Happy Holidays! Next
update is 15 January
The next two weekends, in time I would normally
work on the weekly update of this Web site, I'll be helping my brother copy
film at the National Archives (among other things) for an exhibit in a German
museum about the American presence in Germany after World War II - a very
interesting subject.
I lived in Germany more than 13 years and my brother,
who married a German, has spent even more time there. His two truly international
sons speak flawless German and English, and it's somehow appropriate that
one lives in America, one in Germany.
See the next MUM update in the next millennium
(remembering that 2000 was the last year of the last one)!
Letters to your MUM
She should have been doing an assignment about
menstruation, but . . .
I'm supposed to be doing an assignment for uni[versity]
on how menstruation affects women's health.
Instead I am writing to you to tell you another
expression for periods.
Friends of mine call it the "BLOB."
They say, "I am on the blob" or, "I have got the blob."
Is that a new one for you? [Not entirely, but it's good to have confirmation
of the previous contribution. Thanks! Read more expressions
for menstruation.]
In answer to would I like to get rid of my periods
- OH YES!!!!!!! [Read more entries in that section.]
I hate them. They cause me nothing but trouble.
They take over my life every month. Its not fair. I don't understand women
who want to celebrate menstruation. I dread every period and don't think
they deserve celebrating.
Well. that's my opinion.
[The writer didn't say, but I suspect she's from
the United Kingdom.]
How safe are cups?
I'm not sure what the cleanliness standards of
the women having problems with toxic shock and blood pathogens were, but
after reading the comments [here], I spoke with my doctor immediately.
However, the biggest cause of toxic shock is
using a product that absorbs too much of a woman's natural fluid. Since
cups don't absorb, I (and my doctor) fail to see the connection. [Dr. Tierno,
on the safety page, talked about the old Keeper menstrual cup, which was a bit porous and potentially
could foster the growth of the bacteria that cause toxic shock, although
there were never any cases of this reported in the literature. The new
Keeper apparently has done away with porosity and thus the potential for
toxic shock.]
As to pathogens, it is very important to keep
a cup clean: boil before and after each cycle, and wash with soap before
reinserting. If it's kept properly clean, there shouldn't be a huge problem
here either.
As to the woman who had a hard time with the
Keeper [menstrual cup]: it never goes smoothly the first time. Everyone
I've known with one (self included) has had to practice for a cycle or
two before they really got the hang of it. It's a skill, keep trying!
University people using this site
At the University of North Dakota (U.S.A.)
Hello & Season's Greetings!
I came across your wonderful Web site on menstruation! What an excellent
resource for myself and my women studies students!
I want to share with you a story from my novel, Wannabe.
It is called "Kotex Queen," and
is a semi-finalist in the Moondance Film Festival (taking place in January
in Boulder, Colorado). You can read a copy of "Kotex Queen" at
my Web site, www.angelfire.com/nd/wannabe.
There is another chapter in Wannabe that you may also be interested including
on your Web site, "The Virgin and the Tampon."
While both pieces are fiction, of course, the stories have been ones that
resonate with the women who read them. I hope you'll take a look at "Kotex
Queen," and let me know if it fits in with your Web site.
Thanks for your excellent contributions!
Kathy Coudle King
And at Harvard
Hi, Harry,
I enjoy your site immensely and have used it for general educational
purposes several times. Just wanted to thank you for your effort and to
invite you to visit (and link to!) my page on menstrual cycle education
(trying to take a revolutionary, hip approach) at http://www.redwomen.net.
Yours,
Jessica Kraft
Austrian to write article for paper
I loved to have a look into the broad and respectfully designed virtual
museum about the most mysterious topic on women´s sexuality! Badly
needed, indeed, a shame for our modern world. Your museum gives answers
on questions that most of the women don't really dare to ask!
As I am working as a freelancer for "Der Standard," one of
the best Austrian daily newspapers, I will be glad to write an article
on your museum. As soon as it comes out, I will send you a copy, in case
you collect any kind of media information!
Lots of great wishes and a Merry Christmas!
Maria Angela Pieta
[This beautiful name seems made for Christmas.]
Menopause, Naturally
How about listing Menopause, Naturally
by Sadja Greenwood, M.D. [Yes! See the site bibliography.]
First published in 1984 and updated constantly since that time, it
was one of the first books on the subject.
Would you link with Volcano Press? [Already am linked.] We would certainly
do likewise.
