Expert: Japan’s ‘Little Miss Period’ and the taboo nature of menstruation

Andrea DeMaria. (Purdue University photo/John Underwood)
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What: “Little Miss Period,” the star of a popular Japanese comic and film, is breaking down barriers in a country where discussions about menstruation are considered taboo, according to Reuters.

Expert: Andrea DeMaria, assistant professor of public health in Purdue University’s College of Health and Human Sciences, has spent the last decade surveying women about their reproductive health experiences, including menstruation. As part of an oral histories project, DeMaria recently collaborated with an interdisciplinary team of history, health and communication scholars to record and archive 70 in-depth interviews of women in South Carolina on their experiences with periods, contraception, childbirth, sexual violence and other women’s health issues.

Quote: “In our study across generations of women ages 19 through 78, we found many women weren’t prepared for their first period. They had no idea what was happening to them, they were scared, they thought they were dying. And those negative experiences continued to perpetuate throughout their life. It seems there is a big issue globally with what we’re teaching girls and women and how we as a society are talking about periods. This film will be a good tool to ignite conversations, which is what we need in menstruation.”

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Writer: Joseph Paul, 765-494-9541, paul102@purdue.edu

Source: Andrea DeMaria, 765-494-8300, ademaria@purdue.edu