What is *Flow: The Cultural Story of Menstruation* about?

*Flow* explores menstruation’s cultural and historical legacy, tracing societal attitudes from ancient myths to modern stigma. Authors Elissa Stein and Susan Kim dissect medical misconceptions (like “hysteria”), analyze menstrual product evolution, and debunk taboos around period sex. The book blends sharp humor with research to reframe menstruation as a natural, empowering process.

Who should read *Flow: The Cultural Story of Menstruation*?

This book suits readers interested in feminist history, public health, or cultural anthropology. It’s ideal for those seeking to understand menstrual stigma, educators addressing reproductive health, or anyone curious about the $30 billion femcare industry’s origins. Stein’s accessible writing also appeals to general audiences tackling period-related shame.

Is *Flow* worth reading in 2025?

Yes—*Flow* remains relevant for its critique of enduring taboos, like workplace period discrimination and “pink tax” pricing. Its analysis of historical misinformation (e.g., Victorian-era “menstrual weakness” myths) provides context for modern debates about menstrual equity. The blend of levity and rigor makes dense topics engaging.

How does *Flow* debunk common menstrual myths?

The book dismantles ideas like menstruation causing impurity, mood swings being purely hormonal, and menopause as a deficiency. Stein cites how 19th-century doctors pathologized cycles as illnesses, while modern ads perpetuate secrecy/shame. Research shows cultural narratives—not biology—drive most stigma.

What does *Flow* reveal about menstrual product history?

*Flow* traces femcare from homemade rags (1800s) to 1920s Kotex ads avoiding the word “menstruation,” to 1970s toxic shock syndrome scandals. Stein highlights how capitalism capitalized on shame—e.g., early tampon ads claiming to “prevent embarrassment.”

How does *Flow* address period sex taboos?

The book examines religious doctrines labeling menstruation “unclean,” Freudian theories linking cycles to hysteria, and modern media’s avoidance of period sex. Stein argues these taboos reinforce gender inequality by framing natural processes as grotesque.

What qualifications does Elissa Stein have to write *Flow*?

Stein holds a BFA from the School of Visual Arts and authored *Chunks: A Barfology* before *Flow*. Her 13-year research process included analyzing medical journals, vintage ads, and interviews—blending graphic design skills with investigative rigor.

How does *Flow* link menstruation to women’s rights?

The book connects menstrual stigma to broader oppression, like 1920s employers blaming cycles for workplace incompetence or 1960s lawmakers dismissing period pain. Stein shows how menstrual equity (e.g., free products in schools) remains a feminist battleground.

月経のはなし

月経の文化的物語

エリッサ・スタイン、スーザン・キム

『月経のはなし』の概要

『Flow』は、ユーモアと歴史的な深みをもって月経のタブーを打ち破ります。January Magazine誌によって「一つのムーブメント」と称賛されたこの画期的な文化的探求は、歴史を通じて行われてきた驚くべき、時には恐ろしい女性の衛生習慣を明らかにします。生理に対するどのような衝撃的な考え方が、今なお現代社会に影響を与えているのでしょうか？

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月経のはなしの同じアイデアを、あなたに合う声・深さ・ペースで学べます。いつでも切り替えられます。

第1章

The Crimson Tide: Breaking Menstruation's Ultimate Taboo

Imagine a biological process affecting half the world's population-3.5 billion women experiencing it monthly for forty years of their lives-yet so stigmatized we can't discuss it openly. While we've been busy avoiding the subject, menstruation has been medicalized, commercialized, and increasingly manipulated. The American Psychiatric Association labeled PMS a mental disorder. Tampons still contain traces of dioxin. Corporations now campaign to abolish periods altogether. Modern women menstruate far more frequently than our ancestors-approximately 500 periods in a lifetime compared to our great-grandmothers' 160, thanks to better nutrition, fewer pregnancies, and longer lifespans. Yet despite this biological reality, we still can't discuss bleeding in polite society. Elissa Stein and Susan Kim's groundbreaking book "Flow" has become a cult classic among feminist scholars, health advocates, and celebrities like Emma Watson, who praised it for "finally bringing this conversation into the mainstream where it belongs."

