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is evidence that menstruating more often is a product of industrialized society, and that in pre-industrial societies, it is normal for women to menstruate as few as four times a year. The article further shows the positive correlation between lifetime number of menstrual cycles in women and cancers of the reproductive organs.

So why on earth does the traditional birth control pill force us to simulate menstruation, when for so many of us, it is a miserable few days?

Perhaps at the time the Pill was being researched and developed, in the late 50s-early 60's, people knew that the primary force behind that research and development was Dr. John Rock, who happened to be a devout Catholic. In fact, he pursued this line of research precisely because he was a Catholic, and wanted to give Catholic women more control over their reproductive lives without violating their church's rules. He reasoned that if the rhythm method was acceptable to the church, surely intervention - using the same hormones occurring naturally in the body - in order to make the cycle more regular and prevent a fertile period entirely, would be acceptable too. Of course he ultimately was wrong, and became an embittered ex-Catholic by the end of his life.

But the greatest travesty was done to women who simply wanted convenient birth control, and to have power over their own reproductive lives. A menstrual period every 28 days was arbitrarily introduced into the regimen by a Catholic doctor who thought it would appease the pope. A pope, who, eventually, decided Catholics were not allowed to use the Pill. So every woman who has used the birth control pill since is a non-Catholic (or a non-practicing Catholic). And yet for nearly 50 years we have been stuck with a Catholic Pill as our only option.

The one argument that has been made about forcing regular "periods" that makes any sense at all is the psychological reassurance for some women that they are not pregnant. Certainly, women should have the choice of having a period-forcing pill if they want. But women who do not need this reassurance should not be compelled to.

Reference

1. Gladwell, M., "John Rock's Error" The New Yorker, March 13, 2000.

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