We’ve all grown up seeing advertisements on television regarding “that time of the month” where women undergo menstruation. Yes, in many cases there is not even a mention of the term periods. It is a hush-hush affair where the friend, mother or sister simply gets an intuition that the girl is menstruating and hands her with sanitary pads. This can be seen in a Whisper Choice ad where a girl is concerned about how she will be able to perform and win a dance competition, and her mother immediately knows that she needs “better protection.”
These women, despite the pain they go through while menstruating, are somehow able to achieve big feats, simply because they’re wearing sanitary pads of particular companies. Looking at such ads when I had not undergone menarche, I somewhat had the belief that when women menstruate, they must get energetic. Only when I actually started menstruating is when I realized that none of it is true.
1.Mental And Physical Health Deterioration
For a large number of individuals, the time when they menstruate is an extremely tough one, accompanied by severe pain and cramps, mood swings, irritation, sadness and anxiety, as is mentioned in Healthline. Many feel increasingly depressed due to premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), premenstrual syndrome (PMS) as well as a premenstrual exacerbation. Leaves are taken every month from various commitments – because the pain is unbearable and the emotions, all over the place. In such a scenario, it is downright amusing to assume that there is enthusiasm and energy while undergoing menstruation.
2. Absence Of LGBTQIA+ Representation
Another aspect of such advertising that is questionable is the showcasing of only women having their periods. I am yet to see an Indian sanitary pad advertisement where someone other than a woman menstruates. A number of trans men and non-binary individuals undergo spotting and menstruate too. While maybe not at regular intervals, the occurrence is present. The fact that even the health system and advertisement creators of the country have ignored LGBTQIA+ representation in the menstrual space is worrying. Such individuals already face criticism in the wider discourse for no fault of their own and something purely biological like periods should not deem to be an added stressful factor for them.
3. Misleading usage of colours
a) Blue: In television advertisements, the colour associated with periods is always shown as blue. In reality, of course, period blood is red and doesn’t look half as pretty as the ubiquitous flowing blue gel that is shown. However, blood is shown as red in other scenarios like movies or shows, which clearly indicates that period blood is supposed to be dirty and too repulsive to be shown on TV. The word blood isn’t used either – rather the term “geelapan” or wetness in Hindi is used, as can be seen in a Stayfree All Night ad, where the woman struggles to fall asleep due to fear of staining the sheets with her “blue gel.”
b) White: White beds, white curtains, white school uniforms, white sports attire – there is definitely a large amount of white seen in such advertising. The Whisper Ultra ad of schoolgirls in white skirts playing tennis can be used as an example, where the girl feels uncomfortable until she reaches out for this specific branded product. The colour implies a mark of a clear distinction between days when one is not on their period and “those days”. The advertisements tell the consumer that you can do anything you want on your period days without getting scared of any staining or marks. Yet, this shows duplicity. On the one hand, there is an attempt to attract individuals towards the product and build awareness about periods, but at the same time, there is desperate elimination of any signs that indicate if someone is menstruating. In a way, it actually becomes more apparent that someone is menstruating due to the maximal usage of white everywhere, so the concealment strategy employed is actually of no use.
4. Identification Of Sanitary Pads With Hygiene
There is an emphasis on sanitary pads being the most hygienic and clean option to be used during menstruation, whereas in reality, this is not certain. In many cases, people are unaware of other products available, like cloth pads or menstrual cups, which may be more hygienic for some individuals than sanitary pads are. It is more about individual preference and should not be propagated as the most sanitary option available.
As a result of these factors, the advertisements shown on television are largely inaccurate when it comes to a topic as sensitive as menstruation. Rather than engaging in meaningful conversation and showing the real picture, misrepresentation and ambiguity are abound and these attempts to show periods in a light-hearted manner end up being hurtful in the long run for those who menstruate.