Our Shared Shelf discussion
Intersectional Feminism
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Decreasing Taboo About Menstruation
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Well, since it impacts so many women I think it is definitely a good thing to raise awareness about it.Maybe it'll also help women who menstruate to be more open about it, and not feel ashamed because of them. Because nobody should feel ashamed because of a natural function of their body!
Getting one's period is such a huge milestone in your journey from girl to womanhood, and yet it is a taboo, and nobody talks about it.
In my opinion, we need to be careful, because talking about periods is not easy - especially for those who by society are expected to have them, but don't, for various reasons. It's like a smack in your face when you don't get periods and still have to come to terms with it and don't expect the topic coming up in a conversation and then - whack.
Maybe one day we'll be so far and can talk about menstruating men too. But when I look at the current state of affairs, I am not too hopeful we will get there any time soon.
When I look at the bar and their goal - I don't want to spit it in the soup, but isn't it rather easy to say you have them when you don't? I see the goal they have, and I think it is good they do something about it, but I also see the issues that rise from such a measure. I am not all negative about it, but I am also not all positive about it.
No body is shameful!
Advertising industry has a lot to answer for. Sanitary product sold like luxury yachts life style choice. and why blue die the idea this is blood so distasteful. Also in the UK at least women's hygiene products are subject to VAT (value added tax) classed as luxury item!
mensuration is almost criminalised I can think of no male equivalent where a natural process is so censured.
it's natural and should be treated as such and not cause women embarrassment.
Emma wrote: "http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-... Found this article interesting. They hope to make periods less taboo by giving a bar discount to women who say they are men..."
There is a video game! That is so great!
This reminds me a little of Aditi Gupta, an engineering student who uses art and storytelling (including comic books) to educate and de-stigmatize menstruation.
Her TED Talk is Here
Menstrupedia Comic
"Passage: A Girl's Guide To Menstruation" by Michelle A. L. Singer is a fantastic body-positive book about menstruation for girls and includes information on cultural celebrations for womanhood around the world, and reuseable options for menstruation too. It's very reasonably priced, and you can get it from the Gladrags shop: https://gladrags.com/product/211/Pass...
I honestly had no idea there was a taboo on periods...
Megan wrote: "I honestly had no idea there was a taboo on periods..."Lucky you. One teacher of my cousin prohibits them to go to the bathroom during a lesson... which is kind of ridiculous when you are 14 years or older.
Emma wrote: "Megan wrote: "I honestly had no idea there was a taboo on periods..."Really? Wow. I've experienced it a lot. The most extreme example I have seen is that I have a friend who is unable to go to he..."
Yeah, you better not read what the Bible has to say about menstruation. It's just really really crass.
Also, my mum was still taught that you can't cook jam for example when you're on your period, which to be honest, is really dumb. The jam doesn't mind if you are on your period or not, it is going to last as long as it does.
MeerderWörter wrote: Lucky you. One teacher of my cousin prohibits them to go to the bathroom during a lesson... which is kind of ridiculous when y..."My grade 7 math teacher had this policy. I started my period in class, said it was an emergency, and still was not allowed to go to the washroom. I bled through my pants and onto the chair at my desk.
It's been many years, and I still remember how embarrassed I was and how embarrassed everyone was for me.
My mother was furious when she came to school to bring me a change of clothes and had it out with the principal then and there.
Math teacher had been a recent hire from an all-boys school and it seriously did not occur to him that girls may start their periods in class and need to go to the washroom for that reason.
MotorCityMomma wrote: "MeerderWörter wrote: Lucky you. One teacher of my cousin prohibits them to go to the bathroom during a lesson... which is kind of ridiculous when y..."My grade 7 math teacher had this policy. I s..."
I'm really sorry to hear what you've been through, that is horrible.
It is a biological function after all, and it really is something that needs to be handled accordingly.
Also, in my surroundings nobody really talks about having them, and if, then always in a way where you have to think on your side and then come to the conclusion that someone has it. Not that I say that you have to blurt it out, but this secrecy is really odd.
MeerderWörter wrote: Not that I say that you have to blurt it out, but this secrecy is really odd."It is. At the time, when I stated it was an emergency and that I absolutely had to go to the washroom immediately, I thought an adult, even a male, would make the association that it could be a period-related request. Guess not.
MeerderWörter wrote: "MotorCityMomma wrote: "MeerderWörter wrote: Lucky you. One teacher of my cousin prohibits them to go to the bathroom during a lesson... which is kind of ridiculous when y..."My grade 7 math teach..."
I am so sorry that teachers don't seem to understand that a woman can't control her menstrual flow. It can be fine at the beginning of class and then just cause her to need to go to the bathroom. I think that teachers, as well as society, should become better educated that this is a normal part of a girls life. It isn't a myth or taboo. When I was young, it was considered a monthly sickness. Many of the girls I knew actually took off school during their monthly flows. They were embarrassed and afraid of not being able to care for themselves. Teachers ignored the subject and had no empathy or regard for these young girls. It was a taboo subject. Even gym teachers avoided any talk of menstruation or possible pregnancy issues or even the relation of one to the other. I learned from my mother's nursing school texts. When I had my own children, my son, included, I made sure they were well aware of the naturalness of menstruation and sex education. It was an open topic in our home and questions were welcome.
