#menstrual cycle

[vanglaggle]

me: wow im super sensitive and emotional right now. what the hell is going on

the notorious menstrual cycle:

[curiositysavesthecat]

For people who get period, assuming money was not an issue, if there was a pill you could take that would stop you from getting your period for the rest of your life (therefore there would be no more period cramp), the only side effect would be that you could no longer get pregnant/could no longer have a biological child and it would be irreversible, would you take the pill?

Yes

No

Poll does not apply to me

Voting ended onAug 27, 2025

*This poll was submitted to us and we simply posted it so people could vote and discuss their opinions on the matter. If you’d like for us to ask the internet a question for you, feel free to drop the poll of your choice in our inbox and we’ll post them anonymously (for more info, please check our pinned post).

[classycookiexo]

[reasonsforhope]

World's First Blood Test For Endometriosis Step Closer Following Trial Success

A medical technology company in Australia is aiming for a world-first: it wants to launch a blood test for endometriosis (sometimes called '

"A medical technology company in Australia is aiming for a world-first: it wants to launch a blood test for endometriosis (sometimes called 'endo' for short) within the first half of this year [2025].

In a recent peer-reviewed trial, its novel test proved 99.7 percent accurate at distinguishing severe cases of endometriosis from patients without the disease but with similar symptoms.

Even in the early stages of the disease, when blood markers may be harder to pick out, the test's accuracy remained over 85 percent.

The company behind the patent, Proteomics International, says it is currently adapting the method "for use in a clinical environment," with a target launch date in Australia for the second quarter of this year [2025].

The test is called PromarkerEndo.

"This advancement marks a significant step toward non-invasive, personalized care for a condition that has long been underserved by current medical approaches," managing director of Proteomics International Richard Lipscombe said in a press release from December 30.

Endometriosis is a common inflammatory disease that occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows in other parts of the body, forming lesions. The disease can be very painful, and yet the average patient often suffers debilitating symptoms for up to seven years before they are properly diagnosed.

While there are numerous reasons for such a long delay, symptoms of endometriosis are often highly variable, unpredictable, difficult to measure or describe, and dismissed or overlooked by doctors.

Today, the only definitive way to diagnose endometriosis is via keyhole surgery called a laparoscopy, which is expensive, invasive, and carries risks.

Proteomics International is hoping to change that.

In collaboration with researchers at the University of Melbourne and the Royal Women's Hospital, the company compared the bloodwork data from 749 participants of mostly European descent.

Some had endometriosis and others had symptoms that were similar to endo but without the lesions. All participants had a laparoscopy to confirm the presence or absence of the disease.

Sifting through the bloodwork, researchers ran several different algorithms to figure out which proteins in the blood were best at predicting endometriosis of varying stages.

Building on previous research, a panel of 10 proteins showed a "clear association" with endometriosis.

For years now, scientists have investigated possible blood biomarkers of endometriosis to see if they could differentiate between those who have endo and those who do not. Similar to cancerous tumors, endo lesions can establish their own blood supply, and if cervical cancer can be diagnosed via a blood test, it seemed possible that endometriosis could be, too...

Proteomics International claims patents for PromarkerEndo are "pending in all major jurisdictions," starting first in Australia.

It remains to be seen if the company's blood test lives up to the hype and is approved by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). But that's not outside the realm of possibility.

In November of 2023, some researchers predicted that a "reliable non-invasive biomarker for endometriosis is highly likely in the coming years."

Perhaps this is the year."

-via ScienceAlert, January 9, 2025

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Note: As someone with endometriosis, let me say that this is a HUGE deal. The condition is incredibly common, incredibly understudied, and incredibly often dismissed. Massive sexism at work here.

I got very lucky and got diagnosed after about 6 months of chronic pain (and extra extra lucky, because my pain went away with medication). But as the article says, the average time to diagnosis is seven years.

Being able to confirm endometriosis diagnoses/rates without invasive surgery will also lead to huge progress in studying/creating treatments for endo.

And fyi: If you have a period that is so painful that you can't stand up, or have to go home from school/work, or vomit, or anything else debilitating (or if any of those things apply if you forget to take pain meds), that is NOT NORMAL, and you should talk to a competent gynecologist asap.

[its-terf-or-nothin]

[cherriesnwinefem]

I’ve been wanting to help more people in my community, and in research of what helps and what doesn’t, I’ve found that women are completely left out of the equation. There are plenty of guides for “Homeless Care Packages”, but there’s maybe been one or two that even mention menstrual care. About a million that mention the Bible, though!

I have a list going already, but for those with any suggestions: if you’re a woman, and you are currently or ever have been homeless, what would you want to have to take care of yourself?

[little-hag]

Having period while age regress 🫠

[incognitopolls]

What did you feel when you got your first period?

I was happy/excited about it

I was scared because I didn't know what was going on

I was scared for another reason

I felt ashamed/embarrassed

I was annoyed because of the inconvenience

I felt sad like my childhood had ended

Indifferent, I didn't really care about it

More than one of these

Something else

Never had a period/show results

Voting ended onMar 9, 2024

Anon feels like getting their first period was almost traumatic because of how deeply ashamed they felt about it, even though everything about it was normal and they knew it would happen.

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