on girls' matters

[sarea]

corianderstem posed a question in her LJ that got me reading this article about the origins of The Pill that are really, really fascinating. It's a long article, but goes quickly because it's so interesting.

I did, however, want to point out one particular passage:

All told, Dogon women menstruate about a hundred times in their lives. (Those who survive early childhood typically live into their seventh or eighth decade.) By contrast, the average for contemporary Western women is somewhere between three hundred and fifty and four hundred times.

*weeps* 350-400 times?! Compared to 100?! I hate Aunt Flo. I do not want to see her 400 times during the course of my life. Of course, Dogon women also give birth 8-9 times during a typical lifespan and spend the rest of their time breast feeding, which is probably not the trade off I want to make. Probably.

Also, msscribe, I love you dearly. I will try my darndest to have some fic ready to send to you. Please feel better soon. You're in my thoughts. (For those of you who may be friends with Dionne but who haven't seen Liss's post, go here.)

Comments

[sarea-okelani.livejournal.com]

Okay, this may be TMI for anyone else who's reading -- *waves to potential audience of people who couldn't care less* -- but you're freaking me out again. A lot of people have menstrual pain throughout their period, or at least for several days; I've always been lucky in that if I have severe cramps, it's always on the first day. So yeah, one day every month, I'm completely useless. It sucks to be a girl. Even more so at work, when I'm like, "Yeah, I know I'm supposed to be paying attention in this meeting, but I'd rather lie down and die instead. That all right with you?" :p

On the rare occasions when I'm able to head it off with a couple of Aleve, it's all right. But if I've left it too long, it's just suffering on top of more suffering. Oh, woe is us the female gender.

Too much information for everyone!

[sydney-lynne.livejournal.com]

I've always been lucky in that if I have severe cramps, it's always on the first day. So yeah, one day every month, I'm completely useless. It sucks to be a girl. Even more so at work, when I'm like, "Yeah, I know I'm supposed to be paying attention in this meeting, but I'd rather lie down and die instead. That all right with you?" :p

*chimes in to agree with you once again*
It's always the first day that's the day of killer pain for me as well, all the blood just drains out of my face and I just want to lie down and die. I'm lucky in that being a graduate student I can go home when I'm at work and just lie in bed if I haven't passed out because there are no set hours. The other days are uncomfortable but fortunately not painful. I don't know if I'd rather be a guy though, it seems awfully gross to be a guy, plus they don't get to buy pretty clothes. :P

Re: Too much information for everyone!

[sarea-okelani.livejournal.com]

Yeah, and they have that thing that they can't control half the time and the other half the time it just kind of flops around and has no place to go.

Re: Too much information for everyone!

[sydney-lynne.livejournal.com]

Hahaha. I wasn't going to say it. ;) It's so scary that you can read my mind.
<33333

[akscully.livejournal.com]

Heh. My cramps are always on the first day and they're just awful. After that though, the pain clears up and I'm okay, although highly irritable. Oh, no, wait. I'm like all the time.

[sarea-okelani.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I was gonna say.

[akscully.livejournal.com]

:-L

[fearthainn.livejournal.com]

*never gets cramps*

*smirks*

[sarea-okelani.livejournal.com]

Oh, BIATCH.

[fearthainn.livejournal.com]

I do get a mild backache sometimes... *whistles innocently*

[sarea-okelani.livejournal.com]