How to Write Menstruation in Historical and Fantasy Settings

Your female protagonist is traveling for weeks through medieval countryside. She's camping, fighting, riding horses. But apparently she never gets her period. Either she's incredibly lucky with timing, or you've ignored biological reality that affects half the population monthly.

Or you want to mention menstruation for realism but you're not sure what medieval women actually did. Tampons and pads are modern inventions. So what did women use before that? How did they manage during travel, battles, formal events? And how much should you actually mention this in fiction?

Menstruation in historical and fantasy settings is tricky topic. Ignore it and you lose realism. Over-focus on it and you reduce women to their biology. Understanding historical menstrual management and cultural attitudes lets you acknowledge this reality appropriately when relevant without making it constant focus or ignoring it completely. This guide covers class-based differences in management, pregnancy and fertility context, and specific examples from different historical periods.

What Women Actually Used Historically

Before disposable pads (1890s) and tampons (1930s), women used other methods.

Cloth Rags

Most common historical method: strips of cloth, folded or shaped, held in place by undergarments or tied.

**How it worked**: Cloth strips (linen, cotton, wool) folded into pad shape. Held in place by tight undergarments, belt, or pins. Changed throughout day as needed.

**Washing**: Rags soaked in cold water, washed, dried, reused. Private process. Women did their own washing or had trusted servant do it. Hanging to dry required privacy.

**Practicality**: Worked but less absorbent than modern products. Leaked more. Required frequent changing. Uncomfortable, bulky.

Free-Bleeding with Layered Clothing

Historical clothing had multiple layers. Some women relied on layers to absorb rather than using cloth specifically.

**How it worked**: Multiple layers of petticoats, shifts, skirts absorbed blood. Darker colors preferred during menstruation.

**Practicality**: Meant clothing got stained and needed washing. More laundry. Limited activity during heavy flow days.

Wool or Fabric Padding

More absorbent materials when available. Wool padding sewn into undergarments or loose padding held in place.

Regional and Cultural Variations

Different cultures had different approaches. Some used plant materials (moss, grass padding), sea sponges (ancient), or specific fabrics considered better for absorption.

Wealthy vs. Poor

**Wealthy**: More cloth available, servants to wash, privacy for managing, ability to rest during difficult periods.

**Poor**: Less cloth (expensive), had to work regardless of discomfort, less privacy, harder to manage.

Class Differences in Menstrual Management

Wealth fundamentally changed how women managed periods.

Wealthy and Noble Women

Resources available:

• Abundant cloth: Linen, cotton, wool - multiple sets of rags. Could change frequently without running out.
• Servants: Personal maids handled washing, knew their lady's cycles, prepared rags in advance. Privacy maintained through discretion.
• Rest allowed: Could retire to chambers during severe cramps. Not expected to perform physical labor.
• Better hygiene: Access to hot water, soap, private bathing areas.
• Medical attention: Physicians consulted for severe period problems (though historical medicine was often ineffective).

Social constraints:

Wealthy women had more resources but also more social obligations. Couldn't always rest during periods if court appearance required. Had to maintain appearance and composure regardless of discomfort. Social events, ceremonies, and duties continued.

Example in fiction: "Lady Catherine retired to her chambers with 'headache.' Her maid knew the truth - her monthly courses had started, cramping severe this time. The excuse allowed rest without publicly acknowledging the real reason."

Middle Class and Common Women

Resources and challenges:

• Limited cloth: Owned fewer rags. Had to wash and reuse frequently. Couldn't afford to discard stained cloth.
• Continued work: Shops, farms, households needed managing. Periods didn't excuse work obligations.
• Less privacy: Shared living spaces, communal washing areas, family members around constantly.
• Practical management: Pragmatic about periods. Just part of life to work around.

Example: "She'd gotten her period but the chickens still needed feeding, bread still needed baking. She changed the rags when she could, worked through the cramping, and was grateful when it ended."

Poor and Working Women

Harsh realities:

• Minimal cloth: Cloth was expensive. Might have one or two rags, recycled from worn clothing.
• No rest: Had to work for wages. Missing work meant losing pay couldn't afford.
• Physical labor: Heavy work (washing, hauling, field work) while menstruating was miserable but necessary.
• No privacy: Crowded housing, shared beds, communal facilities. Managing periods with little privacy or resources.
• Health consequences: Poor hygiene, inadequate management, heavy labor led to infections and complications.

Example: "She'd used the same two rags for years, washed in cold river water when she could. The factory work didn't stop for her monthly bleeding. She stood at the loom twelve hours whether she felt well or not."