MaryJane wrote: "I made sure they were well aware of the naturalness of menstruation and sex education. It was an open topic in our home and questions were welcome. "So true. It is so important.
This is why I was so happy to find "PASSAGES: A GIRL'S GUIDE" to give to my daughters because it is so frank and body positive. I know I mentioned it up thread too, but it really is a fantastic book.
When I was 12 my PE teacher said girls used our periods to skip class because we were lazy. I was so angry... But I couldn't do anything because I was "just a child" and he was a "respectable teacher". I hope that nowadays girls become braver and stand for their rights and report this kind of sexism to other teachers, parents or associations.
Eva wrote: "When I was 12 my PE teacher said girls used our periods to skip class because we were lazy. I was so angry... But I couldn't do anything because I was "just a child" and he was a "respectable teach..."I hope so too, that is horrible!
Periods to skip classes, my my, where are we going?!
Eva wrote: "When I was 12 my PE teacher said girls used our periods to skip class because we were lazy. I was so angry... But I couldn't do anything because I was "just a child" and he was a "respectable teach..."Girls did that when I was in HS also. Teachers had no empathy or respect for the girls. They were often denied permission to go to the bathroom until class was over.
I don't remember any discriminatory attitudes from HS in the 80's but when I heard that girls in Africa don't go to school because they are menstruating I was furious.Since I switched to reusable cloth menstrual pads around 2003 I've never looked back. I've only had to replace them once and I did so from a Company that supports women in Africa making cloth pads for local girls.
MeerderWörter wrote: "Eva wrote: "When I was 12 my PE teacher said girls used our periods to skip class because we were lazy. I was so angry... But I couldn't do anything because I was "just a child" and he was a "respe..."Goodness how awful. I hope he felt shame later in life as he saw how attitudes have changed. We even advertise it now on tv, though why it’s blue I have no Idea!
MaryJane wrote: "Eva wrote: "When I was 12 my PE teacher said girls used our periods to skip class because we were lazy. I was so angry... But I couldn't do anything because I was "just a child" and he was a "respe..."I had that happen to me and I asked my best friend to tell the male teacher for me as I was terrified of standing up. He was fine about it and gave me a sympathetic smile as I slunk out of class bright red and embarrassed! Some male teachers were decent 💕
P.J. wrote: "MaryJane wrote: "Eva wrote: "When I was 12 my PE teacher said girls used our periods to skip class because we were lazy. I was so angry... But I couldn't do anything because I was "just a child" an..."I am glad you had a good experience. Of course there are decent male teachers :)
anything that helps decrease both the taboo and the misinformation about periods will be helpful, i think. i remember hearing that a woman could never be elected president because she would not be able to make clear decisions once a month!i was once in a male-female support group whose goal it was to become informed about how each other thought, their perspectives on things, etc. i'd heard that one man refused to join because he didn't trust anyone who could 'bleed for 5 days and not die'.
when my own daughters got their first periods, i helped them insert their first tampons (i'd heard horror stories about putting them in the wrong place) and we went out to dinner as a family to celebrate their passage from girl to woman.
they were embarrassed about the idea, but the dinners actually went well and we all enjoyed ourselves. we didn't make it the focus of dinner conversation, but we all knew the reason for the dinner and that seemed enough.
boys go through their first ejaculation, and usually all that entails is a change of sheets. when is it going to be ok to be a woman?
Sandra wrote: "anything that helps decrease both the taboo and the misinformation about periods will be helpful, i think. i remember hearing that a woman could never be elected president because she would not be ..."I love the idea of going out to celebrate the first period, you're a great mom! I see it like saying to girls they don't have to be ashamed and t'hat's a natural change. If I ever have a daughter I will do the same :)
MeerderWörter wrote: "Eva wrote: "When I was 12 my PE teacher said girls used our periods to skip class because we were lazy. I was so angry... But I couldn't do anything because I was "just a child" and he was a "respe..."When I was a teen you were allowed to sit out PE class if you were on your period, so girls who didn't like to sweat sometimes claimed to have their period to get out of class. The teachers couldn't do anything about it, so I get where your teacher were coming from. Still an extremely rude thing to say.
Eva wrote: "Sandra wrote: "anything that helps decrease both the taboo and the misinformation about periods will be helpful, i think. i remember hearing that a woman could never be elected president because sh..."thanks, eva. very sweet of you to say that.
i just remembered what an awkward time it was for me, with my mom, and i didn't want the shame to be like that between me and my girls.
I never went through this menstruation taboo before. girls always were able to talk freely about their periods among their family and even their friends. Because we simply see it as something natural. And we actually do have some sort of celebration when we first got our periods. I remember my mum happily going to everyone in my family saying that i got my first period and i was so embarrassed. And i heard many other funny stories from my friends Teachers at school also always would allow girls to have a break to go to the bathroom or not participate in PE when they have their menstruation but unfortunately there are many girls who use menstruation as an excuse and teachers feel hesitated whether they should allow them or not.
Emma wrote: "https://www.nationalgeographic.com/ph...I didn't even know that this practice existed today, but it is absolutely awful. The photo series I linked ..."
This sort of thing used to be common in many cultures but now thankfully less so, the fact it is still happening is disturbing to say the least.
Thanks to your discussion topic I remembered something I read in a newspaper article the other day. It also deals with the taboo generally associated with menstruation. https://www.glamour.com/story/bodyfor...