Seasonale

That's apparently the name of a birth control pill that causes a period every 90 days, instead of every 28 days - making it a once a season as opposed to a once a month event...

The context is that now a new pill is about to be approved that eliminates periods altogether...

I'm one of those enlightened believers in the power of western medicine, but the truth is that I'm bothered by the idea of stopping your menstrual cycle for long periods of time.

Of course, the counter to this feeling is that the 28 day period induced by traditional birth control pills is artificial, and has nothing to do with ovulation.

True, but isn't it nice to know that we still bleed? Isn't there a warm fuzziness of femininity associated with the menstrual cycle? For me there is, and always has been, bloody accidents and ruined panties notwithstanding. Sure, I understand taking a few months off for a trip through some third world country, but in the natural course of events, I'd choose to have a period, that's for sure...

Of course, I have an additional question - if the periods induced by the birth control pill are not "real", how come women still have PMS????