第2章

The Language of Shame: How We Talk About Periods

Our culture has developed an elaborate code of euphemisms for menstruation, ranging from the jaunty ("Saddling Up Old Rusty," "the Tomato Boat Has Come In") to the grim ("the Curse," "the Misery"). This phenomenon isn't unique to America-globally there are countless euphemisms: in the Netherlands "the Tomato Soup Is Overcooked," in Brazil "I'm with Chico," in England "Flying the Japanese Flag." While these colorful expressions might seem harmless or even amusing, they reflect our deep discomfort with addressing menstruation directly. Try discussing dioxin in tampons at a dinner party and watch the room clear. This avoidance stems from centuries of calculated shame, commercial interests, and genuine historical fear of female bodily processes. Even medical language portrays menstruation with depressing verbs like "decay," "shrink," and "discharge," while ejaculation gets empowered verbs like "spurt," "spray," and "shoot." This language reinforces the false notion that menstruation is merely a passive failure rather than the complex, active biological process it actually is. The words we use to describe our bodies both reflect and reinforce how we feel about them. What makes this particularly insidious is that much of this language was chosen centuries ago, carrying historical baggage we've unconsciously absorbed. Despite being a complex biological event experienced by few animal species, menstruation remains poorly understood. Research is typically funded by the "femcare" industry to develop products, while objective studies focus almost exclusively on "pathological" aspects. Few scientific institutions invest in understanding healthy menstruation, leaving women with little knowledge about this normal life experience that involves not just reproductive organs but our entire bodies. Recent studies show that up to 10 percent of girls still get their first period without any clue whatsoever as to what's happening. Even college women exhibit an alarming ignorance about menstruation's underlying biology. The conversation about menstruation has been co-opted by big business, with the "feminine hygiene" industry worth $2 billion annually as of 2001.

聴きながら、すべての言葉を目で追えます

『月経のはなし』の一語一語が音声に合わせてリアルタイムでハイライトされ、自然に読み進められます。

第3章

The Medicalization of Menstruation

We're poised on the threshold of a Brave New World when it comes to menstruation. The process itself is being chemically redefined with promises of "no more periods" through menstrual suppression. What if you could control when, how much, and how often you'd menstruate? This dream is now reality thanks to pharmaceutical companies like Wyeth, Barr, and others. "Menstrual suppression" hovers like a multimillion-dollar question mark while scientists, advertisers, and shareholders wait breathlessly for our response. The marketing pitch is clear: What woman wouldn't love bidding adieu to all that mess, cramps, bloating, supplies, and PMS? Yet even as women who don't have negative feelings about our periods, we understand the appeal but remain concerned about the one-size-fits-all assumption that menstruation is universally awful. The pharmaceutical industry has effectively transformed menstruation from a normal bodily function into a medical condition requiring intervention. One influential argument came from Elsimar M. Coutinho's 1999 book "Is Menstruation Obsolete?" which claims regular periods are historically abnormal, dangerous, and an evolutionary holdover. However, Coutinho was also a pioneer of Depo-Provera, the injectable contraceptive he strongly endorses, despite its links to irreversible bone loss and fertility issues. This represents a troubling pattern of doctors acting as pharmaceutical company spokespeople rather than objective health advocates. Drug companies routinely woo academic experts with gifts, speaking fees, and exotic trips to gain favorable coverage of their products. The National Women's Health Network has noted an increasingly negative portrayal of menstruation in healthcare, particularly affecting younger women's attitudes. Most concerning is the limited research on menstrual suppression. Barr Laboratories' claim that Seasonale is safe from teens through menopause was based on just 300 women studied for only one year. Other research suggests synthetic progesterone in contraceptives may increase aggression and anxiety while dampening libido in primates. Environmental concerns also exist, as synthetic estrogen excreted by millions of pill users disrupts aquatic ecosystems and may contribute to early puberty, breast cancer, and decreased sperm counts in humans.

