New this week: Lydia Pinkham's Home Talks, Private Text-Book Upon Ailments Peculiar to Women, and a trade card with flowers - Menstrual humor - DIRECTORY OF ALL TOPICS - newest news


Call Your Congressman About the Proposed Tampon Safety and Research Act! Here's How and Why.


Wear This Instead

Audrey Contente, the creator of Instead menstrual cup, according to company literature, sometimes wore the dress at left to promote her invention. Certainly not on Casual Fridays, you understand, but for public relations opportunities.

Two vice presidents of Ultrafem, the company that made the cup, sent it to yer MUM for display and preservation.

David Edwards, a software developer from Portland, Maine, visited this museum with a digital camera and some friends a few weeks ago. He took photos of the museum and kindly sent some to me, including this one, which gives a better idea of the dress than my drawing.

I trotted the dress out for these visitors; it's not on permanent display because of the danger of deforming the material. It's very heavy.


Menstrual Poison - Menotoxin - Looms Small on the Internet, But Large in Life

Continuing the menotoxin theme from last week, I recently looked for other sites mentioning it on the Internet. Through Yahoo! and Infoseek I came across only pages from this site and a site in Australia, which discussed Zoroastrianism, an ancient religion in India alive today.

I think you may be interested in its attitude towards menses as written in Deen Parast, "a famous Zarathushtri religious magazine from Bombay, India," which appears at http://www.ozemail.com.au/~zarathus/deen33b.html:

Observing the laws of purity is a sacred duty for every Zoroastrian. A Zoroastrian woman in her menses is doctrinally held to be in a state of impurity. This is not an indictment against women alone for even a priest who has a bleeding sore or a festering wound is not permitted to enter the precincts of a fire temple until he undergoes ritual purification. Your charge regarding this custom being sexist, therefore, is untenable. [The writer is responding to a question posed in a letter to the magazine.]

The Greek author Pliny in his Natural History (Book 7, chapter 13) states, "On the approach of a woman in this state [i.e., menses], wine will become sour, seeds which are touched by her will become sterile, grafts wither away, garden plants are parched up and the fruit will fall from the tree beneath which she sits." In Book 28, chapter 23, he continues, ". . . bees, it is a well-known fact, will forsake their wives if touched by a menstruating woman . . . . fire itself, an element which triumphs over every other substance, is unable to conquer this."

We gather from the 'Vendidad' (16.2) that the observance of seclusion during menses in a separate place has been in vogue since times immemorial. This custom, again, is not unique to the Parsi community alone. A Hindu lady, in her menses, abstains generally from worship, cooking and remains aloof from other members of the family. The Jews believe Moses had interdicted Jewish women from going near rivers, wells, fire or kitchen, grain fields, gardens and cattle. The Arabs also observed similar customs and women stayed in separate huts or tents. In the New Testament, there is a reference to an incident where a woman in her menses, touches the cloak of Jesus and he cries out, "Who touched me? My Glory is gone out of me."

Indian housewives, for ages, have known that pickle and other preserved foods handled by them during menses spoil easily.

So is there a scientific explanation for this? Indeed, there is!

Critical investigations by Drs. Macht and Lobin at Johns Hopkins University [my alma mater! Who are these guys? I'm quitting the alumni association!] Laboratory have found a certain toxin (appropriately called "Menotoxin") in the various body fluids of a menstruating woman. This toxin is believed to manifest itself in large quantities, just before and during the first few days of the onset of the monthly period. Research has revealed that Menotoxin has an inhibitory effect on the growth of roots, stems, living seedlings, yeast and affects the geotropic properties of seedlings. [Compare this with the soaking bowls with a spout for washable pads available today (this museum has one); the spout is for the bloody water to be poured on plants for fertilizer. A recent visitor from England (fourth item down), who retired from a career in the blood-storage program, said blood is a great fertilizer, and menstrual blood would be too. Try it!] Is there any wonder our sagacious forefathers recommended seclusion? [The MUM director indented this section for effect.]

We accept the fact that in today's times, especially in large cities like Bombay, it may not be possible to observe complete seclusion. Yet one must make a conscious effort to keep away from all sacred objects in the house or items like clothes which one normally reserves for visits to Agiaries and Atash behrams. Doctrinally, prayers recited by a woman in her menses are invalid in nature.