Servants and Domestic Workers

Specific challenges:

• Work requirements: Expected to maintain service regardless of periods. Heavy lifting, cleaning, cooking continued.
• Employer expectations: Some employers sympathetic, others expected work without accommodation.
• Living quarters: Shared rooms with other servants. Limited privacy for managing periods.
• Access to cloth: Sometimes given old linens from household. Better than nothing but still limited.

Historical Attitudes and Restrictions

Attitudes toward menstruation varied by culture, time period, and religion.

Religious and Cultural Taboos

Many cultures considered menstruating women "unclean" or requiring separation:

**Isolation**: Some societies required women to stay in separate areas during menstruation. Couldn't enter temples, touch food, participate in ceremonies.

**Activity restrictions**: Couldn't cook, handle certain objects, or be around men. Varied widely by culture.

**Touch taboos**: Everything menstruating woman touched became "unclean." Required purification rituals after period ended.

Not all cultures did this. Some treated menstruation as normal body function without taboo. Research specific time/place you're writing about.

Medical Misunderstanding

Historical medicine often got menstruation wrong. Believed it was purging bad humors, cleansing body of toxins, or other incorrect theories. Affected how it was discussed and treated.

Privacy and Discretion

Most cultures expected discretion. Menstruation wasn't discussed openly, especially not with men. Women managed privately and quietly.

Modern Attitudes Inappropriate

Don't give medieval characters modern feminist attitude about periods being "nothing to be ashamed of!" That's anachronistic. They'd have their culture's attitudes - whether that's casual acceptance, religious taboo, or pragmatic management.

Practical Challenges in Fiction

Travel

Extended travel without modern products creates challenges:

**Limited cloth**: Traveling light means limited rags to change. Need to wash and dry them on road (difficult).

**No privacy**: Camping with group, no private space to change rags or wash them.

**Physical activity**: Horseback riding, walking long distances while menstruating is uncomfortable and risks leaking.

Mentioning: "She'd gotten her period the night before, perfect timing for a week on horseback. The cloth rags she'd packed would have to last, and washing them on the road would be challenge enough without privacy."

Battle and Physical Combat

Female warriors managing menstruation during campaigns:

**Combat activity**: Hard physical exertion increases flow and discomfort. Fighting while menstruating is possible but more difficult.

**Armor and binding**: Tight armor, binding chest, no bathroom breaks during battle. Managing menstruation adds another layer of difficulty.

**Military camps**: Male-dominated spaces with minimal privacy for female soldiers to manage periods.

Mentioning: "She was grateful for light flow on campaign. Some months were worse, making armor unbearable and long marches misery. This month was manageable."

Formal Events

Attending balls, ceremonies, court events while menstruating:

**Tight clothing**: Corsets, formal gowns, complicated clothing makes changing difficult.

**Long events**: Hours-long ceremonies without private breaks.

**White or light clothing**: Fashion choice becomes anxious risk.

Mentioning: "The queen's ball was tomorrow. Of course her period would start today. She'd wear the darker gown and hope for the best."

Pain and Physical Symptoms

Menstrual cramps, headaches, fatigue are real without modern pain relief:

**No effective pain relief**: Willow bark (mild), herbal teas (minimal help), or nothing. Women dealt with pain.

**Continued work**: Most women couldn't rest just because of period. Had to work through pain and discomfort.

**Severe symptoms**: Some women had debilitating periods. Without medical understanding, suffered monthly.

Mentioning: "The cramping had started before dawn. She forced herself upright anyway - the animals needed feeding regardless of how she felt."

Pregnancy, Fertility, and Missing Periods

Menstruation's absence is as significant as its presence.

Missing Period as Pregnancy Sign

Before pregnancy tests, missed period was primary indicator:

Wanted pregnancy: "Her courses were two weeks late. She hardly dared hope, but—maybe this time it had worked."

Unwanted pregnancy: "She'd missed her period. Panic set in. She wasn't married. This would ruin her."

Relief when period arrives: "The cramping started—she'd never been so grateful for pain. Not pregnant after all."

Ongoing worry: "Every month she waited anxiously. When her courses arrived, relief. Another month safe."

Fertility Tracking

Women trying to conceive tracked cycles:

Counting days: "She marked the days since her last courses. The midwife said conception was most likely mid-cycle."

Observing patterns: "Her cycles were regular—twenty-eight days. She could predict when she'd be fertile."

Herbs and remedies: "The wise woman gave her herbs to take after her courses, said it would help conception."

Medical Consultation

Women with irregular or absent periods sought medical help:

Historical misunderstanding: Physicians believed irregular periods indicated health problems. Treatments were often useless or harmful (bloodletting, purgatives, herbs).

Social pressure: Unable to conceive often blamed on woman's body "not being right." Irregular periods seen as sign of this.

