Humankind has a long and storied history of misunderstanding the menstrual cycle. There was that time when NASA offered astronaut Sally Ride 100 tampons for her week-long mission to space. read more
"It has been recommended that a menstruating woman should abstain from swimming in areas where sharks are nearby in order to minimize the risks of attracting sharks. read more
The United States, with 3 major coastlines (plus Hawaii), is the runaway world leader in shark attacks. However, the fatality rate is quite low (~3%). Australia, 2nd in total attacks, has a much, much higher rate of death from shark attacks. South Africa is 3rd and has a similar fatality rate to Australia (~30%). read more
Outside Magazine points out that the best way to avoid a shark attack is to keep swimming at a nice, consistent pace so sharks don't single you out as weak, easy prey. And hey: don't be a dummy when you're out in the surf, but try to remember that humans are way more likely to kill sharks than the other way around. read more