Satirical Piece: If Men Could Menstruate

“If Men Could Menstruate” is a tongue-in-cheek piece written by Gloria Steinem in 1978.

Note: Our Bodies Ourselves Today recognizes that people of all genders menstruate and includes this satirical piece to highlight the political implications of the social construction of gender around menstruation.

“In this satirical piece, Gloria Steinem scrutinizes the sexist social constructions dominant Western attitudes towards menstruation by imagining a world in which men, not women, are menstruators. Through Steinem’s critical lens, we can see clearly how we we “do” menstruation today—41 years after she originally penned the short essay for Ms. magazine. “