第4章

The Historical Roots of Menstrual Taboos

How did menstruation become the ultimate taboo? To understand why a woman's monthly flow became so unacceptable requires looking back thousands of years, before science could explain natural phenomena. Early societies grappled with explaining why women bled regularly without apparent harm, while simultaneously possessing the mystical power to create life. Ancient peoples believed menstrual blood was the very essence of life itself, connecting it directly to creation. In Hindu legend, when the Great Mother made the universe, her "substances clotted," birthing the cosmos. Even the biblical Adam's name derives from the Hebrew adamah, meaning "bloody clay" - though most modern scholars sanitize this to "red earth." Science wasn't more enlightened. Aristotle concluded menstrual blood was excess material not yet made into a fetus - inert until encountering semen. The uterus itself was considered autonomous and temperamental, with Hippocrates theorizing it was the source of female emotions. When it wandered through the body, it caused "hysteria" - a misguided medical theory that persisted for centuries. Pliny the Elder's bizarre claims that menstrual blood could kill insects, dull razors, and drive dogs mad remained unchallenged until 1492. As recently as the 1920s, menstruating women were barred from churches, mines, and food production. Even the word "taboo" derives from the Polynesian tupua, meaning both "sacred" and referring to menstruation - reflecting the paradoxical view of menstrual blood as both poisonous and powerful.

『月経のはなし』をもっと深く楽しむ

毎日の新しい気づきを10万件以上のレッスンから
言葉をハイライトして音声と同期
ライブラリを保存して、どの端末からでも利用

第5章

The Curious History of Hysteria and Female Sexuality

Hysteria - that mysterious female ailment spanning thousands of years of medical history - connects surprisingly to modern sexuality. On a Greenwich Village street sits a sex toy shop offering vibrators in countless varieties, unwittingly showcasing devices with roots in treating "hysteria." For centuries, manual stimulation to orgasm (called "hysterical paroxysm") was prescribed as medical treatment. Doctors from Hippocrates to Galen documented this approach, with Pieter van Forest writing detailed instructions in 1653 for midwives to massage women's genitalia with oils. Despite the obvious sexual nature, this was considered purely therapeutic in a male-oriented sexual paradigm. The treatment was professionally administered for payment, not something women could do themselves. Doctors struggled with the technique until Dr. J.M. Granville's 1883 mechanical vibrator revolutionized treatment, reducing sessions from hours to minutes. Vibrators quickly proliferated in medical offices and eventually homes, appearing in catalogs like Sears Roebuck by 1918 - electrified before vacuum cleaners. Hysteria itself encompassed countless symptoms: nervousness, depression, irritability, sexual issues, abdominal heaviness, and "tendency to cause trouble." The diagnosis persisted until 1952 when the American Psychiatric Association finally dropped it. Throughout history, the uterus - the only female organ without male equivalent - was blamed for hysteria. Ancient Egyptians believed in a "wandering womb," while Greeks prescribed marriage (sex) as treatment. During the Middle Ages, the Church reframed hysteria as demonic possession, often prosecuting sufferers as witches. By the 19th century, Freud and others proposed psychological origins for hysteria, though still viewing women as sexually "frigid." Victorian restrictions on women's behavior, combined with harmful fashion (corsets exerting up to 88 pounds of pressure) and diet (excessive sugar), created genuine health problems that fueled an epidemic of "female invalidism" - with sickness becoming a romanticized aesthetic ideal.

第6章

PMS: Medical Condition or Cultural Construct?

