Population Council Research that makes a difference

Abstract

Nuisance or natural and healthy: Should monthly menstruation be optional for women? 
Thomas,Sarah L.; Ellertson,Charlotte
Lancet 355(9207): 922-924
Publication date: 2000



It is simplicity itself to eliminate menstruation with safe, inexpensive, and widely available oral contraceptive tablets. Yet monthly menses continue to be the standard for women. Why? Any woman can tell you that menstruating is a pain, literally and metaphorically. At a minimum, it is a nuisance that requires planning and expensive sanitary supplies and paracetamol to avoid messy discomfort for about 1 week each month. In many cases, however, menstruation has a far greater impact on the female half of the population.