The ‘nonmenstrual woman’ in the new millennium? Discourses on menstrual suppression in the first decade of Extended Cycle Oral Contraception use in Canada

Abstract

In the early-twenty-first century, extended cycle oral contraception (ECOC) became available by physician prescription in North America. Researchers speculate that this drug, with its capacity to reduce or eliminate menstrual bleeding, may shift not only women's biological processes but also their experiences of menstruation. In this paper, I discuss women's experiences of menstrual suppression drawing on findings from a qualitative study conducted before ECOC was available, and examine these findings against recently published research on menstrual suppression in an ECOC era. Findings suggest that the body as a natural entity figures strongly in women's discourses on suppression. They further suggest that suppression is a contingent, paradoxical and practical achievement, not a securely or fully realised embodied state. This paper reads women's accounts of menstrual suppression prior to ECOC as a challenge to the modern artifice of a mind/body split, and questions whether this challenge is perhaps made less discernible in an ECOC era, where attention may no longer be paid to the daily practices of menstrual suppression. Hence, a case is made for the varied political effects of ongoing non-menstruation versus event-specific practices of non-menstruation.

There might be blood: a scoping review on women’s responses to contraceptive-induced menstrual bleeding changes

“…Thirty-three studies had information pertinent to this topic, including six in Africa [ 43 , 47 , 87 , 104 , 107 , 122 ], nine in the Americas [ 44 , 46 , 57 , 103 , 133 – 137 ], five in Asia [ 45 , 63 , 64 , 83 , 114 ], nine in Europe [ 51 , 52 , 60 , 67 , 88 , 97 , 109 , 110 , 138 ], two in Oceania [ 106 , 139 ], and two in multi-country studies [ 50 , 140 ]. In studies across multiple countries, including Mali, Kenya, South Africa, Brazil, Spain, the Dominican Republic, Canada, the US, and the UK, regular menstruation was viewed by many women as a marker of health and fertility, as well as providing reassurance of not being pregnant [ 47 , 50 , 51 , 57 , 87 , 103 , 133 – 135 , 137 , 138 ]. Women in South Africa, Mali, and Brazil, adolescents in South Africa and the US, rural housewives in India, and poor urban women in Turkey perceived that menstruation cleansed the body of “dirty blood” or toxins [ 44 – 47 , 63 , 87 , 122 ].…”

“…Ten studies, primarily from higher-income countries, provided information specifically pertinent to how women perceive use of menstrual suppression in relation to health concerns [ 44 , 52 , 60 , 67 , 109 , 133 , 135 , 136 , 139 , 140 ]. The largest of these was an online survey of over 4000 women across eight countries (Brazil, Canada, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, the UK, and the US) [ 140 ].…”

“…or on a longer-term basis to suppress menstruation for longer timeframes. Among 28 studies on menstrual suppression [ 44 , 51 – 53 , 57 , 59 – 62 , 64 , 66 – 68 , 70 , 78 , 93 , 103 , 109 , 111 , 127 , 133 – 136 , 138 – 141 ], many themes were similar to those described above, and when relevant, these studies are included in sections above. Given this, and since menstrual suppression represents the deliberate manipulation of the menstrual cycle (rather than as a “consequence” of standard contraceptive use, the main focus of this review), we address this topic only briefly.…”

The feminisation of contraceptive use: Australian women’s accounts of accessing contraception

“…The body in this way becomes a project for self-perfection allowing transformative effects for subjectivity (Mamo & Fosket, 2009). Specifically, women can be freed from the ''inconvenience'' of menstruation (Granzow, 2014), creating a more productive (nonmenstruating) female body ready for full participation in the workforce (Kissling, 2012).…”

The Sexual Acceptability of Contraception: Reviewing the Literature and Building a New Concept

“…However, the relationship between contraception, bleeding, and sexual well-being is complex, and both cultural factors and individual preferences are likely to play a role in this relationship. Some women may feel such suppression or elimination of menstrual cycles challenges their notions of "natural," healthy bodies (Granzow, 2014). A study of women in Brazil found that while many women disliked menstrual bleeding, some preferred monthly bleeds to establish them as healthy and nonpregnant (Makuch, Osis, Petta, dePádua, & Bahamondes, 2011).…”