Period: The End of Menstruation?

As millions of women and girls take shots and pills to stop their periods, the meaning of menstruation changes. Current marketing of hormonal birth control (Depo-Provera, Seasonale, Lybrel, Anya) attracts customers by promising freedom from monthly periods.

For many consumers, menstrual suppression eliminates painful monthly flow, giving them more control in their lives.

For others, menstrual suppression represents a frightening shift in thinking about the human body and another dangerous experiment on woman’s health. Period: The End of Menstruation? interrogates the cultural and medical side effects of suppression before ‘the curse’ disappears.

The screening of this documentary coincides with the release of Coming Off the Pill, published by the Holistic Reproductive Health Practitioners of Justisse Healthworks for Women (www. justisse.ca). This resource will be available for purchase at the event and its authors will be on hand to answer questions.

There will also be a panel of women’s health experts on hand after the screening to discuss the film and the issues it raises.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Fertility Awareness Charting Circle (FACC), a volunteer group whose members believe that reproductive knowledge is the foundation of reproductive empowerment and choice. FACC offers affordable, comprehensive Fertility Awareness training and follow-up in a supportive group environment in Edmonton.

For more information, visit www.fertilityawarenesschartingcircle.org.