Ruth Gottstein, Publisher
Drop in again
Hello,
I have to say that I find the museum very interesting. I have visited
twice for fairly lengthy stays and feel as if I have barely scratched the
surface of your site. This is the kind of site where I could stay all day
if I had the time.
Thank you! [You're welcome!]
Pap art exhibit starts 21 September in
Delray Beach, Florida
I am writing to request your participation and assistance in an exciting
and important project regarding women's health issues.
The world-renowned scientist and lover of the arts Dr.
George Papanicolaou, better known as Dr. Pap, inventor of the Pap smear
test, will be the subject of a special exhibition at the Cornell Museum
of Art in Delray Beach, Florida, beginning September 21, 2000. The
gala opening and artist's reception will be held on Thursday evening September
28, 2000. The foremost patient advocate and director of the Center For
Cervical Health in the United States, Carol Ann Armenti, will be the keynote
speaker.
The exhibition will run through November 12, 2000, and will feature
recent works by international artist Olga Stamatiou,
Dr. Papanicolaou's niece. Stamatiou's works will be available for
acquisition and the profits will go toward:
1. The creation of "PAP MOBILES," vehicles that would be
used to provide testing for under-served women in areas, with the highest
incidence of cervical cancer.
2. The creation of a traveling multimedia art exhibition.
3. The production of a documentary film based on the life, work and
scientific legacy of Dr. Papanicolaou and his wife Mary.
4. The Center for Cervical Health.
5. The Papanicolaou Woman's Corp.
Our organization "PAP" - Prevention and Protection - will
have as its goal to raise awareness about women's health issues, including
the importance of having regular Pap smears and the provision of information
on new and existing methods for detecting cervical cancer.
The traveling exhibition, to be viewed in public spaces and museums,
will be a multimedia environment drawing on and inspired by Dr. Pap's love
of the arts and sciences. This environment will include permanent built-in
units that will provide creative spaces for national and local women's
health organizations to inform women on what is available involving health
care.
The September 28th opening reception will also include international
guest artists and feature a wide range of styles and media. A percentage
of their work will benefit the above-mentioned projects.
Olympus Corporation of America will provide working microscopes and
monitors along with technicians on opening night to demonstrate how Pap
smears are read.
Washable-pad company for sale
Gayle Adams, owner of Feminine Options, wants
to sell the company to someone willing to put time and energy into it.
The Food and Drug Administration has already approved its products.
Call Gayle at (715) 455-1652 (Wisconsin, U.S.A.).
Money and this site
I, Harry Finley, creator of the museum and site and the "I"
of the narrative here, receive no money for any products or services on
this site. Sometimes people donate items to the museum.
All expenses for the site come out of my pocket, where my salary from
my job as a graphic designer is deposited.
You have privacy
here
What happens when you visit this site?
Nothing.
I get no information about you from any
source when you visit, and I have no idea who you
are, before, during or after your visit.
This is private - period.
Is this the new
millennium or even century?
You can get the correct information
if you go to these pages published by the U S Naval Observatory:
"whenIs")
A comprehensive site from the Royal Observatory, Greenwich will put right any doubts:
Help Wanted: This Museum Needs a
Public Official For Its Board of Directors
Your MUM is doing the paper work necessary to become eligible to receive
support from foundations as a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation. To achieve
this status, it helps to have a American public official - an elected or
appointed official of the government, federal, state or local - on its board of directors.
What public official out there
will support a museum for the worldwide culture of
women's health and menstruation?
Eventually I would also like to entice people experienced in the law,
finances and fund raising to the board.
Do You Have Irregular Menses?
If so, you may have polycystic ovary syndrome
[and here's a support association for it].
Jane Newman, Clinical Research Coordinator at Brigham
and Women's Hospital, Harvard University School of Medicine, asked
me to tell you that
Irregular menses identify women at high risk for polycystic ovary syndrome
(PCOS), which exists in 6-10% of women of
reproductive age. PCOS is a major cause of infertility
and is linked to diabetes.
Learn more about current
research on PCOS at Brigham and Women's
Hospital, the University of Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania State University
- or contact Jane Newman.
If you have fewer than six
periods a year, you may be eligible to participate
in the study!
© 2000 Harry Finley. It is illegal
to reproduce or distribute work on this Web site in any manner or medium
without written permission of the author. Please report suspected violations
to hfinley@mum.org