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It’s Time to Stop Period Shaming

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I’m tired of treating it like illicit, secretive activity. There are so many things wrong with the treatment of the menstrual cycle, right down to the way it’s spelled (It’s mensTRUal and NOT mensTURal). There are three major problems with how people handle this health phenomenon that nearly every woman and transgender man experiences:

  1. It shouldn’t be so hard to talk about.

A woman’s period is just going to happen. Usually, it happens every 30 days for 2-7 days but it varies from woman to woman. I’ll go into more detail in the next point. I think it’s primarily a taboo among women because of how men react to it. When a woman starts talking about her period, the immediate reaction is “I don’t want to hear it.” Sometimes it’s even a polite, “that makes me uncomfortable.” Men, why does that make you uncomfortable? Do you want to know what makes me uncomfortable? The stinging, twisting pain in my lower abdomen that I get before, during, and after my cycle. The pulsating pain inside my vagina when my flow is heavy. The feeling of pulling a tampon out or the sweat running down my face as I wonder if I have leaked or bled through my underwear. It’s a struggle, and it’s quite gross in my opinion, but it’s going to happen and I’m done whispering about it. When a woman needs help in any of these situations and doesn’t talk about it, she puts herself in danger of severe embarrassment, unnecessary pain, and sometimes hospitalization. Women: Talk about it with your mom, your dad, your siblings, your significant other, anyone you live with or anyone who claims to care about your wellbeing; Talk about it because you want to take care of yourself and because it’s going to happen for a very large portion of your life. Talk about it because it’s nothing out of the ordinary.

2. It should be better understood by both sexes.

We are drowning in a sea of information about reproductive health and a lot of us ignore that. So, here’s a very brief guide to the menstrual cycle. If you already know all of this, great! But remember that unfortunately there are a lot of people who don’t understand the following information:

Menstruation is a woman’s monthly bleeding or shedding of the lining of the uterus. When that happens regularly, it is called the Menstrual Cycle, which lasts anywhere from 21-45 days. At the beginning of the cycle, the lining of the uterus thickens and there is more blood to prepare for the development of an embryo. The eggs are ready, the woman is ovulating, and that egg is not fertilized. So, that lining is shed and she has what we call her “period.”

At the beginning of the cycle, certain hormone levels rise, and at the end, levels fall.

EVERY CYCLE IS DIFFERENT. Let’s debunk some lies about the menstrual cycle:

  • Period cramps are real and they can be very unpleasant. The muscles in the uterus actually have to contract for menstruation to happen, and that can be very painful (especially if you have longer periods, a heavier flow, or if you smoke).
  • Women are not always angrier on their periods. A woman’s emotions do not depend on her period. In fact, whatever the situation is, she would probably feel the same about it whether she was on her period or not at the time. However, fluctuating levels of estrogen and other growth hormones during the cycle can escalate or depress certain moods and emotions.
  • It’s more than just blood. Sometimes the blood can be chunky, and it’s not always bright red. The muscle contractions cause a lot of women to have diarrhea while on their period. Some women get migraines for an entire week or vomit when they get cramps. Some women fall asleep at 6pm and cry during comedies. Everyone is different.

3. Everyone needs to be more understanding. On both sides.

No matter what sex you are, you shouldn’t shame a woman about what happens during her period. She could be in a lot of pain or having mood swings that she can’t control. She probably doesn’t want any jokes or crass comments about it on top of this involuntary bodily function. When she talks about it, try not to make a face; it may make her feel a lot better. When she’s uncharacteristically angry or sad, don’t assume it’s because of her period. Just don’t. It isn’t “shark week,” she isn’t “bloody mary,” and her vagina has not become “the red sea.” Her reproductive system is just doing what it does, so let her pass her friend a tampon out in the open instead of behind her back.

Where you can find more information about periods:

womenshealth.gov and youngwomenshealth.org

(Information gathered from womenshealth.gov and kidshealth.org)

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