(07-05-08) Today, many women divers wonder if they can dive during menstruation. It could seem a basic question, but we explain in a simple way the harmlessness of practicing our favourite sport with no fear.

    Menstruation is the shedding of the uterine lining. It occurs on a regular basis in reproductive-age women and the females of certain mammal species The word “menstruation” comes from the Latin menstruums, whose origin is in mensis, month.

During menstruation some women suffer from discomfort and feel uncomfortable, so in some cases they may not be in the best conditions for diving. Being tired or discomforted can prevent women from enjoying the dive normally. It is important not to force the body. In women, the first menstruation or menarche occurs approximately 2 years after the changes that define their sexual character, between 10 and 15 years old, and it is part of the normal cycle of a healthy woman of childbearing age.     

Different hormones act on the woman's body every month; the surface of the uterus (endometrial) thickens and prepares to welcome a potential fertilized egg. If there is no fertilization, the production of hormones stops and this part of thickened endometrial comes off and produces menstruation. This cycle is also called period, and lasts about 28 days. We estimate the exact duration starting from the first day of bleeding until the day before the next menstruation.

The menstrual cycle is divided into two phases: the first one is called follicular or estrogenic and starts the first day of bleeding until the ovulation. It is called estrogenic because of the amount of oestrogens that are released while it lasts. The second phase, called the luteal or progestative because progesterone is secreted, lasts from the ovulation until the fertilized egg is implanted if pregnancy has occurred, or until the next menstruation.

The follicular phase may vary during the cycle, and, if menstruation comes earlier or delays it is because of variations in the duration of this phase. This cycle will occur around 30-35 years in the life of a woman. She can menstruate during her fertile period of life between 300 and 500 times. Women lose blood and tissues during menstruation, between 50 and 150 cc each time.

Lies and misconceptions related to menstruation are known by all. They do not have scientific, physiological and medical basis. Using tampons is the most advisable during the dive and it is not a risky practice. Using it is not contraindicated even though it is used within a hollow organ that, theoretically, should be influenced by pressure changes.

The vagina, under natural conditions, is a virtual space and, in case there is a tampon in its interior, its walls perfectly round it, so there are no air pockets. It is as probable that a woman menstruating is attacked by a shark as a man is, since during menstruation the tampon does not permit the exit flow, which is absorbed by the cotton that the tampon is made of at all times.

Summing up and to eliminate false myths, provided that the menstrual cycle does not origin other problems or discomfort, women divers that are menstruating can dive and enjoy the bottom of the sea.

Text: Rafael Vicetto
www.fisiovicetto.com