PCBs Shorten Menstrual Cycle

Polychlorinated biphenyls - PCBs - found in fish in Lake Ontario have shortened by about one day the menstrual periods of women who have eaten them more than once a month. New York health officials have warned women of childbearing age not to eat these fish, which have high levels of several toxic pollutants.

PCBs can imitate some of the effects of the sex hormone estrogen, which is apparently occurring in the 2,200 premenopausal women studied in an article in the Dec. 1 issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology. Estrogen and its emulators have been in the news often in the past year.


Instead Menstrual Cup is Too Slippery

A nurse practitioner e-mailed last week:

I was delighted to discover your Web site today, and I plan to revisit soon.

About Instead -- I was thrilled to see it advertised (it IS available on the East Coast), and couldn't wait to try it. Boy, was I disappointed! First of all, it leaked. Secondly, I had a lot of trouble getting it out (and yes, it was quite messy), and was able to do so only with the help of a rubber glove, which provided a better grip. It was too slippery otherwise. I must add that I am a nurse practitioner in women's health care, and therefore have a lot of experience with fitting women with diaphragms, so I am certainly experienced in the necessary technique.

Read more comments about menstrual cups!


Note That Cramps Cramp Kids' Style

A friend of MUM for the past three years, a marriage counselor in Los Angeles, sent this testimonial:

This dates from from 1950 or 1951, when I was in eighth grade. I was in Home Economics class (all girls, of course) when our teacher said that she had overheard something very bad: a girl was telling a boy she couldn't go somewhere because she had cramps.

"You should never mention cramps to boys," she warned us.


Judy Blume's Eternal

Do you want to write for this Web site? Submissions are welcome, such as the following offer sent last week:

Has anyone ever spoken to you about including an ode to the famous Judy Blume book "Are You There, God, It's Me, Margaret?" on your Web site? [No.]

For many young women my age (especially those of us with parents too squeamish to discuss the dreaded menses), this book gave us our first lessons in the triumphs and travails of menstruation. (Not to mention chants every girl must recite in order to fill out her bra -- "we must, we must, we must increase our bust.") I'd be happy to write it if you are interested [yes!]. . . you at least should read the book if you haven't yet [I have, and I also saw Judy Blume read part of it on the video Under Wraps, which Canadian television showed last spring; you can buy the video. She started to cry during her reading . . . .]

And you have a great Web site! My co-worker and I were howling in laughter all afternoon! [Hey, what's so funny??] We can't wait to see the real thing.

Pick a topic you know something about, or have an opinion about, and think that others would like to know. You don't have to be THE expert; it can be a personal experience - many people have told me the thing they enjoy most are the letters and stories. I reserve the right to edit, and - I'm sorry - I can't pay, right now, anyway. You may use or not use your name - your choice - and you own all rights to it.

And speaking of this age group: look at the pages dealing with the booklets for menarcheal girls and Lynn Peril's article on this site about these and similar booklets!


Calling All Menstrual Painters, I!

A recent visitor to the museum left this request:

I am creating a show on menstruation and menopause, and looking for work in all media. It can be from a spiritual, cultural, personal, or historical perspective.

The show runs 9 - 19 April 1998 at the Pentucket Arts Center, Haverhill, Massachusetts (U.S.A.).

As soon as you can, contact Amy Shutt, Bradford College, Box 511, Bradford, MA 01835 (U.S.A.). Phone: (978) 469-1323, or e-mail: ashutt@bnet.bradford.edu

I need your work or proposals as soon as possible!


Calling All Menstrual Painters, II!

And here's another request:

Hi, I'm a student from Australia trying to contact some feminist artists who use menstrual blood as a medium - are you able to help me out? It would be much appreciated.

laura : alra.editors@adelaide.edu.au

 

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© 1998 Harry Finley. It is illegal to reproduce or distribute any of the work on this Web site in any manner or medium without written permission of the author. Please report suspected violations to hfinley@mum.org