Society has long held contempt for difficult, emotional women - using derogatory terms like harridan, shrew, battleaxe, and bitch. While no one enjoys being screamed at regardless of gender, angry women face particularly harsh judgment - not just from men but from other women and themselves. Many women internalize deep shame about their emotional outbursts, lying awake regretting tears or angry words, questioning what's wrong with them. This stems from the persistent cultural message that truly feminine women should be endlessly patient, sympathetic, and sweet-tempered. Despite men being responsible for nearly all violent crimes and wars, it's the woman who loses her temper who triggers the greatest alarm and harshest condemnation. What exactly is PMS? Premenstrual syndrome encompasses a collection of physical and emotional symptoms appearing the week before menstruation and disappearing after flow begins. In America, it's widely believed all women suffer from this "inevitable monthly madness" - a notion reinforced by the syndrome's ever-expanding definition. With over 150 identified symptoms (many contradictory), from bloating and headaches to depression and carbohydrate cravings, it's no wonder most women believe they have PMS. Yet surprisingly, there's no scientific consensus on what causes PMS, how to treat it, or even precisely what it is. Despite popular belief, there's no evidence of a hormonal basis - women who claim to suffer from PMS have identical hormonal cycles to those who don't. No diagnostic test can conclusively determine its presence. While genetic factors may play a role, researchers are still searching for definitive causes. PMS and PMDD are largely Western constructs. While premenstrual symptoms are recognized worldwide, the pathologization of these experiences is primarily American. Medical anthropologist Thomas Johns noted that although premenstrual symptoms have been universally recognized, PMS only appears in Western industrial cultures beginning in the late twentieth century. The World Health Organization doesn't recognize PMDD as an illness, though the FDA does. Interestingly, premenstrual days aren't universally negative. For many women, this time brings increased energy, creativity, focus, and introspection. As Roseanne Barr famously quipped, "Women complain about PMS, but I think of it as the only time of the month when I can be myself." Perhaps these few days offer some women a welcome opportunity to express frustrations they otherwise feel unable to voice.

聴きながら、すべての言葉を目で追えます

『月経のはなし』の一語一語が音声に合わせてリアルタイムでハイライトされ、自然に読み進められます。

第7章

Religious Taboos and Sexual Restrictions

Despite groundbreaking sexual research like Kinsey's 1953 Sexual Behavior in the Human Female and Shere Hite's 1976 report on female sexuality, neither study addressed sex during menstruation - a curious omission considering the biological reality that menstruation and sexuality inevitably overlap in women's lives. This silence reflects deeply entrenched taboos around menstrual blood that persist across cultures and religions. Ancient religious texts frequently demonize menstruating women. In Vedic mythology, Vishnu's union with the menstruating goddess Earth produced monsters. Romans believed Vulcan's birth defects resulted from his conception during menstruation. The apocryphal 2 Esdras warns that "menstruous women shall bring forth monsters." Despite popular belief, the Bible never explicitly calls menstruation "the curse" as Eve's punishment, yet this misinterpretation persists. Religious texts across traditions establish menstruating women as unclean. Leviticus 15:19-23 details extensive rules about menstrual "uncleanliness," while the Koran calls menstruation "a hurt and pollution." In Hinduism, menstruating women are forbidden from religious ceremonies. Orthodox Jewish practice considers women niddah (separated) during menstruation and seven days after, prohibiting all physical contact with husbands until ritual immersion in the mikvah. These restrictions persist today across religions. In Jerusalem, gender-segregated buses prevent contamination. Author A.J. Jacobs found it impossible in New York City to avoid sitting where menstruating women had been, resorting to carrying a folding chair everywhere. Despite being in the twenty-first century, menstrual superstitions persist. Femcare manufacturer websites still address myths about washing hair during periods, taking baths, and whether menstrual blood is poisonous. Internet forums reveal men who remain "disgusted at the mere thought" of sex during menstruation, echoing 1951's Encyclopedia of Sex claiming female genitalia are "messy" and "dirtier than a man." Yet many couples find period sex perfectly acceptable, with some women experiencing heightened libido. Research shows orgasms during menstruation can help prevent endometriosis while relieving cramps and releasing calming oxytocin.

