I have essentially no opinion on the matter, but are there any women who would find it strange to take birth control pills that eliminate menstruation altogether?
The new class of Pill that is being developed contains neither hormone but involves compounds called Progesterone Receptor Modulators (PRMs).PRMs block the production of the progesterone hormone which prepares the body for conception and helps to maintain pregnancy. Because the compound does not contain oestrogen or progesterone and actually blocks the latter hormone, Dr Baird believes the risks of breast cancer and heart problems will be reduced.
The new Pill also stops periods altogether, in contrast to the current versions which mimic menstruation with bleeding each month.
Is this what women want?
Once I saw an interview with a Brazilian actress who, through hormone therapy, had eliminated menstruation. I think that, if a woman doesn't want to have kids, I can see the appeal of getting rid of the unpleasant aspects of the menstrual cycle. However, hormone therapies always bring some risk, and doing something so drastic to one's reproductive system for no real good reason is kinda scary. How can the patient REALLY know things will go back to normal when she does want a kid?
I agree with Bernando. I would love the idea in theory, but I would be really cautious of any long term side effects. What long term damage could it cause? I don't think I'd do it unless it had been studied over the lifetimes of numerous women (which won't happen in my lifetime.)
YES.
At least those of us who don't want to have kids at the moment and who SUFFER every three weeks.
Actually, PRMs should theoretically be safer for the body than other methods might be. And current "well accepted" birth control often eliminates the menstrual cycle altogether, anyway (Depo-Provera, or hormone-releasing (safe, plastic) IUDs)
No opinion??? Wow have you ever met a woman who enjoys her period - I've not... Now taking hormones to remove it is an interesting dilemma as the side effects could outweight the advantages. But if there was a 100% safe way to do it I think you would find the tampon companies going out of business very quickly
I think that most women would definitely take a pill that would make their periods go away if they knew it would be safe and that it would not effect her ability to have children later.
I've actually read quite a bit of research showing that women who have lots of kids tend to be healthier than women without kids and women with just one or two kids. Apparently being pregnant a lot and not having your period all that often might actually be healthier for women.
I don't know about women, but I know a lot of men who would pay quite a bit for that pill.
HAHA! Good to see you are pimpin' out here in style, Indian Chris!
Good grief! I don't enjoy my period, but the female body is meant to have a period. How confident are you that a few years of science can predict how the body will react to this when this woman is 65?
I agree with Suzie and Bernardo on this one.
Notice the article says traditional pills "mimic menstruation" with bleeding each month. This isn't the same as allowing your body to menstruate on its own anyway. So if you are taking the traditional pill, you are already messing with your hormones and menstruation.
I'm all for it, after a little more research. The currently available birth control that 'stops' your periods like Depro and such still allow for bleeding, just not menstruation. If this new drug could stop mid-cycle spotting/bleeding, I would buy their stock!
LT
(female)
I've read that women who live together tend to sychronize their menstrual cycles. So if a woman doesn't menstruate, how would that affect her socially?
It's like asking if men would take a drug that would keep them from ever needing to shave again. It sound good at first, but needing to shave is a major sign of manhood for boys. It's hard to guess how ending that would affect a man psychologically.
I don't know man, looking at that 5 o clock everyday has me saying wheres my pill.