HELLO & WELCOME
DR LARA OWEN
Author | Teacher | Consultant
Dr Lara Owen is recognised internationally for her pioneering and continuing work on menstruation. She is the author of Her Blood Is Gold, first published by HarperCollins in 1993, and Reorganizing Menstruation, published by Oxford University Press in 2024. She holds a PhD in menstrual organization from Monash Business School and is an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of St Andrews. She teaches a Master’s level course in Contemporary Menstrual Studies to students worldwide.
EARLY NOTICE OF A SPECIAL RETREAT
HOLD THE DATE! September 12-15 2025 at beautiful Lingen Hall in deepest Herefordshire. Lara will be giving an in-person training retreat on Trauma and the Menstrual Cycle with Dr. Nancy Bancroft (trauma psychologist). Details and registration coming soon.
LARA’S NEW BOOK
REORGANIZING MENSTRUATION
Reorganizing Menstruation: Menstrual innovations and the redistribution of boundaries, capitals, and labour
Reorganizing Menstruation explores contemporary menstrual practices, looks at what is revealed when longstanding gendered stigma is disrupted, and discusses how this significant social change relates to broader trends and possibilities.
For details on the book and to order, go to its OUP page (for institutions and for full info) and to Amazon and major chains internationally. The book is also easy to order at independent bookstores.
CURRENTLY 30% OFF at Oxford University Press
TEACHING
Contemporary Menstrual Studies
Registration is now open for Year One and Year Two of Contemporary Menstrual Studies in 2025. Scroll down to find out more about this in-depth Master’s level course.
See the upcoming events page for Lara’s current schedule of external events.
Check back here for updates and sign up to the newsletter.
MASTER’S LEVEL
ONLINE COURSE
• Join a dedicated group of fellow students and practitioners from around the world
• Receive a wealth of information to ground and inform your work
• Learn from a pioneer and long-time expert in the field
The first year of the Masters-level course explores menstruation in the contexts of business, feminism, history, law, public health, public policy, popular culture, religion, sustainability, sport, technology, wellbeing, and the workplace. The course is updated every year to take account of new research and social, political and legal developments.
The second year, starting in 2025, builds on the critical thinking and research skills learned in Year One and explores specific aspects of menstrual experience in depth, including common symptoms and syndromes, menarche and menopause, trauma and psychology. Year Two is invitation only, based on successful completion of Year One.
The next Year One course starts on March 23, 2025. There are still places available.
Book your place by following the link below. Please contact our course administrator, Grace, with any queries.
What course participants are saying
Scroll this section to see short excerpts from comments by CMS students around the world.
“I have gained in-depth and practical knowledge in every aspect of the topic of menstruation and a rich and detailed understanding of feminism. I highly recommend this fantastic course.”
Andisheh Jahangir, Health Project Officer, Iran
“This course, with its comprehensive, considered and unparalleled scope, offered a ground and breadth of knowledge largely lacking within the field of menstruation as a whole. Dr. Lara Owen is an incredible teacher and brilliant mind. I am grateful for this course beyond measure.”
Samantha Neal, Menstrual educator, Byron Bay, Australia
“Lara’s considerable experience, engaging delivery and supportive approach has made this course an incredibly valuable contribution to my PhD studies.”
Karen Abi-Karam, Sussex, PhD student, University of Dundee
“Dra Lara is an amazing educator who holds safe space not only for learning, but also for a personal transformational process. I highly recommend it.”
Mariana Soriano, PhD, Sexual & Menstrual Educator. Co-Founder YAWAR Project, Bolivia
“Being part of the Contemporary Menstrual Studies course was genuinely inspiring. Lara, our exceptional professor, guided the class through a fascinating learning journey, attentively listening to students and fostering an environment that embraced diverse perspectives.”
Nicole Spohr, PhD, Menstrual educator and activist, Amsterdam and Brazil
“The Contemporary Menstrual Studies course was a privilege to participate in. Lara’s dedication to ensuring menstruation receives the attention that it both requires and deserves is an inspiration.”
Molly Haglund, South Gippsland, Australia.
“Taking this course has been one of the best experiences that one can have as a woman, a researcher, or someone keenly interested in menstruation.”
Erika Lizbeth Vega Anaya, PhD student, Tamil Nadu, India
“The Contemporary Menstrual Studies course has provided me with the knowledge and confidence to bring the conversation around menstruation to different environments and to increase my efforts to fight its stigma. It has helped me to evaluate more critically what I read and see about menstruation in the written and online media.”
Didi Ananda Rashmika, yogic missionary and menstrual activist, Dutch based in Colombia
“One of the best decisions I have made. Dr. Lara Owen, an exceptional educator, offered phenomenal support throughout the course, further enhancing my learning experience. I strongly recommend this course.”
Wendy Atswei Laryea, Founder, Inspire to Rise, Ghana
“This class was such a pleasure to be in and the highlight of my 2023. It exceeded my expectations and was exactly the kind of grounding in menstrual studies I had been looking for for years.”
Kate Uhlman, Operations, London
Her Blood Is Gold:
Awakening to the Wisdom of Menstruation
Lara Owen’s ground-breaking book on destigmatising and acknowledging menstruation was published by HarperCollins in 1993 and has since been updated twice. It is now in its fourth edition (2022, Archive Publishing), sells in higher numbers each year, and is also available in Portugese (2019), French (2021) and Spanish (2024).
Her Blood Is Gold:
Awakening to the Wisdom of Menstruation
This ground-breaking book on destigmatising and acknowledging menstruation was published by HarperCollins in 1993 and has since been updated twice. It is now in its fourth edition (2022, Archive Publishing), sells in higher numbers each year, and is published in translation in Portugese (2019), French (2021) and Spanish (2024).
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