Dear friend,
“At many colleges, reproductive health is only discussed in relation to sex, and not just any sex. College students are taught, whether implicitly or explicitly, the mistaken idea that wild consequence-and-commitment-free sex is simply part of the college experience.” So writes Kristen Curran in her powerful article that highlights for us the very different tack her college took when it comes to teaching students about their reproductive health; instead of a Sex Week, her college offered women free, on-campus fertility awareness classes by FEMM. It’s a game changer for college students, who learn valuable information about their biology and what makes for truly happy, healthy sex lives.
Sadly, we know that many women don’t know basic facts about reproductive health. But knowledge is power, and giving women the opportunity to learn this valuable information helps them know better, so they can do better! One area where this is especially true is in the diagnosis, management, and treatment of endometriosis. In our second new article this week, Morganne Skinner covers three facts about endometriosis, and how recent research suggests that it may be better understood as an inflammatory condition with systemic (whole body) impacts. As it turns out, endometriosis may be so much more than just a “painful period disease.”
When we know better how our bodies work, we can advocate for better healthcare for ourselves and others. That’s what makes the message of fertility awareness so empowering, and why we seek to spread this information as far and wide as possible here at Natural Womanhood!
All the best,
Grace Emily Stark
Editor
Natural Womanhood
| 4 ways free fertility awareness courses at my university improved my college experience In college, many of my friends happened to be really excited about women’s health and healthy sexuality. They were the kind of people who gave presentations on menstrual cups for public speaking class, co-founded sexual assault and sexual harassment awareness weeks, and travelled to local high schools to talk about healthy relationships. Amongst these excellent student initiatives (and the one that had the biggest impact on my day-to-day life, both then and now) was a successful petition to bring free FEMM workshops to campus. Click here to read the full article. |
| Three facts about endometriosis that prove it’s more than just a painful period disease In a recent article for The Lancet, researchers Taylor et al. argue that “Overall, increasing evidence suggests that endometriosis is more than a localized pelvic disease.” They have proposed an entirely new way of thinking about endometriosis, proposing that it should be characterized primarily as an inflammatory condition. Click here to read the full article. |
| From the Podcast Archives: What is FEMM? An Interview with Anna Halpine, founder of FEMM In this episode of The Natural Womanhood Podcast (Season 1 / Episode 3), we sat down with Anna Halpine, CEO and founder of FEMM, to learn more about this increasingly popular method of fertility awareness, and how it is revolutionizing women’s hormonal health. Click here listen to the episode. |