# Survivor question: Jaburu menstruation? (TMI?)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-question-jaburu-menstruation-tmi/154985>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [February 14, 2003, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-question-jaburu-menstruation-tmi/154985 "2003-02-14T02:40:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 12\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![PublicBlast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/779978/32.png) [@PublicBlast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PublicBlast)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-question-jaburu-menstruation-tmi/154985/1 "2003-02-14T02:40:48Z")

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While watching Survivor tonight, I pondered: how does the production team deal with female players’ menstruation? Do they provide the women with feminine sanitary stuff and just slip it in under the radar? Do they require female players to take the Pill or Depo Provera to delay their period? Or is it just very careful editing? I was just imagining that it wouldn’t be ratings-friendly (or hygeinic?) to film half-naked women on their period.

P.S. A google search did not turn up anything related.

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**Author:** ![The\_Man\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c2a13f/32.png) [@The\_Man\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Man_Who)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-question-jaburu-menstruation-tmi/154985/2 "2003-02-14T03:08:30Z")

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Sanitary stuff is supplied. They get a first aid kit which has that stuff (also condoms, if I remember correctly).

Good ep. tonight. Splitting the teams by sex will make the later eps more interesting, methinks.

-Myron

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**Author:** ![Atreyu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Atreyu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atreyu)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-question-jaburu-menstruation-tmi/154985/3 "2003-02-14T03:12:13Z")

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I wasn’t planning on watching the new “Survivor” series, but a friend of mine e-mailed me and mentioned that one of the female contestants is deaf. Since I’m deaf myself, that got my attention rather quickly.

It would be really cool to see her win.

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**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-question-jaburu-menstruation-tmi/154985/4 "2003-02-14T04:21:13Z")

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Forget menstruation, I’m still wondering how people on Survivor manage to clean their glasses.

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**Author:** ![Antimanics](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/71c47a/32.png) [@Antimanics](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antimanics)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-question-jaburu-menstruation-tmi/154985/5 "2003-02-14T04:29:03Z")

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They borrow a handkerchief from one of the camerapersons.

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**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-question-jaburu-menstruation-tmi/154985/6 "2003-02-14T04:43:06Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> They borrow a handkerchief from one of the camerapersons.

Oh, man!

**Antimanics** , I read your post with the OP in mind.

:eek:

Then I realized you were talking about cleaning their glasses. You _were_ answering **interface2x’s** post, weren’t you?

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**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-question-jaburu-menstruation-tmi/154985/7 "2003-02-14T13:52:27Z")

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I remember from the Survivor: Outback show, they had that bulldog ex-cop lady who got voted off about halfway through. She had been named the caretaker of the first-aid kit, and she commented at the closing ceremonies (right after playing the didjeridu) “There were twelve condoms in that first-aid kit when they gave it to me, and twelve condoms in it when I left the show.”

Well, with her keeping an eagle eye on it, I’m not surprised…

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**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-question-jaburu-menstruation-tmi/154985/8 "2003-02-14T16:25:45Z")

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I read the book written by Lance somebody-or-other, originally in cahoots with Richard Hatch and eventually without him (to prevent a lawsuit by Mark Burnett), and it gave a lor of good insight into the game behind the scenes. While sanitary supplies are provided, most of the women prefer the Depo Provera method, which makes a lot of sense. Dealing with all the emotional and physical misery of menstruation while trying to compete in that situation would be a huge disadvantage.

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**Author:** ![Judith\_Prietht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b19c9b/32.png) [@Judith\_Prietht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Judith_Prietht)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-question-jaburu-menstruation-tmi/154985/9 "2003-02-14T16:32:29Z")

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I recall reading something else (an interview or article with a Survivor doctor)about menstrual cycles of female contestants becoming disrupted and often stopping completely, what with the physical challenges (game-related and day-to-day) and lack of nutrition. I’ll try to search for it.

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**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-question-jaburu-menstruation-tmi/154985/10 "2003-02-14T23:16:07Z")

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Well, I read that menstrual cycles of females in a group can occur at the same time. That would be interesting.

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-question-jaburu-menstruation-tmi/154985/11 "2003-02-14T23:32:10Z")

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It might not be a good idea for a menstruating woman to be in a possibly-piranha-infested river.

Just a thought…

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**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-question-jaburu-menstruation-tmi/154985/12 "2003-02-15T01:02:01Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by handy \*  
> \*\*Well, I read that menstrual cycles of females in a group can occur at the same time. That would be interesting. \*\*

That does happen, but takes a couple of months to sync up.
