The "Modernization" of the Menstruating Female Body During the Period of State Socialism

The article analyses the sociocultural construction of the topic of menstruation in the period of state socialism. State power, institutions, biomedicine and the media intervene in the intimate sphere of women in order to promote their emancipation and full inclusion in the building of socialist society. Through modernization, medicalization and control over biobodily functions, the socialist state attempts to improve women’s health and reproductive abilities, but also to manage and instrumentalize women’s role, behaviour and responsibilities to society. The research examines medical literature, publications in health and popular science journals, educational policy documents on the topic, and personal narratives of physicians, which show how the menstruating female body was turned into a problem not only of health care and health education, but also of employment, education and demographic policies.