Menstruation. A simple biological process that is a large part of most girls' lives. Its arrival can be cause for celebration in some cases, but in others a woman’s period is met with fear or shame. Shame due to the stigma against menstruation, which is clearly exemplified through the sheer variety of euphemisms used. ‘Aunt flow’. ‘Shark week’. ‘That time of the month’. ‘Female issues.’
According to an international survey conducted in 2015 by the period app Clue along with the International Women’s Health Coalition, there are 5000 euphemisms used around the world for the words ‘period’ and ‘menstruation’. Whilst some of these terms may be funny, they also have a darker side because they reinforce the idea that menstruation is something to be ashamed of. What needs to be understood is that without ‘female issues’ life as we know it would not exist, posing the question; why is this word still a taboo, a source of oppression, discrimination and how can we change this?
Things to remind anyone who gets a period:
1. Do not be ashamed - it's normal. But if something does seem off to you, don’t be afraid to go to a doctor and get it checked out - it’s not embarrassing, it’s just life.
2. Educate yourself and then go educate others. Girls AND boys. If we do not feel comfortable talking about our period in front of men, that makes 51.9% of the world that has to be whispered around when it comes to this key issue, and therefore kept under the naïve impression that a woman’s body is always perfect and clean. Make sure that they know that things do get messy.
3. Support others. In our communities, whether that is at home or with friends we still unconsciously promote stigma against menstruation. This could be by judging others for which sanitary product they use or telling a peer to ‘hush’ when asking for a spare pad. It is NOT something that needs to be hidden- this is the idea that needs to be encouraged.
Zarah
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