According to the Vendidad' (16.4) a woman in her menses "should keep 15 paces from fire, 15 from water and 15 from barsam and 3 paces from a holy man." It has also been observed with the aid of Kirlian photography that the aura or personal atmosphere of a woman in her menses becomes dark, dense and putrid. Visiting a holy place like a consecrated Agiary or Atash Behram during menses is, therefore, preposterous and tantamount to an unforgivable sin in nature.


And Speaking of Menstrual Poison, Don't Wash The Keeper in the Toilet Bowl!

A nurse sent this letter, responding to some suggestions in the third letter below, about The Keeper (menstrual cup; see more comments):

Dear Mr. Finley,

To the woman with the suggestions on how to properly use The Keeper - much appreciated! I have had some problems with mine and will take her advice.

However, she needs to know that she absolutely should never rinse her Keeper out in the toilet bowl (and reinsert it, no less - talk about grot)! As a nurse, I can tell you that ANY toilet bowl, no matter how "clean" looking, is full of heinous bacteria - I can't believe she would put that back into her privates. Instead, (no pun intended), she could take to the toilet either a glass of clean water or a small collapsible water bottle that can fit in a purse - you can get them at camping stores. Please tell her to stop before she starts growing something frightening in her vagina!

Thank you. Keep up the great Web site.

 


Johnson and Johnson Starts Women's Health Site

I just received this e-mail from Lethia West Cooper:

Johnson and Johnson [corporation] recently launched their Cycles of Wellness Web site found at http://www.cyclesofwellness.com.

From first periods to menopause, the new Johnson and Johnson site entitled "Cycles of Wellness" is a comprehensive resource for women of all ages. In addition to the discussion of reproductive health and nutrition, there is a menstrual calendar where women can track their monthly cycles. Both teachers and parents alike will enjoy a special section specifically geared to enhance the understanding of the feminine reproductive system. The straightforward, candid approach of this site will enable women to make smart choices about their bodies at various stages in life. Rare Medium, Inc., a digital communications firm headquartered in New York City, with offices in Los Angeles and Atlanta, developed the site.

I hope that you will place a link to this valuable resource for women, and if you have any comments, please feel free to email me at lethiaw@raremedium.com.


Letters to Your MUM

Hey, have a nice day!

Your Web site is absolutely HILARIOUS! I loved it!!!


From Musings on MUM:

I like your Web site. I haven't explored all of it but I am going to.

Here are some things I remember learning about menstruation over the years:

I have read that other primates, baboons, I think, have been known to use absorbent plant fibers to absorb menstrual flow. [Offhand, it would seem that this would be tool making if it's true, which is rare among animals. Does anyone know more about this?]

Also, I read about sticks marked in notches with bigger notches every so often, some 32 small notches apart, some 28, etc. It was speculated in my astronomy book that these were from early man's observing the phases of the moon, the big notches being the full moon. My husband's women's psychology text thought they were from early women marking their periods. [If the notches differ so much, it couldn't be the moon, unless the recorders were lousy observers.]


A visitor from the Washington, D.C., area discusses using The Keeper menstrual cup, which she likes:

Dear Mr. Finley,

I've written to you before to congratulate you on the site. I want to add some comments about The Keeper.

I've been using it for about a year now and I am very pleased with it. I have VERY heavy periods and The Keeper is just about the only product on the market which has saved my sheets from eternal ruin.

A tip for first time users: try running warm or hot water over it to soften the rubber up so it isn't so stiff. I do this when I'm first putting it in when I get up in the morning and it's made it a lot easier.

Also I think they really do make that tab much too long for women with shorter vaginas. I basically just cut the whole thing off, leaving only just enough to give the cup a good tug to make the seal.

This may gross some of you out, but to get around the restroom problem, I empty the cup into the toilet bowl, flush out the dirty water twice and then rinse the cup from the bowl.

I tend to do this only at work though. If you read your Keeper literature carefully, you will also note that they suggest that you wet a few paper towels to wipe it off with inside the stall after you've emptied it.

