sit. After work (or several hours later) throw the rest of your clothes in and do laundry as usual. By this time, the oxygen cleaner will have eaten away the blood and it will NOT get on your other clothing. Wash and dry as usual. There is usually a tiny bit of staining on the pads, but they come out completely clean and surprisingly bright, ready to use again.

I went from being a period hater to a period lover! It is hard to be an all natural woman, but after the sacrifice my life is so much more fulfilling. The difference in my mind and body is almost unbelievable since I stopped eating foods made with pesticides, toxins, and hormones. My period has also become much more enjoyable since switching to cloth.

Yes! to the question. "God, the Creator, the Great Spirit, who for me is revealed in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit, does not want me to suffer and certainly is not the cause of my bodily imbalances, any more than God desires anyone to suffer at all."

After 37 1/2 years of periods since the age of 12, three children, a tubal ligation and longer periods after my 3d child at age 35 my answer is "Yes!" I've had problems with flooding for the last several years and passing large clots for the last year. Time off from work, ruined sheets, can't go anywhere for more than an hour for two-three days unless double padded with a tampon or two super tampons with one pad, fatigued and anemic. I am finally doing something about it-endometrial ablation scheduled three weeks from now. This is scheduled for 6 weeks before my 50th birthday. I have completed childbearing, with two teenagers and one 21 year old adult child and I do not need this. My God, I know I am a woman for heaven's sake with or without it. I've been praying and meditating at home during my periods contemplating my womanhood long enough to feel at a deep spiritual level that God is perfectly fine with my decision if I choose not to suffer with this any longer. Whether or not I suffer through this any longer is my choice. God, the Creator, the Great Spirit, who for me is revealed in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit, does not want me to suffer and certainly is not the cause of my bodily imbalances, any more than God desires anyone to suffer at all.

It is natural for a woman's period to end and mine are certainly clinically abnormal enough to end a few years early. So, that's my decision for me.

Hell yes!!! I am 45 with 4 kids.....had my tubes tied and have absolutely no use for the monthly mess any further.

I really don't understand how anyone call call it beautiful....every month I spend six days feeling bloated, getting blood on my fingers, feeling tied to the bathroom, can't go quadding in the bush etc....just because it's a pain, and an interference in my otherwise great life.

My uterus has served it's purpose....it is now wasting it's time getting prepared for a baby....I will never have another....I am done....I wish I could fire it!!!

I'm a lesbian, and there is no reason for me to keep having mensuration just to maintain my fertility.

As a native Chinese, period/mensuration is something we would not talk about openly, and my tragedy is that I had my first period when I was 8, and ever since, I have been living with this monthly torture. I used to be quite active, but ever since my first period, I can't go to swim whenever I was like my brother, I can't do anything active in school.

I remember one time, when I was still around 8-9 years old, I was home with my grandma, and I have to change my mensuration pads, I was to young to maneuver the thing in my hands that I drop it into the toilet. And end up having to ask my grandma to help........

My period bring me so much bad memories.......and recently, I found out that I'm having disorder relating to my period. My period just became heavier, and the cramps became more painful....

I just don't what it anymore, if I can stop it now, I would definitely stop it with no regret.

I have a message to the girl who added the latest comment [next page] to your opinion page.

Honey, you're not alone with this! Just google the word 'tokophobia' and you'll see.

(I'm not sure if tokophobia is discussed on MUM but I think it's an important new aspect of women's health).

The Museum of Menstruation and Women's Health Former museum–Future–Comic strip about a visit to the museum

[Read "Women Altering Menstruation Cycles in Large Numbers" (from the University of Oregon via ScienceDaily.com, 2013)]

See also Words and expressions for menstruation and menstrual humor. Add YOUR comments to those below!

CONTRIBUTE to Humor, Words and expressions about menstruation and Would you stop menstruating if you could?

