# Any Women Who Enjoy Having Periods **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 25, 2009, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-women-who-enjoy-having-periods/515027 "2009-10-25T02:46:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![J-P\_L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/j-p_l/32/3156_2.png) [@J-P\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/J-P_L)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-women-who-enjoy-having-periods/515027/21 "2009-10-25T14:46:18Z")
I’m sure there are some women out there who have been happy at some time to tell their partner: Not tonight dear, I have my period! ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-women-who-enjoy-having-periods/515027/22 "2009-10-25T14:55:58Z")
> [@iftheresaway](#): > > In September, I had my first period for 2009. I was pretty happy to get it - maybe reproductive system is gearing up to let me get pregnant (this month, I had some sad little spotting, but it was still a feeling of “way to go, uterus! Keep trying! You ovulate like a champ!”) You seem like the person who might enjoy [this fun chart](http://iheartguts.com/calling-all-gynecologists). [Here](http://thewelltimedperiod.blogspot.com/2004/08/menstrual-suppression-vs.html) is the more boring version, which has a section on withdrawal bleeding (I am always surprised how many women don’t know this – not directed at you **Big Bertha** , as you are among dozens of educated women with good health care who were never taught this – maybe sex ed covering the Pill doesn’t go into enough detail, at least not for practical purposes) > [@](#): > > When you use a hormonal method of birth control, like the Pill, you no longer have an uterine cycle/a menstrual period. This is normal; it’s the way the Pill works and it lasts the entire time you use the Pill. If you use the Pill for 7 years, you don’t have uterine cycles/menstrual periods for 7 years. How is that possible? > > Briefly, while you take the Pill, your body hormone levels stay low and, most importantly, they don’t fluctuate. The levels of Pill hormones are also pretty steady. So, since there are no longer any hormone fluctuations, the lining of the uterus stays thin. > > This is very important: the uterine lining stays thin ALL THE TIME, for the entire time you use the Pill (not only throughout the month, but throughout the 7 years in our example above). > > No build-up of the lining means no periodic shedding. No shedding means no menstrual period. This is how the Pill suppresses the menstrual period (menstrual suppression). > > What you do have when you use the Pill is a monthly withdrawal bleeding episode, or a fake period. This withdrawal bleeding and the menstrual period are not one and the same thing. Briefly, by manipulating the dose of hormones in the Pill, you can destabilize the thin uterine lining enough to cause some bleeding. > > But, if the fake and the real period are not one and the same, then why do we have a fake period on the same schedule as the real period, namely, monthly? Again, briefly, because of a Puritanical politician, a Catholic Pope, doctors who didn’t wash their hands, and many dead rabbits. In other words, the reason for the monthly schedule of the fake period is a “designer” one, not a biological or medical one. There’s no biological or medical reason to destabilize the thin uterine lining monthly. The post also taught me about the existence of over-decidualization (endometriosis of the lungs, brain, heart), totally canceling out the adorable poster linked above. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-women-who-enjoy-having-periods/515027/23 "2009-10-25T15:41:21Z")
> [@Cat\_Fight](#): > > (I am always surprised how many women don’t know this – not directed at you **Big Bertha** , as you are among dozens of educated women with good health care who were never taught this – maybe sex ed covering the Pill doesn’t go into enough detail, at least not for practical purposes) I’d never heard that. I didn’t have sex ed either, but you would have thought that my doctor would have explained it to me. OTOH, I haven’t been on the pill in over 15 years. ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-women-who-enjoy-having-periods/515027/24 "2009-10-25T16:53:59Z")
Thank you for that Cute Website… I want some Plushie Guts to go along w/ my Plushie Microbes… ---
**Author:** ![truthbot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@truthbot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/truthbot)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-women-who-enjoy-having-periods/515027/25 "2009-10-25T17:03:14Z")
Last month was the 1st year anniversary of My Last Period, Evah! At age 52, I’ve achieved full-blown menopause. The last box of tampons I bought have now grown dusty, and I have no remorse over their languishing in the bathroom cupboard. Good riddance, says I! I fail to see how anyone could ‘enjoy’ a period, it’s messy and a bother in general. And for some, a downright painful affliction. I embrace my freedom from Aunt Flo. ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-women-who-enjoy-having-periods/515027/26 "2009-10-25T17:16:15Z")
