Tonight’s the night, Monday, June 14th, to tune in as CBC Radio airs Part One of: Seeing RED: A Cultural History of Menstruation. This two part documentary concludes next Monday, June 21st. If you miss the original broadcast, which you can listen to online at 9:00 PM in all time zones (choose the program IDEAS) you will be able to link to the podcast at any time convenient to you as of Tuesday, June 15th. 
Introduction to the documentary:
They are misfits. Witches. Children. Just a few of the labels used to portray menstruating women over time. The Bible has described the bleeding woman as undergoing “customary impurity”. In the Middle Ages, it was thought that women menstruated to release “sexual overflow”. Their counterparts in the Victorian era were told that a period would deplete their body’s precious resources. Twentieth century feminists worked hard to reclaim menstruation as a vital and positive part of womanhood. IDEAS producer Mary O’Connell explores menstruation from a cultural and historical perspective.
Several members of the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research were interviewed for this documentary. We invite our readers to listen to the program and share their thoughts and comments. (Photo by Laura Wershler of Bleedy, the Period Puppet, created by Bree Horel at a Menstrual Arts and Crafts event held by Sexual Health Access Alberta.)
