Black box… The reduction of the menstrual cycle in medical education
Menstrual Matters
by MM
3w ago
What we don’t know does harm us! Ahhhhhhh… It’s been a long time since I was able to share some of my own research on here. But, here it comes… And it’s big! FYI- A book chapter outlining this study in detail has just been published by Oxford University Press– but here’s a helpful summary: Black box (noun): 1. A usually complicated electronic device whose internal mechanism is hidden from or mysterious to the user. Broadly: Anything that has mysterious or unknown internal functions or mechanisms (Merriam-Webster, 2022) 1. What I did and why… There is far more to the menstrual cycle than hormo ..read more
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Menstrual education in Sweden… Not as good as you might think!
Menstrual Matters
by MM
11M ago
How did we come up with our topic? We are Olha and Lien and we met during our master’s degree studies and immediately became close friends. From time to time, we would talk about our periods. We both felt better after sharing our own experiences, struggles and concerns. While brainstorming topics for our master’s thesis, we jokingly started talking about doing our research on the topic of menstruation. We let our imaginations run wild and wrote everything down on a paper napkin. The longer the conversation went on, the more passionate and enthusiastic we both became. When the whole idea was wr ..read more
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Menstrual, Menopause, and Maternity Leave: Why Sex-Based Policies Don’t Work for Women…
Menstrual Matters
by MM
1y ago
Menopause leave is back in the UK news. It’s so great that we are having public conversations about menstrual and menopausal health, but I must admit I’m getting very tired of being told that the solution is to make us deal with debilitating symptoms alone at home! It’s almost as if we are relying on ill-informed (albeit well-intentioned) celebrities and influencers to solve a problem caused by 300+ years of capitalist gender myths and strategic societal/ medical ignorance regarding the female reproductive body… I have already written several blogs and given talks about menstrual/ menopau ..read more
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Period poverty is political!
Menstrual Matters
by MM
1y ago
[Guest blog by Dr Sara De Benedictis, Brunel University London] Over the past few years, the term ‘period poverty’ has been in the news a lot. It refers to how some people are unable to access or afford menstrual products [1]. The issue of period poverty has attracted much attention from UK politicians, celebrities, charities and human rights activists since 2016 [2]. You may remember hashtags like #freeperiods [3], political party manifestos pledging to solve period poverty [4] or companies promising to donate products to those in need [5]? The level of coverage was a little surprising becaus ..read more
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FY 2022 Annual Report
Menstrual Matters
by MM
2y ago
Full report- FY2022 annual report MISSION: To provide independent, accessible, and evidence-based information: To improve the diagnosis and treatment of menstrual cycle-related ill health To help people manage their health & wellbeing To save the NHS unnecessary time and expense To bust myths that only serve to marginalise people who menstruate HEADLINES: Hooray! Website traffic is 30% up on last year (despite me being unable to add much new content while writing up my PhD thesis)! The website reached over 275K people in the past 12 months. Yippee! Top 10 blog pages: Top 10 sym ..read more
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Period Photography: Making the concealed visible
Menstrual Matters
by SallyMM1
3y ago
Guest blog by Britta Wiebe, co-founder of Vulvani Many of us internalise damaging menstrual/ gender myths to the point that we prefer not to touch, talk about, or even look at, our own menstrual blood. Instead, we make a big effort to conceal this healthy (and important) human experience. As if it does not even exist. Tampon out, quickly disposed of, new one in, done. How we think and feel about menstruation and our own bodies influences how we feel when we see it. Photo by Vulvani The same goes for images of menstrual fluid and associated management products. Just think abou ..read more
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Why do humans menstruate?
Menstrual Matters
by SallyMM1
3y ago
Mega myth #1- To 'cleanse' your body! Sexist societal taboos wrongly position periods as 'dirty' and sadly, this is what many people continue to be taught to believe [1]. For nearly a century we have known for sure that menstrual fluid does not typically contain any toxins, diseases, or 'bad' bacteria, and yet the myth that menstruation is a type of 'cleansing process' persists [2]. While disposable period products can encourage bacterial growth (leading to a sweat-like smell) menstrual fluid itself simply smells like blood (a metallic odour) plus our unique body odour, and occasionally ga ..read more
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Do you have a bleeding disorder?
Menstrual Matters
by SallyMM1
3y ago
I was recently contacted by someone from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in relation to a previous blog post – Menstrual blood loss- what’s normal? They are launching a much-needed awareness-raising campaign in partnership with the US National Hemophilia Foundation called ‘Better you know‘. The campaign is focused on those who may experience symptoms of a bleeding disorder but have not been diagnosed, especially people who menstruate. The campaign website has a risk assessment tool, brochures, booklets, and videos for individuals to learn whether they are at risk and th ..read more
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Reframing the endometriosis ‘diagnostic problem’…
Menstrual Matters
by SallyMM1
3y ago
Note: Endometriosis (pronounced en-doh–mee–tree–oh–sis) is the name given to the condition where cells like the ones in the lining of the womb (uterus) are found elsewhere in the body. Each month these cells react in the same way to those in the womb, building up and then breaking down and bleeding. Unlike the cells in the womb that leave the body as a period, this blood has no way to escape. As a result, ‘adhesions’ (tissue growths) can form around the body, especially in the abdominal cavity and between organs, causing irreparable damage and severe menstrual pain. I was recently contacted by ..read more
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Premenstrual mood changes… What’s normal?
Menstrual Matters
by SallyMM1
3y ago
Here is our myth-busting guide to help you know the difference between ‘normal’ and problematic mood changes. Trigger warning– mention of suicidal thinking What mood changes are normal? Let’s start with the type of mood we are talking about in relation to the menstrual cycle. There are five main ones to watch out for [1]: Joyful– feeling happy, positive, energetic, productive, creative, and content. Sensitive– feeling moved by beautiful music, a soppy TV show or advert, increased empathy for others and/or more easily frustrated or upset. This is often expressed as tearfulness regardless of th ..read more
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