Margaret Cho’s Period Musings, Bad Tampon Ads and other Weekend Links
You know who else talks frankly about periods? Besides us, that is? Margaret Cho. Just one of the reasons we love her. Jess at xoJane explains why none of the anti-Plan B arguments are remotely convincing. A Diva Cup user at Persephone Magazine reports on test driving...
What I told the girl in my life about menstruation
Last month I wrote about what I would tell the ten-year-old girl in my life about menstruation. This would be my first conversation about it with her. I really appreciated the supportive responses that I received in the comments and offline! I was nervous about it....
A Whole New Meaning to DIY Menstrual Pads
When Arunachalam Muruganantham discovered that his wife was using old rags for menstrual pads to save their family the cost of pre-manufactured sanitary napkins (paying Indian prices for sanitary napkins "meant no milk for the family" that week), he decided to create...
Food insecurity is associated with later puberty
Many girls in Africa have insecure access to food, that is, they worry about getting enough food, and they sometimes eat less than they want, or go without food. There are two theories about how this might affect the onset of menstruation (menarche). One is that the...
Nuns on the Pill, a Menstrual Cycle Primer, and other Weekend Links
Sociologists for Women in Society has just published The Menstrual Cycle: A Feminist Lifespan Perspective [pdf] (by the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research) -- a comprehensive and handy summary and reference list for anyone just getting started in menstrual cycle...
Endometriosis and the Mysteries of Pelvic Pain
I've recently developed a whole new understanding of why it takes so long for women to receive a diagnosis of and treatment for endometriosis. It's not just the constraints of menstrual etiquette or the belief that painful periods are normal, especially for young...
