by Kristin Marie Skaar

In early 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order removing a number of gender-related terms from public documents in the United States. Research projects that use these terms risk losing government funding.

At the same time, the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research, an international menstrual cycle research organisation based in the United States, was planning its regular biennial conference.

In due course, they had to cancel it.

"Several members had encountered visa problems, and many were concerned about travelling. We were advised by legal experts not to go ahead. It simply became too dangerous," says Camilla Mørk Røstvik, Professor of History at UiA.

Røstvik has been active in the organisation for ten years and has served on the board for the past three. She has now also taken over as its new president – the first leader from outside the United States.

Still much we do not know about the menstrual cycle

The Society for Menstrual Cycle Research was founded in the United States in 1977 and has since brought together researchers, healthcare professionals, activists, and artists from around the world. Its aim is to advance research on menstrual health and to place the topic on the political agenda.

"It is still a young field of research. We are at an early stage. But a great deal of good work is happening, as we are now seeing in Norway, where women's health has made it onto the agenda and is being prioritised by the government," says Røstvik.

Research over recent decades has yielded important knowledge about, among other things, endometriosis, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), hormones and hormone therapy, and the relationship between menstruation and sport.

"We also know more about pain, what is normal, and what treatments are available," she says.

Directly affected by American politics

The United States has long been at the forefront of menstrual health research, with several pioneers having contributed to greater knowledge and raised the profile of the topic.

The political situation has led the research network to shift its centre of gravity to other parts of the world.

"In a sense, we have moved out of the United States. American politics has affected us directly. Activity within the network has been lower over the past year, because many members do not wish to attract attention."

Røstvik, who has previously also been active in similar networks in the United Kingdom, is working to reach new members in the Nordic countries and to raise the profile of menstruation research and the organisation.

"It is a vulnerable phase, but it is also an opportunity for growth. The next conference will be in Gothenburg in July 2027. For the few of us who research this field, it is a unique and important arena for sharing perspectives and keeping one another up to date," she says.

Less taboo to talk about menstruation today

Røstvik is an art historian whose own research has included examining a hundred years of corporate history. She has demonstrated how menstruation shifted from being regarded as an illness and a taboo to becoming a billion-pound industry.

She has also analysed Norwegian source texts in which women – and men – describe their experiences of menstruation from the twentieth century.

"It is less taboo to talk about menstruation today. But fear and a lack of knowledge persist even now. Until recently, it was only girls who were taught about this at school. Despite better products and greater openness, menstruation is still something most people try to conceal," she says.

Nevertheless, Røstvik is optimistic. She hopes that increased attention to women's health will also draw more people towards menstruation research and generate greater funding – which remains an ongoing struggle.

"History has shown that there are positive aspects to the cycle. I hope that before long we can shift towards a more positive focus on menstrual health," says Røstvik.

Society for Menstrual Cycle Research:

• Founded in the United States in 1977, it has since brought together researchers, healthcare professionals, activists, and artists from around the world.
• Its aim is to advance research on menstrual health and to place the topic on the political agenda.
• The organisation is a leading resource for all those who research or work with menstrual health.
• Over a number of years, it has also presented awards to prominent contributors in the field of women's health, including the "Making Menstruation Matter" award, which was first presented to journalist and activist Gloria Steinem in 2013.

Source: Menstruationresearch.org