Satirical Piece: If Men Could Menstruate

“If Men Could Menstruate” is a tongue-in-cheek piece written by Gloria Steinem in 1978.

In this satirical piece, Gloria Steinem scrutinizes the sexist social constructions [and] dominant Western attitudes towards menstruation by imagining a world in which men, not women, are menstruators. Through Steinem’s critical lens, we can see clearly how we we “do” menstruation today—41 years after she originally penned the short essay for Ms. magazine.

SOURCE: The Palgrave Handbook of Critical Menstruation Studies • AUTHOR: Gloria Steinem • LAST UPDATED: October 1, 1978