Menstruation as a research topic in the humanities in Brazil: a state of the art

Abstract

Menstruation has traditionally been approached through concepts and frameworks from the natural sciences. However, like other themes that intersect body and gender, feminist perspectives within the humanities have increasingly taken menstruation as a subject of research and critical analysis. This article presents a bibliographic review of how menstruation has been approached within Brazilian academic productions, particularly those linked theoretically and/or methodologically to the humanities. The review includes 66 works, encompassing articles, undergraduate theses, MSc dissertations, and PhD theses published in Brazil. Our findings show a notable growth in interest, with 29% of these scholarly contributions appearing between 2020 and 2023, signaling an expanding field of study. The research is organized into five thematic axes: theoretical reviews and analyses, symbolic and interpretive studies, education and art, technoscience and menstrual products, and knowledge related to body care. This literature review proposes a systematic mapping of the diverse and innovative ways menstruation has become a consolidated topic within the humanities.

Keywords

• Menstruation
• humanities
• Brazil
• state of the art
• gender
• Menstruação