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Paul Joannides is a research psychoanalyst, author of Guide To Getting It On, and an editor of the American Journal of Sexuality Education. His podcast is at ThePleasureReport.com. See full bio

July 30, 2008, Sex

Comments on "Menstruation at the Psychology Today Blogs--Part 1"

Menstruation at the Psychology Today Blogs--Part 1

By Paul Joannides, Psy.D. on July 30, 2008 in As You Like It

Here are some of the things I learned from the menstruating issue of Women & Health Read More

The Society for Menstrual Cycle Research

Submitted by Joan Chrisler on July 30, 2008 - 4:33pm.

The journal's editor and publisher determine the covers; the guest editors don't have anything much (if anything at all) to say about it. So, it is Women & Health, not the Society, whose "humor" you are disparaging. You might like the cover of the issue of the NWSA Journal, to which the Society contributed a "special section." There is a tampon on the cover of that one. (NWSA is the National Women's Studies Association.)

BY the way, readers might contemplate the fact that the overwhelming majority of humor and jokes about the menstrual cycle are negative and misogynistic. If anyone knows of menstrual humor that is positive or neutral, I would be very interested in hearing it. Do share.

author's reply:

Submitted by Paul Joannides, Psy.D. on July 30, 2008 - 6:56pm.

OK, Joan, you want menstrual humor that is positive or neutral and not misogynistic? How about this from Harry Finley's wonderful Museum of Menstruation (www.mum.org): Two young boys walk into a pharmacy one day, pick out a box of Tampax and proceed to the checkout counter. The man at the counter asks the older boy, "Son, how old are you?" "Eight," the boy replies. The man continues, "Do you know what these are used for?" "Not exactly," the boy says. "But they aren't for me. They're for him. He's my brother. He's four. We saw on TV that if you use these you would be able to swim and ride a bike. Right now he can't do either one."

More from the author:

Submitted by Paul Joannides, Psy.D. on July 30, 2008 - 10:43pm.

Thanks for directing me to the cover of the NWSA journal, with its very cool tampon < www.iupress.indiana.edu/journals/nwsa/nwstoc18.html > And I appreciate the red background of your website at the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research < http://menstruationresearch.org/ > I would be happy to join the society if that is OK with you. I think it is sad that a lot of couples live together for years and rarely talk about menstruation. As a writer on sexuality, I would value hearing the latest from your organization. I especially liked the menstrual-information site http://onewoman.com/redspot/ which I discovered on the resources list of one of your members. I will recommend it often. As per your request, here's one more menstruation joke that my wife just emailed to me. She found it on the website www.misscellania.com/ which is by Miss Cellania, a single mom who I find to be hysterically funny: My mother taught me to read when I was four years old (her first mistake)... One day, I was in the bathroom and noticed one of the cabinet doors was ajar. I read the box in the cabinet. I then asked my mother why she was keeping 'napkins' in the bathroom. Didn't they belong in the kitchen? Not wanting to burden me with unnecessary facts, she told me that those were for "special occasions" (her second mistake)... Now, fast forward a few months.... It's Thanksgiving Day, and my folks are leaving to pick up my uncle and his wife for dinner. Mom had assignments for all of us while they were gone. Mine was to set the table. When they returned, my uncle came in first and immediately burst into laughter. Next, in came my father, who roared with laughter. Then in came Mom, who almost died of embarrassment when she saw each place setting on the table with a "special occasion" napkin at each plate, with the fork carefully arranged on top. I had even tucked the little tail in so they didn't hang off the edge!! My mother asked me why I used these and, of course, my response sent the other adults into further fits of laughter. "But, Mom, you SAID they were for special occasions!!!"

Menstrual Humor

Submitted by Leslie Botha on July 30, 2008 - 8:59pm.

Nice anecdote - but it is not menstrual humor.

Menstruation is a function of the primitive brain to ensure the survival of humankind. It is a natural cycle and one of 4,300 natural cycles that have been documented on this planet.

It is the "humor," man-made negativity, gimmicks and drugs that have tainted this natural process.

