A Review of Kate Clancy, Period: The Real Story of Menstruation. Princeton, NJ; Oxford: Princeton University Press, 2023, X+249 pp.

Abstract

The reviewed monograph by Kate Clancy aims to break the taboo on discussing menstruation, destigmatize the topic of periods, and debunk the myths and stereotypes that have developed around this phenomenon. The work is situated in the field of social studies of science, combining historical and contemporary perspectives with technical jargon while remaining attentive towards the broader political and sociocultural context. While maintaining its scientific character, the work is written in a popular and polemical style and is aimed at a broad audience. Clancy moves away from what she considers an excessive focus on randomised clinical trials to emphasize personal experience as expertise. One of the central themes of the entire book is the shift away from the essentialist view of menstruation as a repetitive and biologically determined process toward a more dynamic approach that also pays attention to external factors, especially various sources of physiological, psychological, and social stress. The concluding chapter and epilogue reveal Clancy’s vision of feminist science and menstrual practices of the future (building in part on the texts in the field of science fiction). The review also discusses the prospects for the reception of Clancy’s project in a global (including Russian) context.