Of Mice and (Wo)Men: Tampons, Menstruation, and Testing

Sharra L. Vostral

doi:10.1007/978-981-15-0614-7_50

Of Mice and (Wo)Men: Tampons, Menstruation, and Testing

Sharra L. Vostral^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Communication Studies

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

Vostral provides much-needed insight into the link between women’s bodily experiences with tampons and twentieth-century developments in material science, corporate research, and gynecological observations about menstrual cycles. She examines how design modifications to tampons, changes in material composition, and the cultivation of women test subjects exposed scientific assumptions, ideas about safety, and attitudes concerning gendered and menstruating bodies. Focusing on the practical work of tampon testing, Vostral examines the impact of broad cultural conditions: prevailing ideas about women’s bodies, gender differences, and the role of science and medicine in optimizing well-being. Finally, she shows how patterns of social power and privilege configured this research, with evidence taking different forms over time.

Original language	English (US)
Title of host publication	The Palgrave Handbook of Critical Menstruation Studies
Publisher	Springer Singapore
Pages	673-686
Number of pages	14
ISBN (Electronic)	9789811506147
ISBN (Print)	9789811506130
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-0614-7_50
State	Published - Jan 1 2020

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Social Sciences
General Medicine

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10.1007/978-981-15-0614-7_50

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title = "Of Mice and (Wo)Men: Tampons, Menstruation, and Testing",

abstract = "Vostral provides much-needed insight into the link between women{\textquoteright}s bodily experiences with tampons and twentieth-century developments in material science, corporate research, and gynecological observations about menstrual cycles. She examines how design modifications to tampons, changes in material composition, and the cultivation of women test subjects exposed scientific assumptions, ideas about safety, and attitudes concerning gendered and menstruating bodies. Focusing on the practical work of tampon testing, Vostral examines the impact of broad cultural conditions: prevailing ideas about women{\textquoteright}s bodies, gender differences, and the role of science and medicine in optimizing well-being. Finally, she shows how patterns of social power and privilege configured this research, with evidence taking different forms over time.",

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AB - Vostral provides much-needed insight into the link between women’s bodily experiences with tampons and twentieth-century developments in material science, corporate research, and gynecological observations about menstrual cycles. She examines how design modifications to tampons, changes in material composition, and the cultivation of women test subjects exposed scientific assumptions, ideas about safety, and attitudes concerning gendered and menstruating bodies. Focusing on the practical work of tampon testing, Vostral examines the impact of broad cultural conditions: prevailing ideas about women’s bodies, gender differences, and the role of science and medicine in optimizing well-being. Finally, she shows how patterns of social power and privilege configured this research, with evidence taking different forms over time.

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ER -

Of Mice and (Wo)Men: Tampons, Menstruation, and Testing

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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