Staff profile

I am a doctoral student in Chinese history. My thesis examines the historical governance of menstruation in modern and contemporary China, which regards menstruation as a mechanism for regulating women and their bodies. I draw on archival sources, newspapers and magazines, and oral histories to investigate the intersections of menstrual medicine, hygienic practices, state policies, feminine technologies, menstrual consumerism and women’s lived experiences and bodily sensations.

Before joining Durham, I had studied in China, Taiwan, Korea, and the United Kingdom, with a focus on history and gender studies. I am also interested in the intellectual history of modern China, particularly the research of Hu Shih and the New Culture Movement.

Presentations:

“Managing Bleeding: Menstruation and Women’s Regulated Bodies in the People’s Republic of China (1949- the 1990s)”, at the British Association for Chinese Studies 2025 Annual Conference, University of Leicester, Leicester, 3 September 2025.

“For Him or For Me?: Contraceptive Diaphragms, Menstrual Discs, and the Politics of Vaginal Technologies in Twentieth-Century China and Beyond”, at the Oxford International History of East Asia Seminar, University of Oxford, Oxford, 26 November 2025.

For further information or collaboration, please contact me at ruoyu.jia@durham.ac.uk

• Menstruation
• Body
• Gender and Sexuality
• Feminine Hygiene
• Feminine Technology
• Period Poverty