Just like a paraplegic would cringe at handicap jokes - women who already suffer from a lack of menstrual health education are further demoralized and victimized by the reference to menstrual humor written in this blog.

Especially coming from a professional.

Sometimes it is better to read and research before one blogs.

author's reply

Submitted by Paul Joannides, Psy.D. on July 30, 2008 - 9:29pm.

I'm sorry you compare healthy women who have healthy body processes to people with serious injuries. And while I most certainly respect your point of view regarding my decisions as a writer, I don't understand how anything I have said in my article on menstruation is demoralizing to women.

To be fair, Leslie didn't

Submitted by K on July 31, 2008 - 8:40am.

To be fair, Leslie didn't equate normal, healthy women with normal, healthy bodily processes with people with serious injuries - s/he said that "women who already suffer from a lack of menstrual health education" are further distressed by the use of humour which consolidates the idea of menstruation as shameful or dirty. I agree with her/him on the issue of how harmful some jokes can be to someone already floundering about in fear and shame - we do have a bizarre attitude to our bodies in the US!

Interesting article, though, with plenty to think about. Scary how few inroads we've made collectively into the barriers to understanding and accepting our bodies.

To be fair, Leslie didn't

Submitted by K on July 31, 2008 - 8:40am.

Interesting article, though, with plenty to think about. Scary how few inroads we've made collectively into the barriers to understanding and accepting our bodies.

Yeah, me either. And

Submitted by Anon (F, 27) on July 31, 2008 - 5:04am.

Yeah, me either. And researching and reading before posting the blog is clearly exactly what happened here, so I'm not sure what you're on about.

The "special occasions" story is also on Snopes, btw. Not to ruin the fun or nothing.

I remember reading a very funny blogpost by Lea Hernandez about buying the necessities while suffering from PMT/crankiness. Can't find it right now though.

I was once on an overnight trip on a ferry with a male friend, and I was talking about menstruation as if it was quite a normal thing (which it is). He objected to my loud tone of voice on the grounds that people in the next cabin might hear what we were talking about. I'd already countered with a "what do I care, I don't even know them!" before I realised he wasn't worried about the neighbours delicate sensibilities, but his own. Humph. Wuss.

Nice to see a man who's not afraid to tackle the subject.

RE menstrual humor

Submitted by katie on July 31, 2008 - 9:14am.

dudettes, lighten up

if you can't make fun of everybody, you can't make fun of anybody. part of the problem IMO in today's society is everybody takes themselves far too seriously.

being a girl isn't as bad as people say

Submitted by Debra B on August 1, 2008 - 8:20am.

I just wanted to say that at 14, I was probably one of the last girls to get my period and everyone was jealous of me. I don't see what the big deal girls have with menstruation. Honestly, I know it can be bad sometimes, with hormones making life harder, but I've accepted it and I try to look at it positively. The way I see it, it's better to have your period every month because you don't have to worry about anything worse happening, unless you're trying for that. I'm curious as to what people think about the birth control that lets you have only 4 periods a year. It just doesn't seem natural to me, and I wouldn't take it...

menstrual suppression

Submitted by Fertility Fairy on August 6, 2008 - 3:50pm.

good to hear from a 14 yr. old who thinks that a pill to suppress her periods doesnt seem natural.
Its Not Natural Debra - and good for you for realizing it! The Society for Menstrual Cycle Research (of which I'm a member) has released a position statement to the effect that the safety profile of menstrual suppressing products is not satisfactorily established and that normal menstrual cycles are a vital sign of health. We also worry that making periods seem like an unwelcome hassle is problematic for many of the reasons mentioned in previous posts (shame, social awkwardness, etc.)
so - lets all be sensible about something that over half the world's population does regularly.
Now, for a bit of fun: "Did you hear about the cross-eyed seamstress? She couldnt mend straight."

Menstruation Education and Infomation

Submitted by Laura J. on October 12, 2008 - 7:39pm.

The absolute best website we have found is that provided at: www.FeminineHygiene.com It has a comprehensive site that is geared to the basics of menstruation, and especially the information that single Dad's of daughters need to have. Great site and we highly recommend it!