Time Of Your Month
The Menstrual Joy Questionnaire was first introduced in 1987 as part of the book, The Curse: A Cultural History of Menstruation, written by Janice Delaney, Mary Jane Lupton, and Emily Toth. The authors created the questionnaire in response to the more somber Menstrual Distress Questionnaire created 19 years earlier by Rudolf H Moos from Stanford University. Unlike Moos, who primarily researched depression and had little personal experience with menstrual emotions, Delaney, Lupton, and Toth utilized their personal experiences and extensive literary knowledge to craft an upbeat and simple questionnaire. The Menstrual Joy Questionnaire consists of 10 questions that probe into a person’s menstrual experiences, including high spirits, increased sexual desire, vibrant activity, feelings of affection, self-confidence, creativity, feelings of power, and more.
After seven years of the launch of the questionnaire, researchers from Connecticut College published a study in the Psychology of Women Quarterly called "Menstrual Joy: The Construct and Its Consequences." The goal of the study was to gauge participants’ reactions to the idea of menstrual joy and to determine if the questionnaire had any impact on their perception of menstruation. They gave the questionnaire to 40 women and asked various questions such as how they reacted to seeing a questionnaire about "menstrual joy," if they previously thought of menstruation positively, and if the questionnaire affected their perceptions of menstruation. The study found that the majority had initial reactions of disbelief or shock, while others appreciated the idea of exploring joy in menstruation. The results showed that many women do not perceive menstruation as a positive experience, giving rise to the importance of such a questionnaire.
In conclusion, the Menstrual Joy Questionnaire was created as a more optimistic and relatable alternative to the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire of the past. While it may not be universally accepted, its creation and impact on how menstruation is perceived and discussed prove the significance of exploring the topic of menstrual joy.
