The Ending of Menstruation: Perspectives and Experiences of Lesbian and Heterosexual Women

Abstract

This article aims to theorize how a sample of menopausal women, lesbian and heterosexual, construct the ending of their periods, and what the experience means for them. Findings indicate that for most of the lesbian participants (who were in a sizeable minority), emotions of loss at the ending of periods were simultaneously expressed alongside positive feelings, and they engaged in greater introspection around the issue than did heterosexual women. However, lesbians did not all take up a singular subject position in relation to menstruation, indicating that there is fragmentation and plurality in how the body is experienced across a group.

Keywords:

• Ireland
• lesbian
• menopause
• menstruation
• qualitative methods

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This work was supported by the Women's Health Council (in Ireland), grant number V0306.

The authors would like to thank the Women's Health Council for funding the study upon which this analysis is based. The views expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the sponsor, the Women's Health Council.