REBECCA B. SINGSON, MD, FPOGS, FACS, FPCPC

Myth No. 1: Menstrual blood is “dirty blood” which needs to be removed from the body.
Truth: Menstruation is nothing but a shedding of the lining of the uterus called the endometrium when you don’t get pregnant during that cycle. Every month, the woman’s body actually prepares for a pregnancy by going through a series of changes of hormones that allows the lining of the uterus to thicken to receive a fertilized embryo for implantation in case a sperm fertilizes the woman’s egg. If the woman does not become impregnated, the level of her progesterone hormone drops which results in the shedding of the lining which her uterus has prepared for the possible pregnancy, and menstruation occurs. So menstruation is not dirty blood but is rather, a physiologic shedding of the endometrium.

Myth No 2: I should not take a bath when I have my period.
Truth: This is an old wive’s tale that is still a prevalent belief in many parts of the country. It has no scientific basis and in fact, defies the rules of hygiene. When you have your menses, you have to bathe to stay clean because blood is a good culture medium for bacteria so don’t hesitate to bathe daily when you have your period. And yes, you may even wash your hair without guilt.

Myth No. 3 Drinking beer will make my menses stronger.
There is no basis for this particular belief. No scientific study has ever been conducted to document that a relationship exists. The belief could have been formulated from circumstantial evidence. You would probably have to drink so much beer to the point that it will lead to excessive obesity before it can affect your hormones that can affect your menstrual cycle. An occasional beer will not likely have any effect.

Myrh No. 4. It’s bad to make love when I have my period.
Aside from the mess, there is nothing bad about making love during your menses. You probably may not be physically turned on because your hormones are more attuned to mating during ovulation which is nature’s design to encourage pregnancy and propagation of the human race. The hormones are not designed for procreation during menses so nature does not turn you on to having sex. If you are, it’s a learned response. The fact is, nothing bad or harmful can happen to you if you have sex during menses.

Myth No. 5. I cannot get pregnant if I make love while I have menses.
Many women have gotten pregnant with this belief. The reason for this is that some women with short cycles can release the egg on day 9. Some women with prolonged menses can still be spotting at this time and believing she is still menstruating and infertile, she can get pregnant if she has intercourse at this time. Some women also have spotting or bleeding during ovulation, which they mistake for menses and end up being pregnant.

Myth No. 6 You shouldn’t eat anything sour when you have your period or it will decrease or stop.
Again, another provincial old wive’s tale which has no basis. What may have a basis is you may have a craving for chocolates when you have a period because of the relative drop in magnesium when you have your periodl You may also crave for iron-rich food if you have borderline anemia.

Myth No. 7. I have irregular menses, skipping 2-3 months at a time. I prefer to leave it like this than take medications.
Irregular menses should never be ignored. It may be a sign of polycystic ovary syndrome which means you don’t produce eggs which mature enough to be released. If you don’t ovulate, you don’t produce progesterone which is the hormone counteracting the cancer causing effects of the hormone estrogen. You may actually be set up for a higher risk of estrogen-related cancers such as breast cancer, ovarian and uterine cancers. You may also be dealing with an ovarian cyst as a cause of the irregularity of your menses so it’s better to see your gynecologist for any menstrual abnormality.

Myth No. 8 Dysmenorrhea is a normal among the youth.
Dysmenorrhea, or painful menses, could be sign of an underlying problem which may affect your fertility. There are two kinds of dysmenorrheal. In primary dysmenorrheal, which may affect upto 50% of women, there is no underlying cause detected even though it may sometimes be so severe as to interfere with daily activities. However, in about 25% of women, there is an underlying cause such as a benign growth of the muscle of the uterus (called myomas), or a non-cancerous growth of uterine lining tissue on the muscle of the uterus (called adenomyosis) or growth of the uterine lining tissue outside the uterus (called endometriosis). Have a vaginal ultrasound done (or transrectal ultrasound if you are still a virgin). Your gynecologist can determine for you the cause and give you the appropriate treatment.

Your menses when regular and normal can be a barometer of regular hormones and normal function.(but is no guarantee either). Consult your doctor anytime you encounter abnormalities with it because ignoring the problem can lead to ignoring something as serious as cervical, uterine or ovarian cancer.