第8章

Feminism and the Evolution of Menstrual Products

In sub-Saharan Africa, one in ten school-age girls regularly misses school during menstruation due to lack of private facilities and basic femcare products, resulting in 10-20% missed education time. In response, Procter & Gamble launched the Protecting Futures program with the UN to distribute free Always and Tampax products to schools, recognizing that "being a girl shouldn't" prevent education. First-wave feminism in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries fought for women's basic rights - property ownership, sexual autonomy, birth control, and most importantly, voting rights. The underlying debate centered on whether women were capable of intellectual rigor, with many believing menstruation made women "unstable" and "incapable." The New York Times published opinions in 1912 claiming women's minds were "threatened with danger from the reverberations of her physiological emergencies" and that voting required "the best powers of a mature masculine mind." Early suffragists like Lucy Burns and Alice Paul endured beatings, imprisonment, and torture while fighting for voting rights. Throughout this struggle, women managed menstruation with makeshift solutions - rags, towels, or nothing at all - severely limiting their mobility. Commercial menstrual products finally arrived as "a shining knight on a sanitary white charger." Johnson & Johnson introduced the first disposable pad in 1896 (Lister's Towels), and by 1920 - the same year women won voting rights - Kotex pads went on sale. Commercial tampons followed in the 1930s, despite being clunky and difficult to use. The second wave of feminism erupted in 1963 when Betty Friedan's "The Feminine Mystique" challenged the notion that women were fulfilled solely as wives, mothers, and homemakers. This movement championed fundamental equality, fighting for wage parity, the Equal Rights Amendment, fair educational access, and abortion rights. Simultaneously, menstrual products underwent revolutionary changes. Self-adhesive sanitary napkins eliminated the need for restrictive belts, pins, clips, and special underwear. Since the early 1990s, we've entered feminism's "third wave," with different battles than previous generations fought. Commercial feminine care products reflect this shift. Menstrual suppression drugs now allow women to choose how often they menstruate, if at all. This raises profound questions: Is eliminating periods a leap forward, freeing women from hormonal shifts, bleeding, and pregnancy risks? Or is it a step backward - making women more like men by erasing an intrinsic female experience?

『月経のはなし』をもっと深く楽しむ

毎日の新しい気づきを10万件以上のレッスンから
言葉をハイライトして音声と同期
ライブラリを保存して、どの端末からでも利用

第9章

The Marketing of Menstrual Shame

Femcare advertising has profoundly shaped women's attitudes toward menstruation by selling not just products but emotions, fantasies, fears, and lifestyles. While women experience menstruation in diverse ways, ads present a sanitized, uniform version that never shows women as moody, angry, bloated, or suffering from cramps. Instead, these ads drill consumers on evolving product terminology like "pearlescent applicators" and "leak-lock system" while employing a shadow code of friendly, cozy language like "shower fresh," "confident," and "protection." Most significantly, these advertisements have capitalized on centuries-old shame around menstruation, effectively teaching women bodily mortification rather than acceptance. From the very first menstrual ads in the 1920s, the messaging has remained consistent: menstruation is embarrassing and must be hidden, and only their products can protect you from humiliation. Early advertisers transformed a natural function into a "hygienic crisis" requiring intervention from scientists and manufacturers, establishing a marketing approach that persists today - first convince women they have a serious problem, then position your product as the only solution. Femcare advertising began by capitalizing on human insecurity, convincing women that menstruation was a problem. Early ads targeted wealthy white women, featuring exquisite ladies in designer frocks. The 1980s saw aggressive competition between tampon and pad manufacturers after the Toxic Shock Syndrome crisis with Rely tampons. Tampon makers launched anti-pad campaigns ("I hate pads. They're like wearing diapers"), while pad manufacturers countered by emphasizing safety and versatility. Celebrity endorsements were rare and often ridiculed-gymnast Cathy Rigby famously appeared in Stayfree ads performing impossible feats while supposedly wearing a maxipad, while Mary Lou Retton and Brenda Vaccaro faced mockery for their tampon endorsements. Modern marketing has shifted online, with elaborate websites targeting teens through games, quizzes, and lifestyle content. Despite superficial improvements in messaging and product development, the underlying message remains unchanged: your period is still a shameful secret that must be kept hidden at all costs.