HOMEPAGE |

Leer la versión en español de los siguientes temas: Anticoncepción y religión, Breve reseña - Olor - Religión y menstruación - Seguridad de productos para la menstruación.

Your comments, below. Read older ones dating to 2000 at the link at the bottom of this page. Add yours! (I count 1115 on these pages dating to 2000.)

The New York Times quoted from your e-mail below for an article on menstrual suppression in the 14 October 2003 edition, Science Times section (online here).

I'm 42 now and wishing I were like in my 60s or 70s anything that would get me out of this nightmare forever.

OMG I could not be happier ... No periods since 2006!!!!!!!!!

From an Italian woman: "What you did for us, all women on the planet, is really, really wonderful! I send you thousands of hugs, Sara"

Cups are life changing

"I hated every second."

A Muslim women writes about menstruation, and she would not stop her period

I hate needles, but when I found out Depo-Provera stopped periods, I not only demanded it from my gynecologist, I injected myself whenever I didn't have the $30 she charged to do it for me.

"[W]hat I would LOVE is to get a week off every month, from cooking, cleaning, and working, b/c I am 'unclean.' "

"Because my menstruation made me so sick and was so irregular, I am glad to be without it. I don't equate the bleeding or being able to give birth with 'womanhood' or being 'female.' "

"When I was twelve years old, my step mother did brujería [Spanish for witchcraft] on me. She took my underwear to a black magic witch doctor, who then buried it in a cemetery." This comment is too long for the page. Read all of it here. (October 2015)

"I, and many other women it seems, link my period with my womanhood."

"I had a uterine ablation. It was done in my gyn's office using the Novasure system. It was fast, and I had one period afterwards, and been period free since. What is great is that you don't lose any of your organs."

"It would be quite entertaining to watch a man try to give birth through the head of [his] penis"

"Instead of getting rid of it, we should learn how to use it for our well being and embrace it as a part of ourselves."

“Free at Last. Thank God almighty I’m Free at Last.”

"Yes, Yes, Yes! I never wanted it in the first place."

This e-mail is too long for the page. Read it here. (February 2014)

I love not having a period.

A girl in Germany conveys her teacher's memorable opinion

It make sense of my life, why would I want to stop it?

I want it to be gone for good.

This e-mail about menstrual customs in India affecting the writer's desire to stop is too long for this page. Read it here. (September 2013)

This e-mail from Australia is too long for this page; read it here. (July 2013)

I already did. ... What I tell to other women. If periods make you feel sick don't give up till you find a doctor that understands and will help you.

Yes. And "I would like to post a response to the person [right below] who thinks everyone should know when their period is due, and that anyone who doesn't is basically stupid":

No. ... [And] eventually I realized that tampons were the cause of my never ending yeast infections.

"Now I have Mirena IUD, which I was terrified of getting, but fortunately the insertion pain was not even as bad as the cramps I used to have, so it seems worth it."

"WHY do women get saddled with this crap while men can la-dee-da their way through a whole month?"

"I am so done with it, I can't wait to be rid of it and I hate the fact I'm probably looking at at least another ten years of this torture."

"We don't live in a natural world anymore."

"I really enjoy my period." Not.

Yes, I would stop menstruating

Those who say that menstruation should "cherished," OBVIOUSLY have never had a period problem in their life.

It's been utterly useless. [But] I've kept it.

NO

No. Not until my body comes to that point naturally through menopause.

So, based on the experience of NOT having my period for 23 months straight, I would definitely be happy if I could make it cease.

I like being in tune with my body.

I think it should be treated as normal and not gross or unsanitary.

Girls and women do most of the physical work and yet suffer this damn thing.

Yes Yes Yes

YES.

Read a long contribution from a man (on another page to save space). January 2012

Now I know it happens for a very good reason.

Yes.

Read 2 long contributions from the same person (on another page to save space). December 2011 ...................................................................................................................................

Why not have a time, monthly, that is devoted to slowing down and turning inward and comfort and warmth and just being?

