Evolution of Menstruation

Culture and menstruation

Many religions have menstruation-related traditions. These may be bans on certain actions during menstruation (such as sexual intercourse in some movements of Judaism and Islam), or rituals to be performed at the end of each menses (such as the mikvah in Judaism and the ghusl in Islam). Some traditional societies sequester females in residences called "menstrual huts" that are reserved for that exclusive purpose.

In Hinduism, it is also frowned upon to go to a temple and do pooja (i.e., prayer) or do pooja at religious events if you are a woman who is menstruating. Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of knowledge, is associated with menstruation; the literal translation of her name is "flow — woman". Metaformic Theory, as proposed by cultural theorist Judy Grahn and others, places menstruation as a central organizing idea in the creation of culture and the formation of humans' earliest rituals.

Evolution

All female placental mammals have a uterine lining that builds up when the animal is fertile, but is dismantled when the animal is infertile. Most female mammals have an estrous cycle, yet only primates (including humans) have a menstrual cycle. Some anthropologists have questioned the energy cost of rebuilding the endometrium every fertility cycle. However, anthropologist Beverly Strassmann has proposed that the energy savings of not having to continuously maintain the uterine lining more than offsets energy cost of having to rebuild the lining in the next fertility cycle, even in species such as humans where much of the lining is lost through bleeding (overt menstruation) rather than reabsorbed (covert menstruation).

Many have questioned the evolution of overt menstruation in humans and related species, speculating on what advantage there could be to losing blood associated with dismantling the endometrium rather than absorbing it, as most mammals do.

Humans do, in fact, reabsorb about two-thirds of the endometrium each cycle. Strassmann asserts that overt menstruation occurs not because it is beneficial in itself. Rather, the fetal development of these species requires a more developed endometrium, one which is too thick to reabsorb completely. Strassman correlates species that have overt menstruation to those that have a large uterus relative to the adult female body size.

Beginning in 1971, some findings suggested that menstrual cycles of co-habiting human females became synchronized. A few anthropologists hypothesized that in hunter-gatherer societies, males would go on hunting journeys whilst the females of the tribe were menstruating, speculating that the females would not have been as receptive to sexual relations while menstruating. However, there is currently significant dispute as to whether menstrual synchrony exists.

This can include heavy bleeding and abnormally long periods. In addition women may have more frequent periods. Hormones are often the reason women have this particular problem. Fibroids, cancer or polyps are also a possibility when abnormal bleeding occurs.

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)is another menstruation problem that plagues many women. It can manifest in painful breasts, cramping, mood swings and bloating. Like other menstruation difficulties, PMS may be related to fluctuations in hormones.

There is some evidence that diet may contribute to the problem. For example, fried foods, caffeine and sugar all seem to add to PMS symptoms. Many women will experience the occasional menstruation problem, however sever or prolonged symptoms may indicate the presence of a serious condition.

What Causes Pain During Menstruation?

• The tissues of the uterus secrete prostaglandins. Their main function is to make the uterus contract, when there is excess of prostaglandin secretion, the woman will experience more intense contractions of the uterus and more pain results due to these contractions.
• Excess of Prostaglandin may also be responsible for vomiting, headache and other associated symptoms during menstruation.
• Endometriosis can also be responsible for cramps.
• Fibroids are another causative factor in producing period pain.
• Any infection in the reproductive organs such as gonorrhea, tuberculous infection can also cause pain during periods.
• Intrauterine device can also cause pain while menstruating.
• Cyst in the ovaries can cause painful menses.
• If the opening of the cervix is small it can cause painful menses.

Menstruation Problems: (Abnormal Bleeding, Fibroids, Pain)

You will need to see a specialist to find the cause of your problem. It is advisable to approach a gynecologist to treat the cause.

For most women the menstrual cycle begins in puberty and can last for decades into their 50′s. The period of bleeding in the cycle is called menstruation and for some women there may be menstruation problems.

One example of the kinds of difficulties some women face is amenorrhea. Amenorrhea is the delayed onset of menstruation in young girls who haven’t started their periods by 16. In older women amenorrhea occurs when a woman misses her periods for three months or more. There may be one or several reasons for the occurrence of amenorrhea including pregnancy, hormone imbalances, and illness, of structural problems in the reproductive system.