第10章

The Scent Obsession: Manufacturing Insecurity

This chapter delves deep into society's complex and problematic relationship with feminine odor and the multi-billion dollar industry that has flourished by manufacturing women's insecurities about their natural body functions. It critically examines the historical and cultural myths surrounding menstrual blood odor, directly challenging the pervasive assumption that vaginas require aggressive sanitation methods comparable to household cleaning. Through extensive research, the text exposes how corporations systematically reframed normal vaginal microbiota - essential for reproductive health - as a condition requiring intervention and correction. The douching industry, which emerged in the early 20th century, particularly exemplifies this manipulation. Companies created elaborate marketing campaigns featuring supposedly desperate housewives whose marriages were allegedly threatened by their natural body odor. These advertisements often included testimonials from "concerned husbands" and pseudo-medical endorsements. Despite consistent warnings from medical professionals that douching disrupts the vagina's delicate pH balance and beneficial bacteria, potentially leading to serious conditions like bacterial vaginosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, and even infertility, studies show that 20-40% of American women continue this harmful practice. The statistics are even higher among certain demographic groups, revealing troubling intersections with racial and socioeconomic factors. The "Smell Campaign" represents perhaps the femcare industry's most sophisticated and psychologically damaging marketing strategy. Through decades of careful messaging, advertisers transformed normal vaginal odor from a natural bodily function into a source of shame and social anxiety. Early menstrual product advertisements employed coded language and euphemisms like "personal daintiness" and "feminine hygiene," while simultaneously suggesting that without their products, women risked becoming social pariahs. These campaigns often targeted young girls at particularly vulnerable developmental stages, establishing lifelong insecurities and consumption patterns. Modern scientific research has thoroughly debunked many longstanding myths about menstrual odor. Studies confirm that healthy vaginas maintain their own beneficial ecosystem and don't emit strong odors. Menstrual blood itself is nearly odorless until exposed to air for extended periods, when natural bacterial breakdown occurs. Research has also conclusively disproven popular cultural myths about menstruating women attracting predatory animals like bears or sharks - stories that nevertheless persist in popular culture. Despite increasing public health awareness, contemporary companies continue to profit from these manufactured insecurities. The market has expanded beyond traditional douches to include scented tampons, perfumed pads, intimate deodorants, and specialized feminine wipes. These products often contain undisclosed "fragrance" ingredients protected as trade secrets, despite mounting evidence linking them to conditions like vulvodynia, chemical burns, and chronic irritation. Medical professionals increasingly warn that these products may actually create the very problems they claim to solve, perpetuating a cycle of dependency while potentially harming women's health.

