Ecuadorians girls bikini pics??? hmmmm

Squirrel on crack '08
"You know I have a theory that Hieroglyphics are really an ancient comic strip about a character named Sphinxy."

You've hit a hot topic. I actually delved into the medical literature for kicks today to see if there's any merit in your theory about bacteria in menstrual blood. After all, if this blood and tissue truly were rife with pathogens, an essentially defenseless developing zygote/embryo/fetus wouldn't stand a chance. (Keep in mind that the immune system is not fully developed even at the time of a full-term birth.) Hence, I am niggled by your claim, as it does not make sense to me.

Let me back up. Since hematology is one of my specialties, it makes more sense for me to start there. The filtering of which you speak occurs in our reticuloendothelial system (spleen being the main player, big-ass filter that it is), and it is mostly filtering the blood for senile or otherwise concerning cells, meaning red blood cells and white blood cells that are misshapen, damaged or tagged with immunoglobulin (antibody). So, if there's a bacterium inside that cell, it's a gonner because the leukocytes (white blood cells) have already labelled it as bad news. Circulating blood cells encounter pathogens (bacteria and viri) most commonly when they cross a mucous membrane, such as through your gut (yuck - poopie bacteria!), brushing your teeth, etc. Our mucosal immunity, including in the nether regions, is so excellent that we healthy folk with fully-operational immune systems seldom run into trouble from bacteremia or viremia (the bugs getting into your blood) without an out-of-control, localized tissue infection trying to spread like hellfire...But if we do, those trusty white cells also circulating in your blood can be counted on to squelch things quickly! Generally, though, there are not rampant armies of pathogens invading our blood because of our excellent first-line of defense (the aforementioned mucosal immunity).

There is a theory that overt menstruation (the external shedding rather than absorption, which some species do) provides a special immunologic role to protect the uterus from pathogens that hitchiked in on the tails of sperm. We know that happens because of things like PID (pelvic inflammatory disease, where high-up items like the fallopian tubes and uterus get infected by hitchikers such as Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, etc). However, the blood doesn't flow from/through some of the most vulnerable organs (aforementioned fallopian tubes), and it only flows once a month, which would not make for a very effective defense mechanism in my view. So I'll wait to see if anyone proves/refutes this theory with evidence.

Finally, menstrual shedding is more complex than bleeding. We are shedding tissue that has had a very rich blood supply (meaning that it was circulating through the reticuloendothelial system) until 1-6 days prior to its exit from your body. When the lack of beta human chorionic gonadotropin from a developing fetus causes the corpus luteum to kick it, progesterone levels plumet, causing constriction of the spiral arteries that had developed to nourish that rich endometrium (uterine lining). The blood supply is now cut off, so the tissue dies, separates, and sheds from your body. The smell that you notice as different from any smell you note from a bleeding wound is probably due to the fact that there's dead/dying tissue in there. Once that tissue starts to die, it could be hazardous to you if it just lingered in there, which is why you must shed/absorb it (turns out, we actually do absorb two thirds!). Likewise, leaving a tampon in through the next ice age is hazardous because you're tracking in bacteria from your skin on the tampon and then letting it hang out in a stagnant (you just put a plug in there) environment to flourish if it can. The organism responsible for toxic shock syndrom is Staphylococcus, which comes from your skin, not your blood. That being said, there are girls who present to emergency departments looking pregnant but actually just full of many cycles of menstrual blood/tissue because they have an imperforate hymen.

-No, that does not imply no prior penetrative sex. The hymen is not a solid barrier that closes your vagina; it's generally just a rim, and thus it's an anomaly to have an imperforate hymen.-

Anyways, those teens present because of symptoms from having a full uterus ("My mom thinks I'm pregnant but I'm not," "Do I have a tumor?" and "My belly hurts and I'm constipated because it's so full," or something like that), but they don't have infections going on in there, because nothing from the outside has gotten in, eh? My point being that the blood itself is not bad, bacteria-laden, or cootie-carrying.

I hope you don't find me too contentious, Rover. I'm just tryin' to set the record straight (er, I mean, gay).

~paz y amor siempre

Drunrchick
totally agree with you with safe sex in general and especially with all the discease wich are not the AIDS

By the way i want to say again, how poor the L word is in safe sex messages ! I know the show is not a sexual educational program, but i the project was to describe the life of a lesbians friends group in Los Angeles, why it is never spoken about STD, the risk and so on...?

there is a very wrong message in the last season, especially in two moments i can remember :
-when Shane get sex with Molly for the first time,no protection,no speak about it (and maybe(but maybe not in regards of other psychological parameters) it could have been an help for the first timer Molly to practice cunni with protection);

-and the most horrific in the episod where every couple is making love at the same moment, the only one to use a condom is the Max one (but why this couple and not the other ???? it increases the mute feelings that only gay and hetersoxual people need to protect themselves but not "true" lesbians !!!), and, cherry on the top of the cake, Mark opens the condom's wrapping with teeth !!!! arg!!! and so increases the risks to damage it !

Frankly the L Word has really to improve itself in basis safe sex information !

The purpose shoudn't be to afraid but to let people be aware and scientifically informed

Have a nice day everybody !