Let’s Discuss Period Stigma

I am sure most of us have either seen our (female) classmates scurry into the washroom holding a pouch or hiding something in their pockets; maybe YOU did this yourself (at least when school was offline). 8 times out of 10, it was most likely a pad or a menstrual product that they were hiding. 

Periods, also known as Menstruation, Chums, Monthlies, Time of the Month or even The Shark Week, and numerous other innovative names that mainly women came up with, to prevent men from understanding what they are talking about or just to avoid saying that shameful word. Does that really make sense?

There was this viral tweet from 2019, and it asked:

 "Women, what is the dumbest thing a man ever said to you about ... menstruation, etc?"

There were many hilarious tweets like:

"My husband thought I had to take a tampon out to pee."

"Someone I was dating asked me if I could reschedule my period so it didn't coincide with his birthday."

But at the same time:

"A dude in college [told] me only nasty women have accidents [stains] on their period."

The above tweet is only an instance of why we should also educate men on periods. Remember the period talks in school or at home? Why in most cases only the girls are there and not the boys? 

Why is a little red stain such a disaster? We don't tackle the embarrassment, the shame that menstruators experience. We don't ask ourselves: Well, is it really a problem if we were to show that we are menstruating and someone notices?

As members of the female species, most of us have to suffer the dreadful time of every month with all the cramps, mood swings, headaches, bloating, etc. All of which absolutely sucks; but why make it harder? To the point that we can’t talk normally about periods and, in some places, we are actively discriminated against. 

There is this common notion that exists around the world - Menstruating women cannot function properly or are unclean. And this has existed from old times; like in ancient Greece, where menstrual blood was seen by the writers of the time as something fundamentally insalubrious (unsavoury), a symbol of female excess, a “humour” that needed to be expelled from the body to maintain balance and health.

The blood itself was considered unhealthy—even poisonous. 

That general attitude persisted for centuries. By the mid-1800sThe culture around menstruation had hardened into a simple narrative: Period blood was perceived as “bad blood,” both dirty and shameful.

Although the statement is harmful in itself, it does not end there. The most common being: others faulting our anger and our emotions on PMS or being ostracised from physical as well as other activities which we want to participate in. It just gets worse in a conservative household where you can’t even go into the kitchen, sit normally or even go to school in extreme cases.

Unfortunately, this does not just end there, most of the time we ourselves also discriminate against ourselves on our periods; from something as simple as not wearing an attractive outfit we want to wear to not participating in an activity we want to do. Why? Just because we’re on our periods. Is it really necessary to wrap my used menstrual product with so many layers of toilet paper/newspaper until it looks like a little mummy? Especially when trash bins are lined, just rolling it up should definitely work. Or just go with one layer of paper.

However, something which becomes truly dangerous, is the stigma against menstrual products. Although there are now various products other than pads, we still are biased against them; mainly perhaps because we still believe periods are unclean or that one of our own body parts is disgusting. 

From tampons to menstrual cups, some still believe that these are unclean or would take our virginity; whereas reusable products like menstrual cups can be way less toxic, more comfortable and great for the environment - considering a single woman can generate up to 125 kg of non-biodegradable waste through her menstruating years alone (which takes 500 - 800 years to decompose).

Due to this same notion, in rural areas, women are prevented from accessing menstrual products (even pads), they are confined and they are also prevented from bathing or required to excessively bathe, which significantly increases the risk of vaginal infections - which can lead to results like infections, infertility to death. 

For the same stigma, many medical providers are not equipped to properly diagnose menstrual issues such as endometriosis [a painful disorder often associated with periods] and properly treat it. In interviews with Kenyan advocates working in menstrual health, for example, they say that there is only one paragraph that actually deals with endometriosis in the country's medical textbooks. So doctors in Kenya don't have the training to deal with it.

The concerning fact is that it not only occurs in India but also around the world. This is why we should work towards reducing period stigma and making menstrual products accessible. 

From Very Well Mind here are some ways all of us can help end period stigma:

Discuss Periods Openly, Without Shame

If you don't use code words or hushed tones, those around you will grow used to hearing about menstruation as the normal and natural biological function that it is.

Workplace and School Policy

People can help end period stigma by ensuring that anyone menstruating has access to needed supplies.

They can also use straightforward language when referencing their policies and supplies, to further remove the discussion taboo.

Most importantly, people who menstruate should not be separated or punished for doing so, and policies in a school or workplace stating that clearly, will make for less stigma.

Affordable Sanitary Products

Handling menstruation in a safe manner should not be a luxury for only those who can afford it. We don't question that everyone deserves access to clean drinking water, yet many people don't necessarily think of period supplies as a similar right.

By giving menstruating people access to basic sanitation products, we would be creating a healthier society.

With the above actions, period stigma can be significantly reduced, if not eliminated completely. Beyond the tangible benefits such as less missed work; removing period stigma would have a positive emotional impact on everyone who menstruates.

People would be less stressed about the subject, feel less worried when they needed to discuss it, and stop feeling shame.

Because shaming lowers self-esteem, that element eliminated alone would lead to a happier, healthier population. We all stand to benefit from normalizing menstruation, whether it is one of our biological functions or not. 

So let us perhaps start small, maybe from - informing our friends and family, never hiding our periods, wearing what we want, not standing someone disrespecting us and taking away our opportunities - to perhaps make a change in our own society.