This works well too, but bring more than one, use the first to wipe and get up most of the flow, then use the second to finish cleaning it up before you pop it back in.

In response to the suction question: If you're getting very heavy suction, you've probably put it in too far. The Keeper sits LOW in the body and your muscles should be keeping it in place, not so much the suction.

I do have some concerns about blood-borne diseases which were raised by another respondent. [That respondent never fulfilled my request to supply articles discussing problems of cups.] I assume that these are only a problem if you are not emptying your cup often enough and not washing your hands and the cup properly before insertion. Just like with a tampon you HAVE to wash your hands thoroughly if you're going to be sticking your fingers up inside - that just seems like common sense to me. [Apparently there is a potential hazard in the rubber because of its porosity, affording areas for bacteria to grow.]

Anyway, keep up the good work and keep us posted on any developments about The Keeper and disease.

About the Tassaway menstrual cup, etc., from Mexico City:

Delighted to see that there is a museum like this, and what a pleasure to see menstruation appreciated, instead of being vilified as an unwanted bastard at the family reunion.

And delighted that there are two products [The Keeper and Instead] like the good ole Tassaways I remember from my youth. I loved that product, though now it appears I must have been one of three who did, since they disappeared from the market. I'll tell my daughter that there is a choice out there, and try them myself. Muchas gracias.


Staff Casualty Report

Last week a car hit Minnie Padd, the Distinguished Service Institutional Albert Lasker Memorial Pouncer at the Museum of Menstruation. He's recovering in the house after a stay in the hospital. His right front leg is badly injured, and he will never zip up another tree after Asst. Prof. Pam T. Padd, because he's just become an indoor cat. He's been injured outdoors three times, and he's only two years old. Enough is enough.

Another reason he will never chase Pam T. Padd again is that Pam is gone [a month later he showed up and as of 2008, he's still here].

One day after Minnie got hurt, Pam disappeared. That was four days ago. I have plastered my neighborhood with signs, called and visited the county animal shelter and offered a reward. Two nice people have phoned me, thinking they saw him, but it wasn't my cat.

Pam was the most playful one of the three, and I miss our hour-long romps, watching him (yes, "him") jump from behind chairs to catch rolling balls and flying mice. The cushions on my sofa form a little house, because he liked to hide there. He would rub his nose on mine when he saw me in the morning.

Animal shelters are heartbreaking places. Yesterday I saw four cats nursing their kittens, all in cages. The forms taped on the doors said there was a five-day holding period before they are gassed.

I know there are too many animals running wild - look what happened to Minnie - and some are dangerous, but you must look into the eyes of those dogs and cats, looking for someone to love.

And then you think of the human orphans waiting for the same thing.

It's all overwhelming.


There's No Update Next Week

Next weekend a television crew from England will be filming at your MUM; that's the time I normally do this Web site.

It's also my birthday, so I will ruminate on the hand Fate, a woman, dealt me and go out to eat with friends, thinking all the time, "Shouldn't I be sending pads 'n' ads and Mrs. Pinkham into cyberspace right now?"


Do You Have Irregular Menses?

If so, you may have polycystic ovary syndrome.

Jane Newman, Clinical Research Coordinator at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard University School of Medicine, asked me to tell you that

Irregular menses identify women at high risk for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which exists in 6-10% of women of reproductive age. PCOS is a major cause of infertility and is linked to diabetes.

Learn more about current research on PCOS at Brigham and Women's Hospital, the University of Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania State University - or contact Jane Newman..

If you have fewer than six periods a year, you may be eligible to participate in the study!

See more medical and scientific information about menstruation.


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New this week: Lydia Pinkham's Home Talks and Private Text-Book upon Ailments Peculiar to Women - Menstrual humor - DIRECTORY OF ALL TOPICS

Take a short tour of MUM! (and on Web video!) - FAQ - Future of this museum - Tampon Safety Act - Visit or contact the actual museum - Board of Directors - Norwegian menstruation exhibit - The media and the MUM - Menstrual odor - Prof. Mack C. Padd: Fat Cat - The science and medicine of menstruation - Early tampons - Books about menstruation - Menstrual cups: history, comments - A Note from Germany/Neues aus Deutschland und Europa - Letters - Links

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