No abstract

The purpose of this study was to measure and compare women's attitudes toward menstruation and breastfeeding and to determine whether self-objectification was associated with negative attitudes toward these events. We hypothesized that women who viewed menstruation as shameful would also report high levels of shame about breastfeeding and that women with greater self-objectification tendencies would have more negative or shameful attitudes toward both menstruation and breastfeeding. One hundred and seventy-six undergraduate women completed questionnaires measuring self-objectification, as well as attitudes toward menstruation and breastfeeding. As predicted, women who viewed menstruation as shameful also reported shameful attitudes toward breastfeeding. Women who reported higher levels of Body Shame and Self-Surveillance had significantly more shameful attitudes toward these reproductive functions than women with lower scores on these measures of self-objectification. Health care providers may be able to reduce women's feelings of shame about reproduction or minimize its negative impact on women's health behavior.

The purpose of this study was to investigate women's knowledge about and attitudes toward the medical suppression of menstruation. One hundred and three female undergraduate students completed several questionnaires. Thirty-five percent of the participants were familiar with menstrual suppression, and 12% reported using birth control methods to suppress their menses; oral contraceptive users were more knowledgeable about menstrual suppression than other women. Women who regarded menstruation as bothersome and shameful were more supportive of suppression than women with more positive attitudes. Women who scored higher on measures of body consciousness were not more likely to support menstrual suppression or to report a desire for more information about menstrual suppression. Future investigations of women's attitudes toward menstrual suppression could inform reproductive health care and health education.

The sexualization of the breast may lead women who internalize the sexual objectification of their bodies to have more negative attitudes toward breastfeeding. The purpose of the present study was to examine selfobjectification in relation to young women's attitudes toward and concerns about breastfeeding. Two hundred and seventy-five female undergraduates completed a survey with questions that assessed their plans for infant feeding, attitudes toward breastfeeding, concerns about breastfeeding, and self-objectification. Women who scored higher on measures of self-objectification were more likely to view public breastfeeding as indecent and to be concerned that breastfeeding would be embarrassing and would negatively impact their bodies and sexuality. Self-objectification was not related to general attitudes toward breastfeeding or to young women's future infant feeding plans. Implications for theory and future research are discussed.