Menopause

End of menstruation significant life marker:

Age range: Usually 45-55 (similar to modern, though nutrition affected timing).

Social meaning: No longer childbearing. In some cultures, gained status (post-menopausal women could participate in previously restricted activities). In others, lost value in societies that prized fertility.

Physical changes: Hot flashes, mood changes, irregular periods before stopping. Women shared knowledge about managing these changes.

Example: "Her mother warned her—periods becoming irregular meant the change was starting. Soon they'd stop altogether. She wasn't sure whether to mourn or celebrate."

Specific Historical Period Examples

Different eras had different approaches and attitudes.

Ancient Rome (753 BCE - 476 CE)

Methods: Wool padding, cloth wrapped and pinned. Wealthy used softer fabrics. Some evidence of sea sponges (inserted, ancient tampon equivalent).

Attitudes: Medical texts discussed menstruation as health indicator. Believed regular cycles indicated health. Some restrictions (temples, religious ceremonies) during menstruation.

Cultural context: Public baths common but women used separate hours or facilities. Managing menstruation in bathing culture required planning.

Medieval Europe (500-1500 CE)

Methods: Cloth rags primary method. Layered linen undergarments absorbed blood. Regular washing essential but challenging.

Attitudes: Christian doctrine influenced attitudes—menstruation as consequence of sin (Eve's curse). Religious restrictions (couldn't take communion, enter church, touch holy items while menstruating in some traditions).

Medical beliefs: Believed menstrual blood was body purging impurities and bad humors. Irregular periods treated with bloodletting and herbs (made things worse usually).

Practical reality: Most women pragmatic about managing. Religious rules sometimes ignored in practice. Work continued regardless.

Renaissance Europe (1400-1600 CE)

Methods: Similar to medieval—cloth rags. Better fabric quality for wealthy. Improved undergarment design helped.

Attitudes: Medical understanding still incorrect but slightly better observation. Still believed menstruation cleansed body.

Fashion impact: Multiple petticoats and voluminous skirts provided padding and concealment. Dark colors preferred.

Colonial America (1600-1800 CE)

Methods: Cloth rags saved from worn linens. Frontier women had limited cloth—reused and patched. Native American women used different methods (moss, plant fibers, depending on tribe).

Attitudes: Puritan influence meant not discussed openly. Managed privately. Practical frontier life meant women worked through discomfort.

Challenges: Limited resources on frontier. Long distances between homes meant less female community support. Harsh conditions made management harder.

Victorian Era (1837-1901)

Methods: Cloth rags but more sophisticated. Early menstrual belts (cloth belt holding pad in place). End of era saw first commercial disposable pads.

Attitudes: Extreme modesty. Not discussed even between women often. Medical profession male-dominated—discussing menstruation with male doctors embarrassing for women.

Medical progress: Better understanding of reproductive system but still many misconceptions. Menstrual pain often dismissed as feminine weakness.

When and How to Mention It

When It's Relevant

**Affects plot**: Character can't do something because of period. Religious restriction prevents temple entry during crucial moment. Battle timing complicated by menstruation.

**Adds realism**: Extended time frame (weeks, months) where period would occur. Brief acknowledgment grounds reality.

**Character vulnerability**: Physical discomfort makes situation harder. Pain during crisis.

**Coming of age**: First period as significant life marker (menarche). Cultural ceremonies or significance.

**Pregnancy indicators**: Missing period signals possible pregnancy (or relief when it arrives).

When to Skip It

**Not relevant to story**: Time frame doesn't include it, or character's biology just doesn't come up.

**Would slow pacing**: Mentioning it adds nothing to scene or character.

**Already established world**: If you've mentioned periods existing in world, readers assume they continue happening off-page.

How to Mention It

**Matter-of-fact**: "She changed the cloth rags, washing the used ones in cold water. Part of the monthly routine she'd rather skip."

**Through complications**: "Getting her period now, three days into the journey, was terrible timing."

**Physical discomfort**: "The cramping made the long ride worse. She shifted in the saddle, seeking comfort that wouldn't come."

**Practical concern**: "She'd need to pack extra rags for the trip. Another thing to carry."

**Relief or frustration**: "Her period arrived - thank god. She wasn't pregnant after all." Or: "Of course it would start today."

Level of Detail

Don't need graphic description. Brief reference sufficient:

**Too much**: Detailed description of blood, changing rags, washing process, specific discomfort. Unnecessarily graphic.

**Appropriate**: "Her period started, complicating the journey." Or: "She dealt with the cloth rags efficiently, grateful for the stream nearby."

Readers understand what you're referencing without explicit detail.

