The science of menstruation, something that over half the world does for months and years on end, has come a long way. At one point, scientists were dismissive, assuming that periods had no purpose to the body. Even today, misinformation abounds, and some doctors still believe that it’s unsafe to wear a tampon in the ocean. In this video from PUP Speaks author Kate Clancy, author of Period: The Real Story of Menstruation, we can begin to understand the systems of oppression that have kept us in the dark about this natural function and as Clancy puts it, “take the mysteries out of menstruation without losing the magic.”
About the Author
Kate Clancy is professor of anthropology at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, where she holds appointments in the Department of Gender and Women’s Studies and the Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, and at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology. She has written for National Geographic, Scientific American, and American Scientist.