The Liberatory Potential of Menstrual Cups

Dominant menstrual discourse constructs menstrual blood as a stigmatized bodily fluid that evokes disgust. Through the enactment of Foucault’s biopower, internalization of this discourse results in a culture of concealment, wherein menstruators’ bodies are problematized and require self-monitoring, management, and sanitization through technology such as menstrual products. Through a case study of menstrual cup company DivaCup’s marketing and social media posts from menstrual cup users, this research uses the theoretical lens of feminist science and technology studies to examine the sociotechnical system of menstrual cups and the extent to which they can be considered a liberatory technology. This research argues that menstrual cups have the potential to facilitate open discussions that push back against dominant menstrual discourse and the culture of concealment, while also necessitating increased embodiment and body literacy compared to conventional disposable products. However, menstrual cup companies still appeal to and thus perpetuate this repressive culture of concealment, despite framing the neoliberal choice of concealment as empowering.