IS MENSTRUATION NORMAL? SUPPRESSION OF THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE IN CLINICAL PRACTICE

Coutinho Em
In: Reproductive Medicine Review · 2001 · vol. 9(3) , pp. 241–257 · doi:10.1017/s0962279901000357 · W2042576710
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⚙ AI-generated summary by gemini-2.5-flash-lite, 2026-08-09 ⓘ

This review argues that menstruation is not normal based on dictionary definitions, as continuous periods are unnatural, potentially cause dysphoria, and can lead to diseases like anemia and endometriosis.

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⚙ AI-generated deep summary by qwen3.7-flash, 2026-09-06 · read from full text ⓘ

This review article challenges the conventional definition of normality regarding menstruation, arguing that continuous menstrual cycles are neither natural nor free from disease. The author posits that incessant menstruation can lead to serious dysphoric disorders and specific medical conditions, explicitly citing anemia and endometriosis as prominent examples of such diseases. By framing ongoing menses as a deviation from a healthy standard, the paper suggests that suppressing the menstrual cycle may be a beneficial clinical approach to mitigate these associated health risks. Relevance to endometriosis: Listed as one example of a disease caused by incessant menstruation, though the paper's main focus is a broad philosophical critique of menstrual norms rather than detailed pathophysiology.

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Abstract

According to Webster's Universal College Dictionary (Random House, 1997), normal means “conforming to the standard or the common type; usual regular, natural; free of any mental disorder; sane; free from disease or malformation”. On the basis of these various definitions, the answer to the question posed in the title of this review should be an unequivocal “no”. Incessant menstruation for years on end as it occurs today is certainly not natural, nor is it free of any mental disorder or free from disease. In fact, it conforms to no standard and it may cause serious dysphoric disorders and several diseases, of which anaemia and endometriosis are outstanding examples.
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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 May 2002 According to Webster's Universal College Dictionary (Random House, 1997), normal means “conforming to the standard or the common type; usual regular, natural; free of any mental disorder; sane; free from disease or malformation”. On the basis of these various definitions, the answer to the question posed in the title of this review should be an unequivocal “no”. Incessant menstruation for years on end as it occurs today is certainly not natural, nor is it free of any mental disorder or free from disease. In fact, it conforms to no standard and it may cause serious dysphoric disorders and several diseases, of which anaemia and endometriosis are outstanding examples. - Type - Research Article - Information - Copyright - © 2001 Cambridge University Press - 2 - Cited by Cited by Crossref Citations Coutinho, Elsimar M. 2007. To bleed or not to bleed, that is the question. Contraception, Vol. 76, Issue. 4, p. 263. Davis, Anne R. Kroll, Robin Soltes, Barbara Zhang, Nan Grubb, Gary S. and Constantine, Ginger D. 2008. Occurrence of menses or pregnancy after cessation of a continuous oral contraceptive. Fertility and Sterility, Vol. 89, Issue. 5, p. 1059.

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