[Menstruation and its impact on women's health].
The impact of menstruation on women's health manifests itself on different levels. The sociocultural dimension shows the influence of societal and cultural norm, which regulate the way of dealing with menstruating women. These rules are at first glance in most cultures characterized by rather expulsion, rejection and submission of women. At a closer look many traditions however reflect the fascination and the power which is associated with the "blood of women", which means that throughout history menstruation is conceived in an ambivalent manner. This ambivalence is still present in the subjective experience of modern women, who experience the biological process of menstruation but finally attribute emotional and cognitive meaning to it. This means that women finally decide when menstruation becomes a "disease" for them. Many empirical studies show that although a majority of women declare menstruation as something negative and disturbing, only a much smaller percentage would want to get rid of it, because menstruation seems to be associated with feelings of connectedness with nature and with other women. The biomedical view on menstruation is historically new and quite different: uterine bleeding can either be a sign of disease (uterus, ovaries) or it can lead to anemia, pain, anxiety, frustration in women consulting. Menstrual disorders are in fact one of the most frequent reasons for consultation. Modern medicine has developed a large range of interventions which modify or abolish menstruation. From a medical standpoint menstruation is not necessary and may be obsolete. The transition from "healthy menstruation" to "menstruation related diminution of quality of life", to "Menstrual Disease" is continuous and has to be elaborated in the physician patient interaction, the patient being expert for her values, aims and health objectives and the physician being the expert for knowledge and information. The patient has to use this to come to a personal and individual solution of her menstruation problem.
Bitzer
J
J
Universitätsfrauenklinik Basel. jbitzer@uhbs.ch
Tschudin
S
S
Stadlmayr
W
W
D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008598:Menstruation / Q000502:physiology*; D016387:Women's Health