Blog Post: Overview of My Topic and Plans
For my research project, I’m focusing on menstrual health, hormonal cycles, and body autonomy as a way of empowerment. My main source is Period Power by Maisie Hill. I chose this topic because I feel like periods and hormones are still not talked about enough, even though they affect so many people. It’s something really normal, but there’s still a lot of stigma around it, which just makes it more confusing than it needs to be.
For the journal, I’m thinking about something that connects to both health and personal experience. I want to relate it to the poem Menstruation at Forty, because that poem shows that menstruation isn’t just something that matters when you’re young; it’s something that affects people at different stages of life. That’s one of the reasons I like Period Power, because it isn’t just for one age group. It’s helpful whether someone is just learning about their body or is still figuring things out later in life.
For the assigned reading, I included several poems, and specifically picked out an excerpt from the part of Period Power where Maisie Hill explains the anatomy, like the vulva, clitoris, and other parts of the body. I think this section is really important because a lot of people don’t actually know the correct terms or fully understand their own anatomy. It’s something that should be basic knowledge, but it’s often skipped or avoided. Having the class read this could help normalize those conversations and make people more informed. Right now, I already know the basics about the menstrual cycle, but I want to learn more about how hormones affect things like mental health, productivity, and decision-making. I’m also interested in how understanding your cycle can be empowering instead of something people feel awkward or negative about.
Overall, I just want to understand this topic better and see how more awareness could help people feel more informed and more in control of their bodies, no matter their age.
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