- A new study in the journal Sex Education focuses on mothers’ reactions to their daughters’ menarche, revealing such meta-narratives as secrecy, sorrow, a lack of competency and knowledge, power, gender and motherhood. The researchers conclude that, “[u]nwittingly, the women appear to be socialising their daughters to comply with and perpetuate the menstrual taboo that they endured themselves, thus repeating the cycles of shame associated with menstruation”. For an
alternative another view of a mother’s reaction to her daughter’s menarche, see the newest ad from Hello Flo.
- Advances in regenerative medicine mean that those with MRKH syndrome may be able to grow an artificial vagina from cells of the external genitalia.
- A short and ranty piece at The Vagenda discusses menstrual shame and urges its readers to stop apologizing for periods.
- What do patients want when then see their doctors about birth control? Information on safety and side effects, and education about how birth control actually works. What do doctors think they want? Data on efficacy, and coaching on how to use birth control properly. Uh-oh. S.E. Smith explains the value of self-advocacy in light of these results from a recent study in Contraception.
- U.S. readers anxiously awaiting the Supreme Court decision in the Hobby Lobby case can check out this infographic made by Planned Parenthood Action Fund and Ultra Violet.
Is anyone else confused by the messaging in HelloFlo videos? I had some serious issues with the first one, too.
Please note that the mother throws what seems like an awesomely fun period party as a PUNISHMENT for her daughter faking getting her period. Embarrassing her about her period is in her mind even worse than grounding her. At no time do mother or daughter seriously communicate that having a party to celebrate periods might be a cool idea.
The solution to this all, it seems, is the discreet brown box that HelloFlo is selling.
Good call, Therese! Perhaps some of us were so excited to see that awesomely fun period party that we forgot it was thrown to SHAME the daughter. I do recall your smart commentary about last summer’s ad from HelloFlo.
It is so, so rare to see any period positivity in advertising that we glom onto it, even when it is couched in a larger message of period shame.