聴きながら、すべての言葉を目で追えます

『月経のはなし』の一語一語が音声に合わせてリアルタイムでハイライトされ、自然に読み進められます。

第11章

Reclaiming Our Bodies: Alternatives and Activism

Commercial femcare products carry hidden risks. In 1980, super-absorbent tampons caused 38 deaths from Toxic Shock Syndrome. Though manufacturers removed harmful ingredients and added warning labels, TSS still affects 1-17 per 100,000 menstruating females annually. Additionally, tampons contain trace amounts of dioxin - highly toxic compounds that accumulate in body tissue. While levels are below cancer-causing thresholds, they may contribute to conditions like endometriosis. Environmental concerns also exist, as femcare products significantly contribute to landfills worldwide. These drawbacks have led women to explore alternative options for managing menstrual flow and related conditions. Beyond commercial femcare, alternatives offer ecological and economic benefits. The menstrual cup, first introduced in the 1930s, costs about thirty dollars and lasts up to ten years - a bargain compared to the 250-300 pounds of disposable products the average woman discards in her lifetime. Made of silicone or rubber, it creates a vacuum seal that prevents leaks and can be safely worn for twelve hours without TSS risk. Despite these advantages, many women remain reluctant to handle their blood so intimately, especially in public restrooms. Many modern "alternative" menstrual treatments have ancient roots. Herbs like black cohosh (used by Native Americans as an antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory), dong quai (a Chinese muscle relaxant that strengthens the uterus), and red raspberry leaf have been used for centuries before commercial remedies existed. Research shows calcium and manganese together reduce mood swings and cramps, vitamin E regulates hormones and relieves breast tenderness, and B-6 acts as a natural diuretic for bloating. Beyond supplements, physical therapies like acupuncture, acupressure, reflexology, hydrotherapy, hot water bottles, ice packs, and massage can relieve menstrual discomfort. Exercise releases endorphins that combat cramps - from yoga to marathon running (like Uta Pippig who visibly bled while winning her third Boston Marathon). Even sex helps, as orgasms naturally relieve cramps. An underground movement has emerged to celebrate female reproductive cycles and bring them into the mainstream. From "Heal the Womb" workshops offering belly painting and sacral chakra dancing to Red Moon Rites of Passage empowering women to make peace with their cycles, grassroots organizations are working to overcome centuries of shame. Grassroots organizations like Tampaction and Blood Sisters promote menstrual activism through education and advocacy. Tampaction aims to "destroy patriarchal taboos" and promote environmental and vaginal health, while Blood Sisters hosts workshops like "Be Rad, Make a Pad" and provides instructions for making reusable pads. Though these movements remain fringe, they represent important voices challenging corporate femcare monopolies. Their message is simple: millions of women get along fine with their menstruating bodies, and it's time to reclaim this natural process that has been too long judged, ridiculed, and hidden away.

★★★★★

『月経のはなし』を最後まで読み終えました

100万人以上の学習者に愛用されています

“23日間、毎日使い続けています。今では日課の一部です。”

jayallen

『月経のはなし』の主要テーマ

menstrual taboos
feminine hygiene industry
menstrual suppression
medicalization of menstruation
cultural euphemisms

『月経のはなし』の名言

Menstruation has been medicalized, commercialized, and increasingly manipulated.
Try discussing dioxin in tampons at a dinner party and watch the room clear.
What woman wouldn't love bidding adieu to all that mess, cramps, bloating, supplies, and PMS?
How did menstruation become the ultimate taboo?

『月経のはなし』の登場人物

Elissa SteinCo-author and researcher of menstrual history
Susan KimCo-author and researcher of menstrual history
Elsimar M. CoutinhoAuthor and doctor who argued periods are obsolete

著者について

『Flow: The Cultural Story of Menstruation』の共著者であるエリッサ・スタイン（Elissa Stein）は、ニューヨークを拠点に活動するライター、グラフィックデザイナー、そして文化評論家であり、ユーモアと鋭い社会分析を融合させることで知られています。

共著者であるスーザン・キム（Susan Kim）は、エミー賞ノミネート歴のある劇作家、テレビライター、そして作家であり、グラフィックノベルやノンフィクションの分野で高く評価されています。二人の共著である本書は、月経が歴史や社会に与えた影響をジャンルの枠を超えて探求しており、スタインの鋭い観察眼と機知、そしてキムの緻密な語り口が融合し、タブーを打破するという二人の共通の信念が反映されています。

スタインの過去の著作には、ユーモア・アンソロジー『Chunks: A Barfology』や家族向けガイドブック『City Walks with Kids: New York』などがあります。一方、キムはグラフィックノベル『City of Spies』や『Brain Camp』を共著しています。

スタインが『The View』、『Dr. Oz』、『FOX News』などのメディアに出演したことで、『Flow』の影響力は拡大し、公の対話を促す触媒となりました。『Publisher’s Weekly』誌から「知的で面白く、衝撃的」な洞察に満ちていると称賛された本書は、フェミニズム文学および月経に関するアドボカシー（啓発活動）における信頼できるリソースであり続けています。

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"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."

