Hey girls, are you comfortable in talking about your periods, or the problems associated with it, to your father, brother, male friends or boyfriend?
Hey boys, have you ever sat with your daughter, sister, mother, female friends or girlfriends or non-binary and transgender folx to talk about periods?
Do you buy sanitary napkins just like the other stuff you buy from the market or do you just wrap it up in a newspaper or put it in the black polythene bag to hide it? What are you hiding there? Just a sanitary napkin or womanhood? Have you ever thought about this? If you haven’t thought, then you need to be reading this:
Bleeding is natural. Menstruation is a natural biological process that eventually gives birth to a new life.
- Most of the girls get their first period at 12-13 years of age or maybe 15 because everybody has their own schedule.
- Period happens because of changes in hormones in the body; they are the chemical messengers.
- A female body releases two hormones, namely – estrogen and progesterone.
- These hormones cause the lining of the uterus or womb to build up. The built-up lining is ready for a fertilised egg to attach and start developing.
- If there is no fertilised egg, the lining breaks down and bleeds. Then the same happens all over again.
- It usually takes about a month for the lining to build up, then breaks down. So periods occur once a month.
This is the scientific and logical cause of the periods. But in society, there are taboos and rumours rotating around the name of the menstrual cycle.
- A menstrual woman shouldn’t be touched.
- They shouldn’t enter the kitchen during their periods.
- Women should not wash their hair during periods.
- They should not touch God in their periods.
- They should not share their food during periods.
- They should not eat curd.
And many more. Isn’t it? Since ancient times, women are considered impure as they bleed. They believe that women are cursed, so they bleed. Today in the 21st century, we still practice these taboos. We are still not free to talk about this. Most women, transgender, lesbians around the globe bleed. There is nothing to hide, feel awkward or be shy about. Let us normalise this!
Talk to the people who menstruate— your mother, sister, daughter, wife, girlfriend and any menstruator-ask them about PERIODS. Take care of them during their periods. Let’s all come together and end this stigma around menstruation.
LET US BLEED FREE!