Pardon me, But that is not very wise
Last week I ran across an article in USA Today about how Western medicine is now able to make a woman stop her menstrual period ~ completely.
Now, excuse me. I know I am a guy and therefore I have no clue what a woman experiences. But I do know a few things about the way the body works, and I cannot see any realistic medical benefit from not allowing the body to flow through its normal cycle. I see enough problems that start out from stagnation, why would anyone intentionally create a problem like this.
One part of the article mentions the complications in womens health from the fact that women are entering into menarche at an earlier age. Historically it has been around 14, now it is as early as 9-10 years old. Add to that the fact that women are still menstruating late into their 40's or early 50's. That means that a woman has many more cycles than her Grandmother ever did.
One part that was NOT addressed is that if a woman is taking birth control pills this is, in effect, tricking her body for 21 days into 'thinking she is pregnant', then when taking the placebo her body sheds the blood and endometrium and she has her period. What is not understood in that is that she does not ovulate or shed her egg. Therfore when she does "go off the pill" she still has the eggs that should have shed over the months/years she was on BC pills. It takes 4-6 months to allow her body to return to it's normal cycle, and that transition can be quite problematic, painful and irregular.
May I be so bold to offer a three part solution to this?
1) Remove ALL GROWTH HORMONES FROM OUR FOOD CHAIN. This has been scientifically linked to the changes in our growth, early puberty and has many health concerns. This would have HUGE health benefits for everyone.
2) Teach the men to use a condom. Sorry to be so blunt, but there are NO SIDE EFFECTS from using a condom. Yes we could discuss loss of sensitivity, but this is not the forum for that, and that is minimal any way.
3) Teach and support women to see their cycle as a natural part of their life. With exercise, healthy diet and (of course) TCM, a woman can have an easy, natural cycle that is NOT painful or problematic.
But back to the article I read. The women interviewed espoused the idea that their cycle is a "curse" (their words, not mine). I see that terminolgy as part of the problem. It is not a 'curse' it is part of incarnation as a female.
Guys have a cycle too. Ours seems to be about 6 weeks, and tend to express itself more in "levels of arousal."
Life is built upon cycles. Whether that is the revolution of the planet causing night and day, or the revolution of the earth around the sun causing the seasons. Our internal systems are built upon cycles. Who do we think we are to start tinkering with this???
My bet is, that many women jump at this possibility. I just hope it does not turn out like Viox, or Hormone Replacement Therapy, or any of the other meds we have that cause more problems than they treat.
OK, Now I will get off my soap-box.
Hope you all have great weekend.
Michael
Now, excuse me. I know I am a guy and therefore I have no clue what a woman experiences. But I do know a few things about the way the body works, and I cannot see any realistic medical benefit from not allowing the body to flow through its normal cycle. I see enough problems that start out from stagnation, why would anyone intentionally create a problem like this.
One part of the article mentions the complications in womens health from the fact that women are entering into menarche at an earlier age. Historically it has been around 14, now it is as early as 9-10 years old. Add to that the fact that women are still menstruating late into their 40's or early 50's. That means that a woman has many more cycles than her Grandmother ever did.
One part that was NOT addressed is that if a woman is taking birth control pills this is, in effect, tricking her body for 21 days into 'thinking she is pregnant', then when taking the placebo her body sheds the blood and endometrium and she has her period. What is not understood in that is that she does not ovulate or shed her egg. Therfore when she does "go off the pill" she still has the eggs that should have shed over the months/years she was on BC pills. It takes 4-6 months to allow her body to return to it's normal cycle, and that transition can be quite problematic, painful and irregular.
May I be so bold to offer a three part solution to this?
1) Remove ALL GROWTH HORMONES FROM OUR FOOD CHAIN. This has been scientifically linked to the changes in our growth, early puberty and has many health concerns. This would have HUGE health benefits for everyone.
2) Teach the men to use a condom. Sorry to be so blunt, but there are NO SIDE EFFECTS from using a condom. Yes we could discuss loss of sensitivity, but this is not the forum for that, and that is minimal any way.
3) Teach and support women to see their cycle as a natural part of their life. With exercise, healthy diet and (of course) TCM, a woman can have an easy, natural cycle that is NOT painful or problematic.
But back to the article I read. The women interviewed espoused the idea that their cycle is a "curse" (their words, not mine). I see that terminolgy as part of the problem. It is not a 'curse' it is part of incarnation as a female.
Guys have a cycle too. Ours seems to be about 6 weeks, and tend to express itself more in "levels of arousal."
Life is built upon cycles. Whether that is the revolution of the planet causing night and day, or the revolution of the earth around the sun causing the seasons. Our internal systems are built upon cycles. Who do we think we are to start tinkering with this???
My bet is, that many women jump at this possibility. I just hope it does not turn out like Viox, or Hormone Replacement Therapy, or any of the other meds we have that cause more problems than they treat.
OK, Now I will get off my soap-box.
Hope you all have great weekend.
Michael
posted by Michael Clifford, L. Ac. | 7:28 AM
6 Comments:
Since no one else has commented on the info presented here, I will. I AGREE WITH YOU COMPLETELY. And that's a comment from a female.
Thanks for the comment. I would love to hear what others have to say about this and all of my blogs.
BUT WHOEVER WROTE THE PREVIOUS COMMENT, PLEASE CEASE AND DESIST THAT TYPE OF BEHAVIOR. I do not want to have to put in moderator approval for the comments to keep out that kind of stuff. But I will if I have to.
I want the PEOPLE who read to be free to comment, and not get what I consider to be a form of adertising as a "comment." OK so it had to do with stuff that might be interesting, but it did not have anything to do with the article at hand.
sigh.
OK, back off the soap-box I climb...
It's not nice to fool with Mother Nature and that's in that category. But the economic incentive is going to be enormous so women will do it and they will be living in regret before 20 years pass.
We are living in a time when people do not experience the moon either. It's all the same. Based on that symbolic metaphor, I am going to predict some particulary virulent cancers or total emotional breakdown as the consequence Mother Nature will bestow upon us.
You are right, as usual; it's not nice (or wise) to fool with Mother Nature. [hear loud thunder-clap for exclamation!]
But also about the cancer, I am afraid you are totally on spot with that. There is an increase in ovarian and uterine cancer now. Fast-forward twenty years and I think it will be the #1 killer of women, by far bypassing heart disease.
Moon-time, that is what one of my patients calls her period; it is totally appropriate, even historically accurate too. But as you know wea re all so far disconnected from nature that the cycles are not in harmony.
But for now all I can do is talk about this and educate those that I can...
I know I was horrified when I saw the commercials for "Seasonale" - you take hormones for 3 months solid so you only get a cycle 4 times a year. And of course, there is the old Depo shot which makes cycles stop entirely for most women.
I have not had a women come to me for "cycle ceasing" treatments, but I would never encourage them. I have always thought of TTOM as a time to get rid of accumulated toxins - a blessing rather than a curse. Of course, maketing has a lot to do with how people perceieve and then manifest menstral symptoms. Luckily, we practice a medicine that augments rather then supresses Mother Nature!
I totally, completely, 300% agree with you. We need to stop viewing menstruation as a disease that requires treatment, and more as a natural, miraculous process, a time when a woman should take extra special care of her body and listen to what it is telling her (i.e., needing more rest or exercise, taking it easy, etc.).
Thanks for stopping by my blog. I look forward to reading more of yours.
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