“I LOVE This”: An Exploration of How Self-Objectification Predicts Support for Menstrual Suppression

Abstract

This study was designed to explore support for menstrual suppression. It was hypothesized that menstrual attitudes would mediate, and feminine norms moderate, the relationship between self-objectification and support for suppression. Participants were 228 women who completed a questionnaire. Results indicate that menstrual shame is a significant mediator. The interaction between feminine norms and self-objectification acted as a moderator: those high in care for children who self-objectified less showed less support for suppression. Open-ended responses reveal reservations about safety and belief in the right to choose. Findings provide new insights into factors that affect women’s decision to use reproductive technology.

Keywords:

• Menstrual suppression
• self-objectification
• femininity
• menstrual shame
• women’s attitudes

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank undergraduate students in the Period Lab… for their good humor and assistance in coding the open-ended responses. I would also like to thank the editor and two anonymous reviewers for their comments, which have helped to strengthen this manuscript.

Disclosure Statement

I have no financial or personal conflicts of interests regarding this work.