Real-life significance of Lizzie Borden’s period and if she suffered from menstrual problems

The latest instalment of Ryan Murphy’s Monster anthology, The Lizzie Borden Story, just arrived on Netflix, and much of the first episode focuses on her period and menstrual problems. It’s left everyone wondering if the American woman, who was accused of killing her father and stepmother in Fall River, Massachusetts, in 1892, really suffered from period issues. 

In the eight-part series, Lizzie experiences bad cramps while speaking to a potential future husband and accidentally stains her stepmother’s expensive couch with period blood. When the new maid, Bridget Sullivan, arrives, she manages to clean the chair and instantly gets given the job. So, how much of that is actually real? Here’s what we know. 

Credit: Netflix

Lizzie Borden’s real-life period and menstrual problems 

There are records of Lizzie Borden’s real-life menstruation, but in reality she didn’t suffer from any serious medical conditions and was just experiencing her normal cycle. In the 1800s, women’s periods were extremely taboo, and the Victorians didn’t really understand what it meant. They actually referred to women’s periods as an illness.

While searching Borden’s home in 1892, police found a pail of bloody cloths in the basement and a spot of blood on her clothing. They questioned Lizzie about it, and she said she was menstruating, which was confirmed by the family doctor. The police didn’t investigate it any further. 

Credit: Netflix

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During the 1893 trial, Lizzie’s defence team said she had a “monthly illness” around the time of the murders, which was a Victorian term for menstruation. They claimed her period ended on 3rd August, the day before the murders, and actually used this as a defence for the killings. Her defense lawyer, George Robinson, said Lizzie was “unbalanced” as her “illness was continuing”.

Historical records also speak about her having “peculiar spells” during her monthly cycle, as revealed in the book The Curse: A Cultural History of Menstruation. However, in reality, she was likely just experiencing a very normal change in hormones during her period.

Credit: Netflix

Did Lizzie Borden have an imperforate hymen?

In Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, Bridget examines Lizzie and claims she has an imperforate hyman, a rare condition where the hymen completely covers the opening of the vagina. However, there are no records of this being true in real life and the storyline has been made up for the series. 

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