Researching the Researchers: The Impact of Menstrual Stigma on the Study of Menstruation

Abstract

Menstruation has been stigmatised through a variety of strategies cross-culturally, including silencing and marginalisation. The  purpose  of  this  paper  is  to  gain  a  deeper understanding  of  the  perceived nature  and  impact  of  such  stigmatisation  on  the  professional  experience  of  menstrual  researchers. The  research  cohort  was  a  group  of  nine  scholars  from  humanities  and  social  science  disciplines working together on a research project on menstruation in politics. I was a member of the group and this paper is structured through an autoethnographic enquiry. My qualitative research was interview-based  using  online  video meetings. The  data  shows  that  the  perceived  impact  of  menstrual  stigma on  academic  research  has  altered,  with  older  researchers  experiencing  more  barriers  in  the  early stages  of  their  careers  than  younger  ones  do  now. However,  menstrual  researchers  still  experience challenges they consider to be stigma-related in publishing menstrual research, obtaining permanent positions  centred  on  their  specialisation,  and  attracting  long-term  and  large-scale  funding. This research  details  the  impact  of  multiple  effects  of  stigma  upon  the  careers  of  menstrual  researchers and demonstrates the relationship between stigma and capitals. When exacerbated by contemporary precarity,  undertaking  menstrual  research  can  lead  to  a  feedback  loop  from  which  it  is  difficult to  escape,  suggesting  that  academics  working  on  stigmatised  topics  may  need  specific  types  of institutional  support  in  order  to  progress,  publish  and  flourish. This  article  contributes  to  critical menstrual studies, stigma studies, and autoethnographic methods.