Ya know, **truthbot** , I’ve heard of periods happening later than that. I would keep that box just in case. Oh, the complaints from my mother…but at least when I visited she still had supplies on hand! I’m totally jealous, though. Totally. Only about twenty years to go. Halfway there. Maybe more than halfway if Og smiles on me and I hit menopause earlier than my mom did. It’s not usually awful but at best it’s something to deal with but is no fun, really. It just is. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Onimous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea5d25/32.png) [@Ann\_Onimous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Onimous)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-women-who-enjoy-having-periods/515027/27 "2009-10-25T18:31:42Z")
> [@Cat\_Fight](#): > > Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think the OP is a 13-year-old boy trying to figure out the world via the internet. Yup. Knew that. Guess I’m an old fuddy duddy, but when I was 13 years old, all boys thought about were themselves. And the occasional (insert random sport here) game. I just think the question coming from him is a little… awkward. ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-women-who-enjoy-having-periods/515027/28 "2009-10-25T19:03:46Z")
I’m actually significantly faster/more dextrous/articulate/clever/competent when I’m on my period (especially in comparison to the week before when I’m at my worst) so I actually look forward to having lectures or exams and such at that time. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-women-who-enjoy-having-periods/515027/29 "2009-10-25T19:11:22Z")
**Cat Fight** - if you only grow an itty-bitty little uterine lining while on the pill, why are fake periods nearly as heavy as real periods? [Aside to other women in thread] If I ever met a woman who claimed to enjoy bleeding from her nether regions, I’d be very very tempted to slap her. Even after being on Seasonique since I was about eighteen, that once-in-three-months experience is so horrible I have bad dreams about it. The very idea nauseates me. [/Atowit] In short, **Curtis** , most women do not [have a happy period](http://www.snopes.com/humor/letters/always.asp), and are likely to get annoyed at the suggestion. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-women-who-enjoy-having-periods/515027/30 "2009-10-25T19:58:12Z")
> [@capybara](#): > > I’m actually significantly faster/more dextrous/articulate/clever/competent when I’m on my period (especially in comparison to the week before when I’m at my worst) so I actually look forward to having lectures or exams and such at that time. Ok, you’re the only other woman I known (even if just through the net) who is more competent at something while on the period. I’m still trying to find an explanation for that, have you found one? ---
**Author:** ![Walpurgis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Walpurgis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walpurgis)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-women-who-enjoy-having-periods/515027/31 "2009-10-25T21:36:29Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > **Cat Fight** - if you only grow an itty-bitty little uterine lining while on the pill, why are fake periods nearly as heavy as real periods? I’d like to know this too. In fact my fake periods are heavier than my real ones. ---
**Author:** ![Sebastienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a698b9/32.png) [@Sebastienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sebastienne)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-women-who-enjoy-having-periods/515027/32 "2009-10-25T21:37:26Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > **Cat Fight** - if you only grow an itty-bitty little uterine lining while on the pill, why are fake periods nearly as heavy as real periods? In my experience talking to other women, many do have much lighter not-really-periods when on the pill. Others don’t at all, and some have less-heavy-but-oh-my-garters-it-lasts-forever non-periods. I’m guessing it’s highly individual how the uterus responds to X level of hormones. Most may only grow that smaller lining, while others over-achieve. It could very well relate to long it takes to develop when not on the pill; some might continue growing bit by bit up to the point of ovulation as one’s natural hormones cycle, others might have the lining prep much quicker but not develop beyond a certain degree. I know way back in the past when I had a reason for birth control, hormonal methods drastically changed the character of my “period”. But for some reason, they never list “less chunky, different color” as a side effect. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-women-who-enjoy-having-periods/515027/33 "2009-10-25T22:43:11Z")
> [@Walpurgis](#): > > I’d like to know this too. In fact my fake periods are heavier than my real ones. If it’s after prolonged use, it likely has to do with type of birth control you’re on and how your body metabolizes synthetic hormones. But IANAD. [This article](http://thewelltimedperiod.blogspot.com/2004/11/breakthrough-bleeding-breakthrough.html) on breakthrough bleeding has some interesting points on things that can trigger hormone fluctuations, including vitamin C, alcohol and grapefruit juice. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-women-who-enjoy-having-periods/515027/34 "2009-10-25T23:10:21Z")
I don’t see anything to “enjoy” about it. I don’t suffer from severe cramps or other problems so my period isn’t particularly unpleasant, but it is somewhat inconvenient. It’s about as much _fun_ as a nosebleed. I do appreciate it as a sign that things are running okay in there. I had a gland problem that can lead to low estrogen levels, and irregular or absent periods would be a big sign that my hormones were badly out of whack. If that happens I’ll probably be in for a round of doctor’s appointments and some new medication. So it’s a bit of a relief when my period does come on schedule, but I don’t enjoy the period itself. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-women-who-enjoy-having-periods/515027/35 "2009-10-26T00:20:59Z")
No, no, and HELL NO. Sometimes it feels like there’s a boxing round going on inside my abdomen. While other women get bloating, I get water retention in my sinuses (is that possible?) All I know is that I feel like I’ve eaten too much salt and I have all this fluid in my ears and I can feel it swishing around. Ugh. Also, I’m more likely to get seizures around that time of the month. For those who think it’s weird for someone to “enjoy it”? Ever heard of “menstrual paintings?” _shudder_ ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-women-who-enjoy-having-periods/515027/36 "2009-10-26T01:37:41Z")
I have mild cramps, but now that I’m on the Pill my periods don’t last for two weeks. It’s more annoying than anything else. Even with the DivaCup I always have a vague sense of unease, and having sex is messier than usual. If I could eliminate my periods completely I would. ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-women-who-enjoy-having-periods/515027/37 "2009-10-26T01:49:36Z")
> [@KarlGrenze](#): > > Ok, you’re the only other woman I known (even if just through the net) who is more competent at something while on the period. I’m still trying to find an explanation for that, have you found one? I have not, but seriously, it’s noticeable enough that when I have something serious coming up I check my calender to see what my cycle is doing at that time. I wonder if this is worth a more specific/pointed IMHO thread? ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-women-who-enjoy-having-periods/515027/38 "2009-10-26T01:53:33Z")
The talk about fake periods vs. real periods was interesting. A lot of people I know have mentioned getting much much lighter periods post the pill. When I was on it they were a bit lighter but definitely not all that much. There wasn’t a huge difference, really. I was on the pill for…oh, a couple of years? ---
**Author:** ![SweetLucy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@SweetLucy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SweetLucy)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-women-who-enjoy-having-periods/515027/39 "2009-10-26T05:02:37Z")
Any woman who enjoys menstruation has got to be nuts :eek: ---
**Author:** ![anya\_marie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@anya\_marie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anya_marie)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-women-who-enjoy-having-periods/515027/40 "2009-10-26T06:00:09Z")
With my last period, i had this thing where i ached from shoulders to feet and tylenol wasn’t helping a goddamn. I said to my mother that i felt as if i’d been beaten with rairoad ties. Tampons are aggravating and pads feel like diapers so mark me down as someone who’s getting a cup asap but wouldn’t say no to a hysterectomy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-women-who-enjoy-having-periods/515027.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-women-who-enjoy-having-periods/515027.md?page=3)