In response to your question about whether I would want to stop menstruation, I wholeheartedly answer YES. [The writer is 57 and British]

"I now take low dose birth control pills continuously and must only have a period about every 4 months. It surprises me how few people know about this method and how apparently underused it is.

"Of course I would!"

"I am delighted to be a woman. And menstruation is part of that. . . . I live in the Midwest, USA, where menstruation is never discussed."

I've been using a menstrual cup . . . .

Oh YES I would

OMG YES I WOULD.

"Damn Right I would"

"[M]enopause was THE BEST thing that ever happened to me!"

"The many problems mentioned on your website are a direct result of a woman taught to hate that aspect of her self, including poor nutrition and decreased exercise."

"When I had a traumatic brain injury the cycle became shorter. . . . When menopause hit I was never so happy."

"I cant think of anything more putrid than having to wash the huge amount of menstrual blood I produce away by hand."

Im nearly 38 and I say.. yes..

I have had my kids.. why keep the factory open if its not going to produce anything. If I could have an hysterectomy I would.. I only have one functioning ovary and it would be kept to help my hormones regulated.. but why bleed?

As for moon cups and washables.. NO THANKS.. I cant think of anything more putrid than having to wash the huge amount of menstrual blood I produce away by hand.. YUCK.. some days I wish I could just stand in the shower all day to save the embarrassment of leaks and failed protection..

Its no one else's place to comment on my personal choices for MY Body.. if you love it.. good on ya but i don't need periods to define my femininity nor to have babies any more...

February 2010

"And to those spouting hateful comments about women who choose suppression - Sorry, but living in horrific pain is not a requirement for being a woman. My body is mine, and I'll do what I need to to live comfortably in it."

Came across this page and thought I'd add a comment.

And to those spouting hateful comments about women who choose suppression - Sorry, but living in horrific pain is not a requirement for being a woman. My body is mine, and I'll do what I need to to live comfortably in it. February 2010

Yes. "Dr. *** was there in the surgical suite when I came in with his Jimmy Buffet playing. He held my hand while they put me under, all the while telling me what a great person I am, how well I was going to do and that surgery would be fine. It was truly amazing!"

February 2010

Yes. "I started at the age of 8."

****

September 2009

The Museum of Menstruation and Women's Health
Former museum–Future–Comic strip about a visit to the museum

[Read "Women Altering Menstruation Cycles in Large Numbers"
(from the University of Oregon via ScienceDaily.com, 2013)]

See also Words and expressions for menstruation and menstrual humor.
Add YOUR comments to those below!

I'm 42 now and wishing I were like in my 60s or 70s anything that would
get me out of this nightmare forever.

"When I was twelve years old, my step mother did brujería [Spanish for witchcraft] on me. She took my underwear to a black magic witch doctor, who then buried it in a cemetery."
This comment is too long for the page. Read all of it here. (October 2015)

"I had a uterine ablation. It was done in my gyn's office using
the Novasure system. It was fast, and I had one period afterwards, and been
period free since. What is great is that you don't lose any of your organs."

"Now I have Mirena IUD, which I was terrified of getting, but fortunately
the insertion pain was not even as bad as the cramps I used to have, so it
seems worth it."

Girls and women do most of the physical work and
yet suffer this damn thing.

Read a long contribution from a man (on another page to save space).
January 2012

Read 2 long contributions from the same person (on another page to save space).
December 2011
...................................................................................................................................

Why not have a time, monthly, that is devoted to slowing down and turning
inward and comfort and warmth and just being?

In response to your question about whether I would want to stop
menstruation, I wholeheartedly answer YES. [The writer is 57 and British]

"I now take low dose birth control pills continuously
and must only have a period about every 4 months. It surprises me how few
people know about this method and how apparently underused it is.

And to those spouting hateful comments about women who choose suppression - Sorry, but living in horrific pain is not a requirement for being a woman. My body is mine, and I'll do what I need to to live comfortably in it.

February 2010