New Books Network Kate Clancy, "Period: The Real Story of Menstruation" (Princeton UP, 2023)
Dec 30, 2025
Kate Clancy, an anthropologist and professor at the University of Illinois, dives deep into the often-misunderstood world of menstruation. She challenges long-held myths, revealing menstruation as a dynamic process impacted by environmental and psychological factors. Clancy critiques the biases within menstrual research and highlights the need for a more inclusive understanding of menstruation. She emphasizes the importance of bodily autonomy and envisions a future where policies support menstrual health, ultimately reshaping how we perceive this biological phenomenon.
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Nurse Told Teen Kate She Was Broken
- As a teen, Clancy's nurse told her to start iron supplements when she began menstruating.
- That reaction made her feel her body was 'broken' and sparked lifelong curiosity about menstruation.
Menstruation As Healing, Not Waste
- Menstruation is a healing and regenerative process, not mere waste removal.
- Menses helps reheal and remodel the endometrium preparing it for possible pregnancy.
Toxicity Myths Stem From Bias
- Historical science framed menses as 'toxic' due to cultural misogyny rather than evidence.
- Modern research shows nothing toxic in menses and instead finds functional uterine roles.