# Does menstruation serve a social purpose in humans, perhaps some animals? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 25, 2017, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-menstruation-serve-a-social-purpose-in-humans-perhaps-some-animals/799821 "2017-10-25T16:45:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-menstruation-serve-a-social-purpose-in-humans-perhaps-some-animals/799821/1 "2017-10-25T16:45:47Z")
Does menstruation serve a social purpose in humans, perhaps even some animals. (In humans) monthly (cyclic) bleeding, and dealing with fluid discharge on a regular basis, well dealing with anything on a regular basis , tends to desensitizes a person from dealing with unpleasant things. It the dealing with monthly periods and somehow programming women to be the ones to be able to better handle the bodily discharges of infants (and thus be considered the natural consideration for primary guardian when a dispute arises?) , and perhaps even extended to some vocations like traditionally nursing, so sort of desensitizing to such discharges allowing they to do certain things more comfortably then males who don’t have to deal with this? ---
**Author:** ![Chicken\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Chicken\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicken_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-menstruation-serve-a-social-purpose-in-humans-perhaps-some-animals/799821/2 "2017-10-25T16:49:26Z")
By that logic, men, with their incessant ejaculations, should be handling all the messy jobs. ---
**Author:** ![ioioio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ioioio/32/316_2.png) [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-menstruation-serve-a-social-purpose-in-humans-perhaps-some-animals/799821/3 "2017-10-25T16:52:37Z")
When I worked at a blood donation center, I noticed that men are far more likely to pass out at the sight of blood than women are. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-menstruation-serve-a-social-purpose-in-humans-perhaps-some-animals/799821/4 "2017-10-25T16:57:16Z")
Regular menstruation is largely a primate, elephant shrew, and bat phenomena. Not that many animals do it. In Ye Olde Primative days even human women weren’t that regular - between episodic food shortages, frequent pregnancy, and extended lactation a lot of adult women in history menstruated infrequently. As far as “natural guardian when dispute arises” - that’s by no means universal in history. In both Ancient Greece and some modern (usually Muslim) countries the default guardian in something like a divorce is the father, not the mother (often because a woman wasn’t/isn’t able to get a good enough job to support herself and a family). So I think some of your initial assumptions may need to be re-examined. ---
**Author:** ![ioioio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ioioio/32/316_2.png) [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-menstruation-serve-a-social-purpose-in-humans-perhaps-some-animals/799821/5 "2017-10-25T17:01:57Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Regular menstruation is largely a primate, elephant shrew, and bat phenomena. Not that many animals do it. > > In Ye Olde Primative days even human women weren’t that regular - between episodic food shortages, frequent pregnancy, and extended lactation a lot of adult women in history menstruated infrequently. > > As far as “natural guardian when dispute arises” - that’s by no means universal in history. In both Ancient Greece and some modern (usually Muslim) countries the default guardian in something like a divorce is the father, not the mother (often because a woman wasn’t/isn’t able to get a good enough job to support herself and a family). > > So I think some of your initial assumptions may need to be re-examined. This is why I love the SDMB. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-menstruation-serve-a-social-purpose-in-humans-perhaps-some-animals/799821/6 "2017-10-25T17:04:38Z")
> [@Chicken\_Fingers](#): > > By that logic, men, with their incessant ejaculations, should be handling all the messy jobs. Incessant? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-menstruation-serve-a-social-purpose-in-humans-perhaps-some-animals/799821/7 "2017-10-25T17:09:40Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > Does menstruation serve a social purpose in humans, perhaps even some animals. > > (In humans) monthly (cyclic) bleeding, and dealing with fluid discharge on a regular basis, well dealing with anything on a regular basis , tends to desensitizes a person from dealing with unpleasant things. It the dealing with monthly periods and somehow programming women to be the ones to be able to better handle the bodily discharges of infants (and thus be considered the natural consideration for primary guardian when a dispute arises?) , and perhaps even extended to some vocations like traditionally nursing, so sort of desensitizing to such discharges allowing they to do certain things more comfortably then males who don’t have to deal with this? One could use the same (specious) argument to make the case that women might use the same ‘evolutionary advantage’ to make them better soldiers, hunters, butchers, executioners, medical examiners, etc… ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-menstruation-serve-a-social-purpose-in-humans-perhaps-some-animals/799821/8 "2017-10-25T17:33:25Z")
I think by the time a girl has experienced her third period the gross factor has worn off. Also, I wouldn’t think being able to tolerate one’s own bodily fluids would help in dealing with someone else’s. Isn’t that why we are bothered by the smell of our own waste but are disgusted by other peoples’? ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-menstruation-serve-a-social-purpose-in-humans-perhaps-some-animals/799821/9 "2017-10-25T17:41:48Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > Incessant? :dubious: “Constant”. Whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-menstruation-serve-a-social-purpose-in-humans-perhaps-some-animals/799821/10 "2017-10-25T17:48:41Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > “Constant”. Whatever. Constant? ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-menstruation-serve-a-social-purpose-in-humans-perhaps-some-animals/799821/11 "2017-10-25T17:51:00Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Constant? “Persistent”. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-menstruation-serve-a-social-purpose-in-humans-perhaps-some-animals/799821/12 "2017-10-25T17:54:58Z")
“Imminent”. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-menstruation-serve-a-social-purpose-in-humans-perhaps-some-animals/799821/13 "2017-10-25T17:58:24Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > “Imminent”. :eek: “immanent”. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-menstruation-serve-a-social-purpose-in-humans-perhaps-some-animals/799821/14 "2017-10-25T18:05:17Z")
That works. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-menstruation-serve-a-social-purpose-in-humans-perhaps-some-animals/799821/15 "2017-10-25T18:42:17Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > Incessant? :dubious: > [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > “Constant”. Whatever. > [@Leaffan](#): > > Constant? > [@QuickSilver](#): > > “Persistent”. > [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > “Imminent”. :eek: > [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > “immanent”. 😃 > [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > That works. 🙂 Nah. I’ve lost the mood. ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-menstruation-serve-a-social-purpose-in-humans-perhaps-some-animals/799821/16 "2017-10-25T19:58:12Z")
Are you asking if menstruation predisposes women to subordinate helper positions? I hope not. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-menstruation-serve-a-social-purpose-in-humans-perhaps-some-animals/799821/17 "2017-10-25T20:02:52Z")
Pernicious ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-menstruation-serve-a-social-purpose-in-humans-perhaps-some-animals/799821/18 "2017-10-25T20:09:23Z")
> [@Helena330](#): > > Are you asking if menstruation predisposes women to subordinate helper positions? I hope not. 🙂 Are you assuming that the care and raising of offspring; or the care of wounded is a subordinate helper position? I hope not! mc, ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-menstruation-serve-a-social-purpose-in-humans-perhaps-some-animals/799821/19 "2017-10-25T20:09:51Z")
> [@Chicken\_Fingers](#): > > By that logic, men, with their incessant ejaculations, should be handling all the messy jobs. Interesting Username/post combo. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-menstruation-serve-a-social-purpose-in-humans-perhaps-some-animals/799821/20 "2017-10-25T20:22:59Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > “Persistent”. “Nevertheless, he persisted.” 😃 I’m not looking for a synonym for “incessant.” Instead, I’m questioning the apparent belief held by **Chicken Fingers** that men exist in a constant state of ejaculation. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-menstruation-serve-a-social-purpose-in-humans-perhaps-some-animals/799821.md?page=2)