@Moemenn

"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

@Chloe, Solo founder, LA

117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw

"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum

108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC

254

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore

"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful

4.5K

"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

@SofiaP

"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"

@Jaded_Falcon

201

"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

@OojasSalunke

"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn

483

"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

@Cashflowbubu

BeFreedがウェブ上でどのように話題になっているかをもっと見る

コロンビア大学卒業生がサンフランシスコで開発

LOVED BY

1,000,000+ curious minds.

4.7

avg rating

1M+ learners

"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."

@Moemenn

"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

@Chloe, Solo founder, LA

117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw

"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum

108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC

254

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore

"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful

4.5K

"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

@SofiaP

"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"

@Jaded_Falcon

201

"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

@OojasSalunke

"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn

483

"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

@Cashflowbubu

"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."

@Moemenn

"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

@Chloe, Solo founder, LA

117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw

"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum

108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC

254

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore

"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful

4.5K

"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

@SofiaP

"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"

@Jaded_Falcon

201

"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

@OojasSalunke

"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn

483

"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

@Cashflowbubu

"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."

@Moemenn

"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

@Chloe, Solo founder, LA

117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw

"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum

108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC

254

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore

"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful

4.5K

"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

@SofiaP

"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"

@Jaded_Falcon

201

"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

@OojasSalunke

"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn

483

"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

@Cashflowbubu

BeFreedがウェブ上でどのように話題になっているかをもっと見る

今すぐ学習の旅を始めよう

第10章

月経のはなし

概要『月経のはなし』の概要

1冊の本。さまざまな聴き方。

The Crimson Tide: Breaking Menstruation's Ultimate Taboo

The Language of Shame: How We Talk About Periods

聴きながら、すべての言葉を目で追えます

The Medicalization of Menstruation

The Historical Roots of Menstrual Taboos

『月経のはなし』をもっと深く楽しむ

The Curious History of Hysteria and Female Sexuality

PMS: Medical Condition or Cultural Construct?

聴きながら、すべての言葉を目で追えます

Religious Taboos and Sexual Restrictions

Feminism and the Evolution of Menstrual Products

『月経のはなし』をもっと深く楽しむ

The Marketing of Menstrual Shame

The Scent Obsession: Manufacturing Insecurity

聴きながら、すべての言葉を目で追えます

Reclaiming Our Bodies: Alternatives and Activism

『月経のはなし』を最後まで読み終えました

『月経のはなし』の主要テーマ

『月経のはなし』の名言

『月経のはなし』の登場人物

著者について

月経のはなしの要約をダウンロード

他のユーザーのお気に入り

この本に関するよくある質問

What is Flow: The Cultural Story of Menstruation about?

Who should read Flow: The Cultural Story of Menstruation?

Is Flow worth reading in 2025?

How does Flow debunk common menstrual myths?

もっと見る

1,000,000+ curious minds.

1,000,000+ curious minds.

1冊の本。さまざまな聴き方。

The Crimson Tide: Breaking Menstruation's Ultimate Taboo

The Language of Shame: How We Talk About Periods

聴きながら、すべての言葉を目で追えます

The Medicalization of Menstruation

The Historical Roots of Menstrual Taboos

『月経のはなし』をもっと深く楽しむ

The Curious History of Hysteria and Female Sexuality

PMS: Medical Condition or Cultural Construct?

聴きながら、すべての言葉を目で追えます

Religious Taboos and Sexual Restrictions

Feminism and the Evolution of Menstrual Products

『月経のはなし』をもっと深く楽しむ

The Marketing of Menstrual Shame

The Scent Obsession: Manufacturing Insecurity

聴きながら、すべての言葉を目で追えます

Reclaiming Our Bodies: Alternatives and Activism

『月経のはなし』を最後まで読み終えました

他のユーザーのお気に入り

もっと見る

『月経のはなし』の概要