For so many of us, there was only one go-to book about periods we could read growing up: Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume. Now, don’t get me wrong — it’s an iconic book and was a crucial part of my adolescence, but given that roughly half the population menstruates, it’d be nice if there was a little more variety.
And it shouldn’t be limited to books for tweens; reading about periods should be a part of health or sex education for people of any age. The fact that there are so few options out there for people who want to learn about the different facets of menstruation definitely doesn’t help with the stigma. Yes, we’re getting better at talking about this completely natural bodily function, but we have a long way to go.
But if you’re looking for some period reading material, you’re in luck — we have some recommendations. In the interest of full disclosure, we should mention that the author of this article (hi!) contributed a chapter to Period: 12 Voices Tell the Bloody Truth and was interviewed for and featured in Period Power. (What can I say? I can’t stop talking and writing about periods.)
Anyway, without further ado, here are some of our period picks.
1
/6:
‘Periods Gone Public’
1/6
:‘Periods Gone Public’
2
/6:
‘Period: 12 Voices Tell the Bloody Truth’
2/6
:‘Period: 12 Voices Tell the Bloody Truth’
3
/6:
‘The Guide, Period.’
3/6
:‘The Guide, Period.’
4
/6:
‘Period Power: A Manifesto for the Menstrual Movement’
4/6
:‘Period Power: A Manifesto for the Menstrual Movement’
5
/6:
‘Flow: The Cultural Story of Menstruation’
5/6
:‘Flow: The Cultural Story of Menstruation’
6
/6:
‘The Curse: Confronting the Last Unmentionable Taboo: Menstruation’
6/6
:‘The Curse: Confronting the Last Unmentionable Taboo: Menstruation’
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