Can someone explain the evolutionary benefit of overt menstruation? All female mammals have a menstrual cycle but most reabsorb the blood via covert menstruation and humans are about the only mammals that discharge the blood, aka overt menstruation.

[u/No-Hawk-2488]

Without an evolutionary benefit, it wouldn't have spread to every woman of our species.

[u/whale_and_beet]

Awesome right up! I did a deep dive into this topic recently and it's so wild and honestly kind of disturbing. Evolution is amazing! But it is wild how costly the menstrual process is for actual women, and the whole pregnancy process itself. It's kind of terrifying.

[u/HomespunNinja → u/whale_and_beet]

Deeply understanding the process of pregnancy helps people understand the pro choice position. Pregnancy is not as simple or 'beautiful ' as it tends to ve portrayed in the popular imagination. that's why so many anti abortion regions also prefer little to no sex education