McHugh Maureen C.
Indiana, PA, USA
McHugh introduces the term ‘menstrual moaning,’ to refer to women’s negative communication about menstruation. Women’s talk about menstruation is often negative through its focus on pain, discomfort, and moodiness. McHugh ties menstrual moaning to the stigma associated with menstruation. Cultural attitudes that require girls and women to maintain secrecy and silence regarding menstruation contribute to the experience of menstrual shame. Breaking the taboos against menstrual talk may be a form of resistance. Brown argues that breaking the silence and secrecy taboo may help women to develop shame resilience. However, McHugh suggests that menstrual moaning, by reiterating negative cultural constructions of women’s bodies as flawed, deficient, and diseased, may have a deleterious impact on women’s menstrual attitudes, and perpetuate menstrual shame. Women develop shame resistance and build community through more positive talk about menstruation, but positive menstrual conversations are rarely documented. McHugh recommends further research and activism on menstrual shame, resistance, and resilience.
麦克休引入了“经期抱怨”这一术语，用来指代女性关于月经的负面交流。女性谈论月经时往往带有负面色彩，因为她们关注的是疼痛、不适和情绪波动。麦克休将经期抱怨与月经的污名化联系起来。要求女孩和女性对月经保持隐秘和沉默的文化态度，加剧了经期羞耻感。打破关于月经话题的禁忌可能是一种反抗形式。布朗认为，打破沉默和隐秘的禁忌可能有助于女性培养羞耻复原力。然而，麦克休指出，经期抱怨通过反复强调将女性身体视为有缺陷、不足和患病的负面文化观念，可能会对女性的月经态度产生有害影响，并使经期羞耻持续存在。女性通过更积极地谈论月经来培养羞耻抵抗力并建立社区，但积极的月经对话却很少被记录下来。麦克休建议对经期羞耻、反抗和复原力进行进一步的研究和行动。