Fantasy Considerations

Magic Solutions

If your world has magic, could it address menstruation?

**Magical suppression**: Potion or spell that delays/prevents periods. Maybe expensive (only wealthy access), or forbidden (religious reasons), or has side effects.

**Pain relief spells**: Magic that eases cramps. Accessibility depends on how common magic is.

**Cleaning magic**: Makes managing easier through magical hygiene solutions.

But remember: if magic is rare or difficult, most women still use mundane methods.

Different Species

In fantasy with multiple species, they might have different biology:

**Estrus cycles**: Some species might go into heat seasonally rather than monthly cycles.

**Different indicators**: Fertility indicated differently than human menstruation.

**No visible cycle**: Some species might not have external signs of fertility.

Only detail this if it's relevant to plot or culture. Don't need biology textbook.

Cultural Variations

Different cultures in fantasy world might treat menstruation differently:

**One culture**: Isolates menstruating women as unclean.

**Another culture**: Views it as sacred time of power.

**Third culture**: Completely matter-of-fact, no restrictions.

This can create conflict when character moves between cultures or cultures clash.

Coming of Age Stories

First period (menarche) can be significant story moment, especially in cultures where it marks adulthood.

**Ceremonial significance**: Some cultures had ceremonies marking girl's first period. Transition to womanhood. Could be celebrated or feared.

**Practical education**: Mother or older woman teaching girl how to manage periods. Sharing women's knowledge.

**Character's reaction**: Fear, excitement, shame, pride - depends on culture and character.

**Story marker**: First period as plot point marking character's maturation. Now considered marriageable in some cultures.

What Not to Do

**Making it defining characteristic**: Character isn't defined by having periods. It's one aspect of experience, not personality.

**Only mentioning when problem**: If you only acknowledge periods when they're inconvenient, implies they only matter when annoying. Sometimes just part of life.

**Modern attitudes in historical setting**: Anachronistic to have medieval characters discussing periods with modern openness or shame-free attitude.

**Graphic unnecessary detail**: Readers don't need blow-by-blow description. Brief reference sufficient.

**Perfect luck**: Extended time frame where female character never gets period is unrealistic unless there's reason (pregnancy, illness, magical suppression).

**Using as weakness**: "She couldn't fight because she had her period" repeatedly reduces women to biology. Periods are uncomfortable but most women function through them.

Male Authors Writing This

Male writers sometimes anxious about writing menstruation. It's okay to include it when relevant. Research, keep it matter-of-fact, don't make it weird or overly dramatic.

Better to acknowledge biological reality than pretend half the population doesn't menstruate. Brief, practical mentions show you've thought about realistic female experience.

Making It Work

Include menstruation when relevant to story: affects plot, adds realism during extended time frame, shows vulnerability or challenge. Mention matter-of-factly without graphic detail. Show historical management methods (cloth rags, washing, limited privacy) and cultural attitudes appropriate to setting.

Don't make it defining trait or constant focus. It's part of life for female characters, acknowledged when it matters, assumed to continue off-page otherwise. Balance realism with not reducing women to their biology.

Historical and fantasy readers appreciate authentic female experiences including challenges of pre-modern menstrual management. Brief, thoughtful inclusion adds realism and shows female characters fully grounded in physical reality of their world.

Class fundamentally shaped menstrual experience. Wealthy women had abundant cloth, servants for washing, ability to rest, and privacy. Common women had limited cloth, continued work through discomfort, and less privacy. Poor women had minimal resources, performed physical labor regardless of pain, and faced harsh realities of managing with almost nothing. Show these differences authentically—class affects every aspect of women's lives including menstruation.

Understand pregnancy and fertility context. Missing period was primary pregnancy indicator causing hope or fear depending on circumstances. Women tracked cycles trying to conceive. Irregular periods prompted medical consultation (though historical treatments were ineffective). Menopause marked significant life transition with varying cultural meanings. These fertility connections are natural times to reference menstruation in fiction.

Different historical periods had different methods and attitudes. Ancient Rome used wool padding and possibly sponges. Medieval Europe used cloth rags with religious restrictions. Renaissance improved undergarments. Colonial America dealt with frontier limitations. Victorian era developed early commercial products but maintained extreme modesty. Research your specific setting for authentic details.

Most importantly, balance realism with narrative purpose. Include menstruation when relevant to plot, character experience, or grounding authenticity. Mention matter-of-factly without graphic detail or making it defining trait. Show the practical challenges of managing without modern products—washing cloth rags, limited privacy, physical discomfort, activity restrictions. But don't reduce women to their biology. Periods are part of female experience in historical settings, acknowledged when it matters, assumed to continue off-page otherwise.