A bold and revolutionary perspective on the science and cultural history of menstruation
Menstruation is something half the world does for a week at a time, for months and years on end, yet it remains largely misunderstood. Scientists once thought of an individual’s period as useless, and some doctors still believe it’s unsafe for a menstruating person to swim in the ocean wearing a tampon. Period counters the false theories that have long defined the study of the uterus, exposing the eugenic history of gynecology while providing an intersectional feminist perspective on menstruation science.
About the author
Kate Clancy is a feminist scientist who specialises in how environmental stressors affect menstrual cycles. She is a Professor of Anthropology at the University of Illinois, where her research and policy advocacy work also focus on sexual harassment in science and academia, racial and LGBTQ harassment, and underexplored topics like how vaccine and drug treatment trials ignore the menstrual cycle. She has addressed Congress on the sexual harassment of women in STEM as well as consulted on two bills on sexual harassment in science.
