Let’s talk period traditions, taboos and stigmas
Adult females have been menstruating since time began –for hundreds of thousands of years!
Yet, can you believe there’s still a stigma attached to the topic of menstrual periods? Surprisingly, this is still a problem across many cultures and countries, even some of the most developed countries in the world still haven’t quite come to terms with it all.
This stigma and the fact that periods are still very much a taboo subject, is a universal problem that needs addressing.
Traditions surrounding periods
Menstrual cycle traditions have been around for many years and are still very much apparent today across the world.
Unfortunately, many of these are unreasonable and irrational. Throughout various cultures, menstruating women are forbidden to pray, visit religious places of worship, cook, bath or clean themselves, go to school, play sports, drive, take part in sexual activities, speak loudly, sleep in the family home or touch another man or woman.
As you would expect, these restrictions can have a real, negative impact and can affect women physically, mentally and socially. Some of these are very extreme, historical traditions but shockingly, many of them are still in effect. Generally though, across most cultures, it’s conventional that we just don’t talk about periods very much – both women and men alike – and this tendency is proving hard to shift.
What exactly is the 'Big Period Taboo?'
Nowadays in the 21st century, those of us lucky enough to be living in the developed world have a whole array of safe, hygienic and affordable sanitary products readily available to us.
In public bathrooms we have private cubicles with personal sanitary bins on hand so we can discretely dispose of our used sanitary products. ‘Discretely’ being the word here. Why does everything period-related need to be so ‘discrete?’ How would having a nosebleed compare to you having a period?
Would you need to throw that slightly bloodstained hanky in a specially-designed bin or would a regular one do? Would you keep the hankies needed to mop up an impending nosebleed in a hidden compartment inside your handbag or in a fancy, disguised container out of sight?
Would you think twice about paying for said hankies with a male cashier rather than a female and would you be tempted to conceal them under your loaf of bread in your shopping basket? No, it’s likely hankies wouldn’t get the same treatment as sanitary products. It’s pretty apparent we have a tendency to keep everything period-related as hidden as possible – the big period taboo.
Periods are so often shed in a negative light
Having a period is such a normal part of life for so many women around the world; yet, the topic is so readily avoided and, let’s be honest, tainted.
Let’s think about TV and films for a second. Period adverts are fairly common here in the UK – yes now, after a long time coming though! But when they do appear let’s just think about what they involve. Usually a nice example of how a sanitary pad can so impeccably absorb some nice blue liquid without a single spillage or leak. Wait, blue liquid? Why is it blue? It should be red, right? Everyone knows this, so why are companies so reluctant to use a red liquid to signify period blood? Only very recently has Bodyform been one of the first companies to depict red blood in it’s most recent advert – and it made headlines! It’s that big taboo again – it clearly isn’t regarded as socially acceptable to talk about periods properly and say it how it is, and only now perhaps, companies are starting to try and change this way of thinking.
Films are the same – ok, so periods are mentioned sometimes, but they aren’t exactly shed in a positive light for the most part. Think about the series of period-related events in the films Carrie, Only Yesterday or the more modern comedy Superbad – need I say more?
How did this stigma come about?
There’s a certain stigma attached to periods that has stemmed back from misconceptions and most probably a lack of education in previous years.
OK, so I have to admit, without proper education periods could be quite alarming. A woman is bleeding with no obvious injury or root cause and this miraculously crops up every month, it then curiously stops if a woman is pregnant, breastfeeding or is lucky enough to reach middle age. Monthly periods could also appear to be in tune with the moons and therefore it isn’t totally unwarranted for one to assume that there might be something supernatural going on! So, yes, I can see why the traditions and stigmas traditionally came about, but on the most part, there have been huge advances in education and these misunderstandings should be getting cleared up. Having a period doesn’t mean a woman is ‘unclean’ or ‘being possessed (!)’ it means a woman is healthy, fertile and is able to have a baby – one of the biggest gifts of life. We need to try and ensure people appreciate this.
Worryingly, in some countries the education is there but it is then overcome by the taboo or stigma surrounding the topic. Younger women aren’t educated prior to their first menses. This results in initial shock, and when these girls aren’t reassured they naturally assume it is some sign of disease or ill-health. This only intensifies the obligatory need for women to feel ashamed, worried and feel they have to improvise with unsafe, unsanitary provisions in an attempt to keep their monthly bleed under wraps.
What other issues are there surrounding this topic and what are the next steps?
Education, traditions and taboos aren’t the only barriers out there by any means; economic status, sanitation and a lack of resources are also issues in many countries, but with time we are slowly beginning to tackle some of these problems. Taxes have been reduced on sanitary products in some countries which is a good starting point, and many charities are having a big focus on aiming to provide women with safe, hygienic sanitary products.
This is a big step and has rarely been a focus in previous years. But we do still need a bigger push to somehow normalise periods, to start talking about this topic more freely and openly rather than shying away from it. Let’s stop feeling embarrassed and stop surrounding this topic with negativity – we need to set an example and remove the stigma once and for all!
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