The 21st Biennial Conference of the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research

Menstrual Health and Reproductive Justice:

Human Rights Across the Lifespan

Saturday June 6th 

8:00-9:00 Breakfast and Memorial Discussion

Discussion Hour

Moderator: Heather Dillaway

In Memory of Dr. Kathleen I. MacPherson, University of Southern Maine

Dr. Kathleen I. MacPherson, Professor Emerita of Nursing at the University of Southern Maine, passed away in April 2014. She was an active member of SMCR in the 1980s and is remembered by many who are attending the 2015 conference for her work on the social constructions of menopause, hormone replacement, and osteoporosis.  In the 1970s, she was one of 14 founding women of the Menopause Collective in Cambridge, MA, which led to her subsequent contributions on menopause and osteoporosis to the original issues of Our Bodies Ourselves and Ourselves Growing Older, published by the Boston Women’s Health Book Collective. She is credited by many nursing leaders with bringing the “medicalization of menopause” to the attention of providers. The breakfast discussion hour will be used to reflect on her major contributions and how far we have come in understanding the medicalization of menopause and women’s health more broadly. All are welcome at the discussion hour.

12:30-2:00pm Lunch 

Film & Discussion

NED: No Evidence of Disease

NO EVIDENCE OF DISEASE, the words every patient dreams to hear, interweaves the harrowing experiences and remarkable courage of women, devoted families, and dedicated doctors. As music and medicine join forces in the fight for life, the surgeons are transformed into rising rock stars, and their patients and loved ones jump on the bandwagon, infusing the struggle for survival with heart, hope and Rock ‘n’ Roll.

Mobile Zine Library

Chella Quint

Celebrate 10 years of Chart Your Cycle, Adventures of Menstruating and the power of zines!
Peruse zines and create your own page to contribute to a communal conference zine.

2:15-3:15pm Award Presentations

Making Menstruation Matter Award 

Presented by Nancy Reame

 Judy Norsigian, the former Executive Director of

‘Our Bodies Ourselves’

SMCR Awards

Ann Voda Lifetime Achievement Award

Mary Anna Friederich Service Award

Presented by Chris Bobel & Ingrid Johnston-Robledo 

Student Paper Award

Presented by Mindy Erchull

3:30-5:00pm SMCR Membership Meeting & Snacks 

All Welcome!

5:00-7:00pm Dinner and Discussion

Where do we go from here?

7:00-9:00pm Menstrual Poetry Open Mic and Raffle

Menstrual Poetry Open Mic

Hosted by Dominique Christina

Dominique Christina is an award-winning writer, performer, educator, and activist. She holds five national poetry slam titles in four years, including the 2014 & 2012 Women of the World Slam Champion and 2011 National Poetry Slam Champion. Her work is greatly influenced by her family’s legacy in the Civil Rights Movement and by the idea that words make worlds. Her first full-length poetry book, The Bones, The Breaking, The Balm: A Colored Girl’s Hymnal, published by Penmanship Books, is available now. Her second book, This Is Woman’s Work, is set for publication in October 2015.

Sprinkle-feature from Boston’s first slam team, The House Slam,

And a fabulous raffle – Sponsored by Lunette


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