Menstrual Shame
Shedding Shame: An Intersectional Investigation of Period Sex and Stigma - Pearl M. B. Meredith, Kari Walton, Flora Oswald, Shelby Hughes, & Cory L. Pedersen
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Menstruation has long been stigmatized as unclean and taboo. This stigma may cause menstruating people to see their bodies as places of ‘abomination’, inducing menstrual shame. Menstrual self-stigma is associated with both decreased sexual experience and increased engagement in unsafe sex. However, scant quantitative research explores the intersection of menstrual shame and menstrual sex. This convergence may prove particularly revealing as it is a place where otherwise positive sexual behaviors can collide with menstrual stigma, revealing consequences of menstrual stigma that may be overlooked in extant research. Some factors, such as being partnered and non-heterosexual, appear to be protective against menstrual shame. Other factors, such as being a gender minority, may increase menstrual shame. Understanding the relationship between demographic variables, menstrual shame, and menstrual sex may provide valuable insights into the intersectional effects of menstrual stigma.
The purpose of this study was to direct participants, all of whom menstruate or have menstruated, to complete a robust demographics questionnaire, a measure of menstrual shame, and a measure of comfort with and frequency of engaging in sex acts during menstruation. Results from this study help to clarify the role of menstrual shame in the sexual lives of people who menstruate, and provide insight into group differences that may impact menstrual shame and menstrual sex. Over 900 participants revealed differences in menstrual shame and sexual activity during menstruation depending on several demographic variables. Participant characteristics associated with decreased menstrual shame included being a sexual minority (bisexual/pansexual or other-defined), cis-gender, or partnered. Participants who were straight (66.5%), single, monogamous, or partnered with a man were significantly less likely to engage in and feel comfortable with menstrual sex compared to participants who were sexual minorities, partnered, non-monogamous, or partnered with a woman. Analyses also suggested that the relationship between menstrual sex and sexual orientation is mediated by menstrual shame when comparing straight versus bisexual/pansexual individuals, but not when comparing straight individuals with other sexual minorities.
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Menstrual shame is still pervasive, and it plays a role in one’s likelihood to engage in menstrual sex. Bisexual/pansexual menstruators have lower menstrual shame regardless of their partner’s gender; there may be attitudes and beliefs associated with these sexualities that protect against menstrual shame. It is hoped that the results of this study encourage further research that investigates methods of reducing menstrual shame.
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Poster presentation delivered at the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality, San Diego, 2024.