Menstrual Matters Information: Fact sheet 2020

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MM in the news!

Zeit Sprachen Business Magazine- 24 July 2023- Melita Cameron-Wood- ‘Is menstrual leave a good idea?’- Article presenting the debate around menstrual leave policies. Founder, Dr Sally King presents the evidence-based case against an ‘all women’ labour policy in favour of improved menstrual education, healthcare options, and flexible working conditions. Zeit Sprachen_Menstrual Leave

The Lancet blog- 21 July 2022- Nayanah Siva – ‘Menstrual cycle education in the UK’. Article looking at the impact of poor menstruation education in the UK. Prominent quotes from Menstrual Matters founder, Dr Sally King. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(22)00218-8/fulltext

Fortune Magazine- 30 Oct 2021- Kylie Logan- ‘Could corporate America embrace paid ‘period leave’?’- article about the pros and cons of ‘menstrual leave’ as a workplace policy in the US- MM founder, Dr Sally King interviewed and heavily quoted in relation to her research which found that the policy has been (unintentionally) detrimental to women’s rights in the workplace in those countries and companies that have employed it. Improving working conditions so that they are fit for employees who menstruate (and others), and encouraging those with menstrual health issues to seek and receive adequate medical support, are better options than sex-specific ‘menstrual leave’ policies. https://fortune.com/2021/10/30/paid-menstrual-period-leave-us-companies/?n3yd8q 

ODI- Overseas Development Institute- Align programme (Advancing Learning and Innovation on Gender Norms).  August 2021- Yasmin Watling- ‘Gender norms and the ‘period revolution’’ report-  regarding the relationship between UK/ US period poverty campaigns and (some) positive shifts in gender norms, numerous quotes used from an interview conducted with Menstrual Matters’ Founder, Dr Sally King. https://www.alignplatform.org/sites/default/files/2021-08/gender_norms_and_the_period_revolution.pdf 

BBC World Service- Crowd Science podcast- Founder of Menstrual Matters, Dr Sally King, speaks about the history of medicine regarding cyclical symptoms and the importance of addressing menstrual health and stigma in order to bust gender myths. From approx. 24 -30 mins in programme dedicated to menstruation- https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct1pqg

NZZ am Sonntag magazine- 25 Apr 2021- Anna Kaminsky- ‘Ja, ich blute’ (Yes, I bleed)- article about the importance of learning more about the menstrual cycle and busting the taboo about talking about menstrual health, especially in the workplace. Quote from Menstrual Matters Founder, Dr Sally King regarding the negative impacts on gender equality of well intentioned labour policies such as menstrual leave. NZZaS Magazin 210425 Zyklus  

The Lancet blog- 4 Dec 2020- Jacqui Thornton- ‘Free period products in Scotland’- article about Scotland becoming the first country in the world to offer free period products to all who need them. Prominent quote from Menstrual Matters founder, Dr Sally King. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)32583-6/fulltext

The Times- 1 Nov 2020- Rosamund Unwin- ‘Periods at work: should women get menstrual leave?’- article including an interview with Menstrual Matters founder, Dr Sally King, regarding her research on ‘menstrual leave’ policies, which found that they are more harmful than beneficial to female health needs and gender equality in the workplace. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/periods-at-work-should-women-get-menstrual-leave-qlc2w6d0p

Health Affairs Journal blog- 8 Oct 2020- Elizabeth Tobin-Tyler- ‘How RBG’s Voice Shaped The Courts’—And America’s—Views On Women’s Health For A Generation’ – article about the late Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s influence on female health research. Reference to a book chapter written by Menstrual Matters founder, Dr Sally King; ‘Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) and the Myth of the Irrational Female’  https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hblog20201001.640025/full/

Microsoft News and Refinery 29- 12 Sep 2020- Natasha Presky- ‘How can we know more about erectile dysfunction than PMS?’- article about the relative lack of funding for female health research. Several quotes from Menstrual Matters founder, Dr Sally King.  https://www.msn.com/en-gb/health/mindandbody/how-can-we-know-more-about-erectile-dysfunction-than-pms/ar-BB18Xnes

