I still remember the first time I had my period. Hushed, whispering discussion about bleeding, bloodstain removal and sanitary napkins so that my father wouldn’t hear it.
A few years later I was working out very strenuously during a period and it was my dad who told me to stop it since it’s unhealthy. I being only thirteen at that time was really embarrassed to hear that from him. As I advanced into my older teens I wondered what all the hush was about. It’s normal female physiology and it’s a sign that a woman is fertile and healthy. Why all the whispering and why is it always referred to as “that girls problem” in any conversation?
The crux of the entire issue is where the blood comes from i.e the vagina via the cervix and what that blood really consists of, which is the middle lining of the uterus or the endometrium. Yes, the taboo is because of the female reproductive system being involved. So that’s why there’s so much of whispering or what is typically called “stigma” and it’s pretty much the reason why girls are judged on the basis of the skin revealed by their clothes. The idea is, that women ought not to reveal themselves beyond a certain limit and talking about something involving their uteruses is simply the highest reading on the axis.
And this mentality spreads. The moment anyone takes up the topic of menstruation in public, people immediately start making faces. So many people act awkwardly when I ask for sanitary napkins at the chemist store. I feel like tapping the person’s shoulder and asking him, “why don’t we talk about this over tea and I’ll give you a biology lesson that education obviously didn’t teach you?” But I don’t blame these people. This is how they were raised. This is what their families taught them.
Now after all this you might wonder, why did I take this up? Why do I care and why is this such an issue? That’s because many women are afraid of speaking up about reproductive health problems. Many women in rural and underdeveloped areas are still blamed for not being able to conceive a child and they are unable to talk about problems related to their infertility because of the stigma in the society. Many young girls do not even know about basic menstrual hygiene and they often die of a disease known as Toxic Shock Syndrome or TSS. TSS is a disorder that occurs from using the same period protection for too long, i.e approximately 8-12 hours. Blood serves as a culture medium for bacteria to grow and the infection causes sudden symptoms of vomiting, high blood pressure, high pressure and fever. If not detected and treated on time, it can lead to amputation and even death.
It is this sexism that has not only claimed a thousand female lives but it has put another thousand at risk too and how about I remind you that our monthly spew of blood is the very reason you exist? Rachel from the sitcom F.R.I.E.N.D.S rightly said, “No uterus, no opinion”(**). Yes people, this doesn’t stop just at abortion laws. Don’t express your disgust at cervical blood flow just because you don’t have to go through it. Don’t stare at us for using hot water bottles at work to soothe our cramps, I dare you to manage just a full single day of work with all that abominable pain. Don’t blame us for Pre-Menstrual Syndrome (PMS) just because you were being an obnoxious brat while talking to us. Don’t make your problems into our problems, we have enough of our own.
Concluding I would like to say, that it’s high time this nonsense is put to an end. Let your wives, sisters and daughters express themselves freely, for they don’t deserve to be put at shame for something they can’t help. Take care of them so that they can be healthy and capable mothers to equally healthy children. Spread the knowledge and the love.
(**) Speaking of no uterus, no opinion, here’s a real life story I found in the community today. Women need a say in their own laws. It touched me and you’ll know why when you read it:
Yours sincerely,
Aranya
Picture credits: Pinterest
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Here’s the cover on Pinterest if you find it!
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