Menstruation is a unlikely theme to be found in British and American literature and media because of its historical and cultural associations as something impure and maudit. The aim of this article is to present the reasons for such rare depictions and analyze the processes behind the omission of menstruation. I will sketch the history of menstruation in British and American culture, which will serve as a background to discuss the twenty-first century cultural understanding of menstruation. A Young Adult novel will serve as an example to show how the desired gender behaviours are consolidated and perpetuated by means of the novel addressed to young readers and what role menstruation plays in performativity of gender.