title: The ending of menstruation: perspectives and experiences of lesbian and heterosexual women.
abstract: This article aims to theorize how a sample of menopausal women, lesbian and heterosexual, construct the ending of their periods, and what the experience means for them. Findings indicate that for most of the lesbian participants (who were in a sizeable minority), emotions of loss at the ending of periods were simultaneously expressed alongside positive feelings, and they engaged in greater introspection around the issue than did heterosexual women. However, lesbians did not all take up a singular subject position in relation to menstruation, indicating that there is fragmentation and plurality in how the body is experienced across a group.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Midwifery & Health Systems, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland. abbey.hyde@ucd.ie
authors.forename: Abbey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hyde
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nee
authors.forename: Etaoine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Howlett
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Butler
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Drennan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D020010:Heterosexuality / Q000523:psychology*; D018452:Homosexuality, Female / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008593:Menopause / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012649:Self Concept