No-period pill: the ethics and issues around avoiding menstruation.
The US Food and Drug Administration have just approved the first birth control pill that eliminates a woman’s monthly period entirely. The launch of Lybrel, (as the pill is called), has caused one anti-abortion campaigner to describe it as a pesticide and an attack on children and families. But for many women, the ability to control their periods in this way not only prevents unwanted pregnancy but also reduces the pain and discomfort of Pre Menstrual Syndrome. What are the risks and benefits of stopping one’s periods through medication and what is society's attitude to menstruation?
Jenni is joined by Dr Noreen Khan; Consultant in Community Gynaecology; Sexual and reproductive health for Manchester PCT and Dr Andrew Shail; Research Fellow at St Anne’s College, Oxford and co-editor of Menstruation: A Cultural History.
