Perhaps, just possibly, some mention of the fact that women who take the Pill do not actually, in point of fact, have a period. So, yeah, we do have a lot of data on the effects of period suppression.
Absolutely agree that periods are not, under normal circumstances, something that should be seen as a sign of feminine weakness; nor should abnormal periods be something to be borne lest you be seen as weak. There’s entirely too much focus on feminine traits being weak, and weakness being bad, and thus, ipso facto, being female is bad.
However. While normal female bodily functions should not be pathologized, some women do have godawful periods that are helped immensely by medical intervention. Grinning and bearing it might have been the patriotic thing to do during WWII, but Rosie the Riveter had few other options.
Personally, I’ve never had that much trouble from my periods, but I get them every 22 days — meaning, that when I’ve tried the Pill, I’ve been fucking miserable because I have to take a high-dose Pill and my body isn’t happy with that.
Trust me, if I could do away with my every-three-weeks bleeding, I’d be a happier camper. Certainly it would improve my social life, as I wouldn’t feel obligated to, say, reschedule dates when I’m on the rag lest some adult-related program activities occur. I have no sentimental attachment to my period — I can’t even remember my first one (though I can remember my sister’s, possibly because it was more Momentous, being the First Period of the Daughterage and all). Though, oddly enough, I *do* remember my first successful tampon, since I hit on the idea of putting a hand mirror on the bathroom floor and sitting on the edge of the tub so I could see what I was doing. Not for nothing am I the daughter of an engineer.
And it took my dog to get me to give up tampons after many years of being happy with o.b.s — I understand a lot of women have issues about touching their vaginas during insertions, but for me, the real Issue was pulling them out my dog’s ass after she ate them. I’m a Diva Cup girl now, looking forward to menopause. Even though it’ll be 10 or so years from now.
I have to say, 99% of the criticisms of the period-stopping pill that I’ve read fail to distinguish between what this pill does that’s new and what the pill has always done, which is mess with our reproductive systems through hormones and stop us from ovulating or having normal periods. All of which is cool with me given my current set of options, though hardly immune to criticism–but it just makes no sense to me to get all up in arms about a pill that just allows women to skip the fake periods they now have.
Also, I love my new low-dose pill (Yaz). Which almost entirely stops my “period,” but is almost certainly far safer than the ridiculously high dose of hormones I was on before (the patch, on which I had a pretty normal period but was sick to my stomach on a regular basis and had twice the risk of stroke or blood clot that you get from the regular-dose pill).
1. Periods are not magical, mystical, or intrinsic to being a woman.
2. As many people have mentioned, the bleeding on the pill is NOT a period. It was designed by the pill’s developers to make women more comfortable with the method and to also (try to) convince the Catholic Church that it was an acceptable medical intervention.
3. For anyone who has suffered with the medical consequences of periods run amok, any method of period suppression, quite frankly, gives you your life back. I’ve had abnormal periods ever since they started when I was 10. Pills didn’t work for me, so now I have an IUD (Mirena), which means 5 (!) years of practically no periods.
It’s all well and good for people with the standard 28-day, 3-4 days of bleeding to bitch and moan about how unnatural and potentially harmful menstrual suppression is, but you know, it’s the woman’s body and the woman’s choice. Iron deficiency anemia is rare, except in pre-menopausal women. That’s not too natural either. When you have a hemoglobin level of 5 (normal is 11-12 or so for a young woman) and have been bleeding for a solid MONTH, then come by and let’s chat. Otherwise, shut the hell up!
For the record, diet, exercise, and orgasms all help control and unruly period.
Orgasms can reduce cramps, as can stair climbing types of exercise. Overall physical fitness helps reduce serious cramping, too.
Some people find that removing dairy from their diets reduces cramps, too.
I’ve been on the pill, depo-provera, lunelle, the patch… And I have to say, I prefer the method combined with spermicidal lube and condoms to any of those. I like my body how it is - free of medical hormones.
“though I can remember my sister’s, possibly because it was more Momentous, being the First Period of the Daughterage and all)”
Well, it was that… and the fact that I was 10 and incredibly unprepared emotionally for it and got it at Susan’s slumber party, and I was the only public school girl in a room full of Catholic school girls… and then I had to endure the indignity of having to cajole Mom to come get me and she sent DAD!!!! and then I had to wear wadded up old t-shirts in my underwear all night until she could run out in the morning and get pads and after begging Mom NOT TO TELL DAD, he clearly knew in the morning…. I’m sure it was an issue in the house all day. They were most likely better prepared for yours and it may have gone smoother… although they didn’t set much of a standard with the handling of mine
No, not traumatic at all
As for missing my period. I have to admit that during my pregnancies I actually missed my period. Which sort of surprised me. At the ripe age of 40 I’m about to start a birth control program–probably a progesterone IUD or the depo-shot… and I’m not keen on giving up my period. Although I have always had reasonable periods so–not a lot of pain or bleeding. Something about the rhythm of it is appealing to me I think.
Odd attitude for having such a rough start, huh?
I do think it’s important that menstruating in general not become pathologized. No one should feel socially coerced into taking any medication. But for some women, it IS a pathological time of month, causing severe anemia, near-debilitating cramps, 3-day migraines, seizures, or dangerous mood swings. As for the last one, I’m not talking about just being “bitchy” or a little sad — when I was already dealing with a major depressive episode, the days before my period were often times of worse suicidal impulses.
I am with you 100%! I was on the pill for over ten years. I tried high dose, low dose, back to back…you name it. And I got off of the pill almost two hears ago. Hormones are scary stuff!
I just got my Diva Cup, too, but alas I have been unable to make it work. Maybe next month. =0)
When I went into perimenopause my period starting coming every 23-24 days when it had always been every 28 days. I adapted. Then it started lasting about 10 days. O.K., I can live with that. Finally it starting lasting about 3 weeks so I was getting about 5 days off from bleeding. And I’m 53. I got anemic waiting patiently for menopause.
I got endometrial ablation so I now no longer bleed at all. I can’t recommend it enough to those who are finished with childbearing. However, since the definition of menopause is not having a period for a year, I guess I’m going to miss the milestone! Seriously, don’t you think it’s weird there’s no hormone range or something? I just wanted to overshare because you said that you were expecting menopause in about 10 years, and I wanted you to know sometimes it takes its own sweet time showing up.
Orgasms can reduce cramps
YOU LIE.
I mean. Maybe they do for you, and of course you are well-intentioned in saying this. But I’d read this all over the place and I finally tried it and it not only didn’t work, it MADE IT WORSE.
(NB: not yelling at you, yelling because I’m still kind of bitter about this).