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By Amy Norton
The study of women with and without endometriosis found that those
who exclusively used tampons were less likely to have the condition. The
results were similar for women who were at least sometimes sexually
active during their periods.
Kliman, the senior author on the study, told Reuters Health that his
team's findings were "very surprising," given what researchers believe
about the development of endometriosis.
Endometriosis occurs when the tissue that lines the uterus (the
endometrium) exists outside the uterus--often in the ovaries and
fallopian tubes, and almost always staying within the pelvic region.
Normally, the endometrium breaks apart and is shed each month during
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Tampons, sex found protective against endometriosis 7/23/03 3:13 PM
Going into this new study, Kliman said, "we were absolutely convinced
that sex during menstruation would be a bad thing."
But in their survey of more than 2,000 women, the researchers found
the opposite pattern. When asked about their sexual activity history,
women with endometriosis were less likely to say they "sometimes" or
"often" engaged in sexual activity during menstruation, compared with
women without the condition. They were more likely to have "never" or
"rarely" done so, according to findings published in the June issue of
Gynecologic and Obstetrical Investigation.
The same pattern emerged when women were asked specifically about
sexual activity leading to orgasm. The authors suggest that it is possible
that orgasm during menstruation might protect against endometriosis by
enhancing the uterine contractions that expel menstrual fluid.
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Tampons, sex found protective against endometriosis 7/23/03 3:13 PM
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