Menstruation is not a ‘girl problem’. But yes, we the ones who bleed know that there are problematic aspects.
I want to talk about our fathers. If only they knew that this isn’t a problem to be indifferent towards, while simultaneously avoiding the ‘ick’ factor. If only they knew that it wasn’t a problem which needed to be fixed, but that they could still do something about it.
Are you scared of the sudden tears and irritation, or is it the bleeding – or both? Be a man, that is all I ask. Be. A. Man.
“How to do this?” you ask. “Patriarchy told me to run away from it and I am doing that! I don’t want to embarrass her!”
Well, I would have liked my father to give me a box when I was a teenager. Its contents would show me that he was there for me, but also give me practical choices, and undo the indoctrination of shamefully hiding periods from the men in our lives.
The Box:
1. Chocolate and/or ice cream for comfort.
2. Combiflam for pain relief.
3. Sanitary napkins and/or tampons.
4. A hot water bottle for pain relief and comfort.
5. A pharmacy card for the times I want to make my own hygiene-product choices.
6. An answer for every question – because if he isn’t embarrassed, he will be teaching me that I have nothing to be embarrassed about!
PS: Thank you, dad, for paying for my tampons while the pharmacist stared at you in agony.
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Featured image used for representative purposes only.