I Just Feel Like Everything's Against Us': Undergraduates' Beliefs Surrounding the Use of Oral Contraceptives for Menstrual Suppression
Therrien, Eva
Therrien, Eva
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Abstract
The process of menstruation is highly stigmatized, often even by menstruators themselves. This can have massive ramifications for women's health, when medicalized solutions are implemented without first understanding the biopsychosocial roots of suffering. My research combines medical anthropological perspectives on menstrual attitudes with sociological examinations of social influences on pharmaceutical use and gender studies analyses of gender structures in biomedicine. My research examines UVM undergraduates' beliefs surrounding the use of oral contraceptives for the primary purpose of suppressing menstruation. Data was collected via semi-structured interviews and an anonymized survey. The participant population was any 18+ undergraduate at the University of Vermont, regardless of gender identity or menstruating status. 11 interviews were conducted; all participants menstruated, and seven were actively taking oral contraceptives. Data revealed specific biopsychosocial and gendered attitudes around menstruation. I argue that the implementation of oral contraceptives for menstrual suppression illuminates the pathologization of menstruation, as the process deviates from biomedicine�s masculine �norms� and �standards�, being seen as unnatural and abnormal. These beliefs are present in both those who do not menstruate and those who do, shaping behaviors related to menstrual management. Due to societal attitudes that perceived menstruation as �gross�, �embarrassing�, �taboo�, and something needing to be concealed, participants experienced psychological anguish when menstruating. Participant�s reasoning to take oral contraceptives for menstrual suppression was heavily motivated by mental stress which was equal to the burden of experiencing physical symptoms. Beliefs around menstruation's �unnaturalness� were internalized by menstruators, illuminating the role cultural beliefs play in constructing negative menstrual attitudes and in influencing menstrual management practices; demonstrating the pathologization and medicalization of menstruation. In the future, it is crucial for medical interventions and research within women's health to be centered in the experiences of those who receive this care, and to consider biopsychosocial influences contributing to suffering.
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Date
1/1/2026
Student Status
Senior (Graduating in 2026)
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Poster
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Anthropology
College/School
College of Arts and Sciences
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Social Science