Have you ever wondered about the lack of conversation in our society around periods and female hormones and felt mad about it? Have you ever felt the need for education around menstruation? Did you ever curse the system for not including subjects catering to period and period hygiene in the education curriculum? Do you not want your child to know and learn about menstruation as we do about any other natural thing in the world? We feel you, ladies. The lack of awareness and the absence of proper education around menstruation infuriates us too. But we have curated a list of bloody good books about period and hormones that we love, and we hope you will too!
- Period Power: A Manifesto for the Menstrual Movement, by Nadir Okamoto
Every menstruator out there needs this book. Harvard college student, Nadya Okamoto, writes a manifesto on menstruation and how to engage in youth activism without silencing the ones who bleed. This book sheds light on the stigmas around periods and aims to end the resulting silence and tries to initiate a conversation about periods. Nadya starts with her own story and dispels all discomfort surrounding periods. She is also very direct about removing gender from menstruation. This one is a must-read for young people across the world: gender no bar. It is easily accessible and has a plethora of information about the culture, history, and the systems associated with periods. - Periods Gone Public: Taking A Stand For Menstrual Equity, by Jennifer Weiss-Wolf
Not long ago periods were considered to be taboo with superstitious associations. But not anymore. There are global movements creating general menstrual awareness. In this book, Weiss-Wolf breaks down periods as a social issue to us. She talks about the historical and cultural contexts and talks about how it became a prominent issue. She shares her account in this fight for period equality. A must-read for anyone who wants to be educated about this issue. - Period Power: Harness Your Hormones and Get Your Cycle Working For You, by Maisie Hill
This is the handbook all of us need. A women’s health practitioner, Maisie Hill lays it down for us in a simple way. She practically teaches us how to work with our cycle and offers tons of tips (keeping a menstrual journal to track our body and hormones is one of them). Such a powerful book you cannot, and should not, miss. - Period: Twelve Voices Tell the Bloody Truth, by Kate Farrell (Editor):
This is an anthology, a collection of beautiful and heart-touching essays on periods. In this collection we have writers of different ages and races and different gender identities share their stories on menstruation. Each of the twelve writers brings a perspective that opens our eyes to so many different topics. They write about free bleeding during a marathon, a trans man with a period, and even a horrendous painful living experience – to name just a few. These essays celebrate menstruation and life through words. Missing this would be a bad choice. - “Flow: The Cultural Story of Menstruation” by Elissa Stein and Susan Kim:
Menstruation is talked about like never before in this hilarious, eye-opening, and unapologetic account. Stein and Kim talk about everything related – from cleansing rituals to menopause, the pills and the underwear and even calls out advertisements that romanticized menstruations and fueled the stigmas. This book answers every question that might have had, or still do. This great book urges us to recognize and own our bodies and shatter the stereotypes and myths derogating this natural bodily function. About time for all of us to give it a read!
Time for a bonus!
“Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret”, by Judy Blume
Is a coming-of-age fiction about Margaret, a young girl of twelve, and her relationship with God. set in the 1970s, it is a light read and takes us on a journey where this girl navigates through boys, bras, her first periods, new friends, and owning herself while entering the teenage years. This is for all those bookworms who love to read.
The above-mentioned books are just some of the many that speak about menstruation. You must read all these accounts and narrations and give them a chance. Ranging from personal accounts to answers which we never had, these books are out there for a reason. And if you happen to fall in love with these, just like we do, please recommend them to your friends and family because education should never be limited.
References:
https://bookriot.com/books-about-periods/
https://resetyoureveryday.com/a-bloody-good-read-five-books-that-cover-menstruation/
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36676693-period-power
https://www.periodequity.org/book-1
https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/period-power-9781472963611/
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/35782943-period
https://books.google.co.in/books/about/Flow.html?id=Cmeg-CVLHiEC&redir_esc=y
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37732.Are_You_There_God_It_s_Me_Margaret
