Is Menstruation (Periods) A Contagious Disease?
No way! It’s just a natural and biological process. It is a need of the female body. It is necessary for the growth of the human species.
Different women have different cycles with pain ranging from mild to unbearable, with menstruation going from 2–5 days. A period is when a woman’s body releases tissue it no longer needs. This tissue comes from the uterus.
Every month the uterus lining gets thicker to prepare for a fertilised egg if the woman becomes pregnant. If not, that lining is released from the body as blood through the vagina monthly and called periods.
Why Are People Ashamed?
Illiteracy could be the main reason for making it taboo. People don’t have proper knowledge, so they don’t understand why it is important.
In some urban areas, it is seen that the females who were in their periods are not allowed to enter the temples and restricted to touch the holy books too because people consider it as dirty and contagious. Whereas not entering the kitchen is the main restriction among the rural girls during menstruation.
Some people make code words and slang to call its name. But the question is, why do even educated people do the same? Cultural myths could be a reason for this. Cultural norms and religious taboos on periods are often compounded by traditional associations with evil spirits, shame and embarrassment surrounding sexual reproduction.
In some cultures, women bury their clothes during menstruation to prevent them from being used by evil spirits. And interestingly, in Asia, including India, such beliefs are still practised. However, there seems to be no logical or scientific explanation for this.
The four Vedas never state anywhere that a woman’s body is impure during menstruation.
Physical health and personal hygiene are an intrinsic part of a woman’s well-being during menstruation. The use of sanitary napkins, tampons and menstrual cups is important during menstruation.
If you ignore the use of safe products, then it will lead to fungal infections, reproductive tract infections, urinary infections and more serious diseases and even make you vulnerable to infertility.