Lifting the Curse of Menstruation

A Feminist Appraisal of the Influence of Menstruation on Women's Lives

Here is an up-to-date view of menstruation from a feminist perspective. Despite the fact that the menstrual cycle is an integral part of women's lives, menstruation is often viewed as an illness or problem. Lifting the Curse of Menstruation answers essential questions about the occurence of menstruation-from menarch to menopause-and its effects on women's lives. Experts examine the relationship of menstruation to cognitive competence and psychophysiological response, premenstrual syndrome, toxic shock syndrome, dysmenorrhea, and the relationship between psychopathology and the menstrual cycle. The contributors also discuss how menstrual cycle research has been tainted by sexism and assumptions of biological determinism, offering insightful suggestions on how future research can become more sophisticated, reliable, and valid. Lifting the Curse of Menstruation shatters myths and misconceptions, providing an enormous body of knowledge about the menstrual cycle that will help women to better understand their bodies and enable health care professinals to provide better informed, higher quality care.