Social Europe Journal- 2 Apr 2020- Klara Rydström and Rebecka Hallencreutz- ‘Trade unions and mainstreaming menstrual awareness in the workplace’ – article about the need for labour unions to mainstream menstrual health awareness in the workplace. References to the work of Menstrual Matters founder, Dr Sally King.   https://www.socialeurope.eu/trade-unions-and-mainstreaming-menstrual-awareness-in-the-workplace

BBC Science Focus Magazine- #347- 11th Mar 2020- Feature on Menstrual Matter’s Founder, Dr Sally King, in ‘A scientist’s guide to periods’. https://www.sciencefocus.com/magazine/the-age-of-rage/

The Sunday Times STYLE magazine– 12 Jan 2020- Direct quote from Menstrual Matters founder, Dr Sally King, in Gabby Edlin’s (founder of Bloody Good Period) review of ‘In the flo’ book by Alisa Vitti. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/in-the-flo-is-this-new-book-the-key-to-understanding-your-period-wnpjqv7d5

Reward and Employee Benefits Association (REBA)- 05 Dec 2019- Coverage of Dr Sally King’s keynote speech at ‘Women’s Health in the Workplace’ event https://reba.global/content/women-s-health-the-last-workplace-taboo  and short video interview- https://reba.global/content/video-reba-s-women-s-health-in-the-workplace-breakfast

Reward and Employee Benefits Association (REBA)- 18 Oct 2019- commissioned adaptation of existing MM blog to incorporate menopausal symptoms into workplace policy recommendations for World Menopause Day 2019. https://reba.global/content/10-workplace-interventions-to-improve-menstrual-and-menopausal-health-and-wellbeing

Stylist Magazine– 5 Oct 2019- Robyn Wilder- “Period leave: Would it help women in the workplace – or hold us back?” – Article about some of the pros and cons of the concept of ‘menstrual leave’. https://www.stylist.co.uk/life/period-leave-women-gender-equality-productivity/306025

The Blobcast Podcast – 7 Nov 2018- “How Menstrual Myths and Taboos Help to Perpetuate Gender Inequalities” – live podcast event, recording now available on iTunes.

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-blobcast-podcast/id1449427248?mt=2# at 25.00 – 43.30

Vice – 27 Apr 2018- Natasha Preskey-“When the Rare Birth Control Pill Side Effect Happens to You“- Article about the lesser known side-effects of contraceptive medications.

https://tonic.vice.com/en_us/article/ywx9w7/birth-control-asthma-stomach-pain

BBC Radio Foyle (Northern Ireland)- 27 Sep 2016- Mark Patterson show- Discussion re Menstrual Leave- http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07www9j at 01:18:18 – 01:26:15

BBC Radio London– 23 Sep 2016- Drive Time with Eddie Nestor- Discussion re Menstrual Leave- http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0473378 at 36:34 – 46:22

BBC Radio 5 Live– 23 Sep 2016- Emma Barnett Programme- Discussion re Menstrual Leave- http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07vvv8m at 01:52:25 – 02:00:00

Publications

King, Sally. (Forthcoming 2024) Academic book about the influence of gender and race myths in expert and lay descriptions of cyclical symptoms 

King, Sally. (Forthcoming Nov 2023) ‘Black Box: The reduction and mystification of the menstrual cycle in Western school and medical education’ in n K. Standing (Ed.) Menstruation: Experiences from the Global South and North. British Academy

King, Sally. (2021). Menstrual Leave: Good Intention, Poor Solution. In J. Hassard & L. D. Torres (Eds.), Aligning Perspectives in Gender Mainstreaming (pp. 151–176). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-53269-7_9 [Free summary of chapter content is available as a 5-part blog series on the Menstrual Matters website]

King, Sally. (2020) Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) and the Myth of the Irrational Female. In: Bobel C., Winkler I., Fahs B., Hasson K., Kissling E., Roberts TA. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Critical Menstruation Studies. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-0614-7_23 FREE ONLINE ACCESS- https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-15-0614-7_23

King, Sally. (2017) What counts as a premenstrual symptom? Exploring contradictory medical definitions of PMS (Premenstrual syndrome) As presented at the SMCR (Society for Menstrual Cycle Research) conference, Atlanta G.A. 21-23rd June, 2017

King, Sally. (2017)  ‘Menstrual Leave: a much needed OH benefit or a threat to gender equality in the workplace?’ Occupational Health at Work Journal Vol 13:5 pp 35-36