Licht-im-Terrarium: Literaturdatenbank
Licht-im-Terrarium: Literaturdatenbank |
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Strassmann, B. I. (1997). The biology of menstruation in homo sapiens: total lifetime menses, fecundity, and nonsynchrony in a natural-fertility population. Current Anthropology, 38(1), 123–129. Added by: Sarina (2013-05-29 20:07:17) Last edited by: Sarina (2013-06-01 12:33:20) |
| Resource type: Journal Article BibTeX citation key: Strassmann1997 View all bibliographic details  |
Categories: General Creators: Strassmann Collection: Current Anthropology |
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| Abstract |
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Studies of female reproductive biology in humans are almost entirely limited to women who spend the majority of their reproductive years in menstrual cycling. Given that human reproductive biology evolved when pregnancy and lactation were the usual reproductive states (Short 1976) it is important to consider reproductive patterns in natural-fertility populations. In these populations, couples do not attempt to control their fertility in a parity-dependent fashion (Henry 1961). Johnson et al. (1987) conducted a longitudinal investigation of menstruation in a noncontracepting population, the Gainj of Papua New Guinea, but their sample includes only 40 menstrual cycles in 36 women. Bentley, Harrigan, and Ellison (1990) monitored 178 menstrual cycles among the Lese of Zaire, but because of endemic venereal disease many Lese women were sterile and therefore displayed the Western pattern of cycling repeatedly without becoming pregnant. Here I present the first long-term, prospective data on menstruation in a true natural-fertility population, the Dogon of Mali. The sample includes 477 untruncated menstrual cycles in 58 women. I focus on three specific questions: (I)From menarche to menopause, how many menses do Dogon women experience in a lifetime? (2) How are menses patterned over the life span? and (3) Do Dogon women synchronize their menstrual cycles?
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