Period Stigma: The Power of Periods
Periods. A seven-letter word, a seven-day process (on average), a monthly occurrence that enables life, yet is rarely spoken about. Like most menstruators, I can recall the first time I got my period: Scared, confused, overjoyed–a storm of emotions occurring simultaneously. A strong sense of excitement filled my body; the overwhelming pride I felt finally becoming a “woman.” I wanted to scream from the top of my lungs, “I GOT MY PERIOD! I’M A WOMAN!” My immediate instinct was to tell all the people I knew and loved, to make them aware of this monumental moment. My feelings of joy and accomplishment, however, dissipated soon after being met with glares of disbelief and disgustment. “Sophia, you’re not supposed to tell other people.” “Why are you even excited? That’s so gross!” At the time, my mind couldn’t fully comprehend the hatred my peers held towards periods. What I perceived as a sacred, beautiful streak of blood was seen by many as an inconvenient, disgusting red splotch. Defeated by these negative reactions, I asked myself how this beautiful biological process became such a hated and negative experience.
“In many ancient civilizations, there were a plethora of myths surrounding reproductive health and menstruation.”
In many ancient civilizations, there were a plethora of myths surrounding reproductive health and menstruation. The Ancient Greeks speculated the moon cycle was intrinsically linked with one’s menstrual cycle, theorizing an omnipotent spiritual and mental connection with the moon. The word “menstruation” is in fact derived from the Latin and Greek word for moon, mene (Healthline). Similarly, in Indigenous culture, more specifically in Ojibwe tradition, menstruation was classified as “moon time”: a period when women are sent home to seek refuge and reflection (Healthline). In many Asian cultures, menstruation was viewed as “dirty bodily refuse”, and the blood was considered dirty and impure. Many women were kicked out of their homes because menstrual blood and menstruation were viewed as bad omens. Contrastingly, some cultures viewed periods as a positive. The Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma considered menstrual blood representative of “feminine strength” and a powerful force potent enough to eliminate enemies. Menstrual blood was considered a sacred source of strength for the community (Healthline).
The historical roots of period stigma can be traced back to the marginalization of women in many cultures when women were seen as “the other sex.” This paved the way for the creation of the “patriarchy,” defined as a “social organization marked by the supremacy of the father in the clan or family, the legal dependence of wives and children, and the reckoning of descent and inheritance in the male line,” or more broadly, the “control by men of a disproportionately large share of power” (Merriam-Webster). Established gender roles forced women to be confined to the stereotypical role of “caregiver,” taking care of the home and the children, while men went out to hunt and adopted the role of “breadwinner.” This idea that women were, and for many people still are the “inferior sex,” led to the neglect of women in numerous spheres, including education. A lack of proper menstrual health education contributed to false stereotypes and assumptions made about periods and intensified period stigma. It wasn’t until the 1850s that women were allowed to attend schools and universities and receive a proper education, and by that point, an educational curriculum had already been established that neglected menstrual health education. Until the 1850s, access to education was primarily limited to privileged, wealthy, white men. As a result, reproductive health was never considered a priority and received little attention in classrooms.
”A lack of proper menstrual health education contributed to false stereotypes and assumptions made about periods and intensified period stigma.”
The historical lack of general understanding and normalization of menstruation led to the creation of weak and insufficient menstrual health curriculums for schools that permeate into modern curriculums. Personally speaking, despite being in one of the best school districts in the country, all I can recall from my five-day-long “period talk” was that tampons could expand in the presence of liquid and that menstrual pads stick onto underwear. The “boys” and “girls” were separated into two rooms, and I vividly remember the laughs echoing from the boys’ classroom. When the talk ended and we left the rooms, the boys would point and laugh at us girls, saying we were gross for “bleeding.” In retrospect, I firmly believe the reason why period stigma (and any stigma for that matter) exists is due to ignorance.
The word stigma itself can simply be defined as “a set of negative and often unfair beliefs that a society or group of people have about something” (Merriam-Webster). What fuels these “negative and often unfair beliefs” is a lack of education. Insufficient menstrual health education intensifies period stigma because people perpetuating these beliefs have no basic understanding of periods and the process.
This lack of education was exacerbated by the New Germ Theory, “a theory in medicine [where]: infections, contagious diseases, and various other conditions result from the action of microorganisms” of the 1900s, which classified menstruation as a “hygienic issue”(Merriam-Webster). This shift allowed big companies to profit off of scared and uneducated consumers, ultimately leading to the creation of the Pink Tax, additional charges associated with “feminine” products, and the Tampon Tax, additional charges associated with menstrual products (both “feminine” products and menstrual products are seen as luxury, nonessential goods). Labeling menstruation as a “hygienic issue” rather than a biological process promoted negative notions about periods.
“Labeling menstruation as a “hygienic issue” rather than a biological process promoted negative notions about periods.”
Menstruation began to be perceived as something unsanitary, leading to further avoidance of menstrual health discussions. Marketing also played a huge role in the intensification of period stigma. Period ads perpetuated the notion that menstruation was a taboo topic not to be discussed. Reinforced was the idea that menstruation was a “mystery” (maybe because it is since there is a lack of research!!). “Period euphemisms” (e.g. That time of the month, Shark Week, Aunt Flow) were established by companies to avoid using the actual word “period” (Aunt Flow). Additionally, companies overexaggerated the difficulties that ensued from menstruation as if it were a detrimental problem that could only be fixed by the menstrual products sold by the companies. There is also a sociocultural component that has led to period stigma. A false myth that has been greatly speculated over time is that tampons lead to menstruators losing their virginity (untrue). The phrase “cherry popping” was coined, referring to the tearing of the hymen, “the small, thin piece of tissue at the opening of [one’s] vagina” (Planned Parenthood). The tearing of one’s hymen can lead to minor bleeding, hence the name “cherry popping.” Historically, the tearing of the hymen has been linked with losing one’s virginity (this is a false assumption). Many activities can cause the tearing of one’s hymen, including riding a horse, getting a pelvic exam, and inserting a tampon (Cleveland Clinic). For these reasons, many menstruators have avoided using and discussing tampons.
Although the term “woman”/“women” has been frequently used in this blog given that throughout history people who menstruate were predominantly classified as women, it is important to acknowledge that not all people who menstruate identify with this term. Period stigma harms not only women but anyone with a female reproductive system. This encompasses people assigned females at birth, including members of the transgender and nonbinary communities. Not being inclusive when discussing the menstrual health curriculum further marginalizes and invalidates these communities, which is why it is important to be gender inclusive and use the term “menstruators” to refer to anyone who menstruates.
Period stigma remains a pressing issue affecting society all over the world. As identified by Georgetown Project RISHI, a major challenge facing women in rural Rajasthan is the stigma associated with menstruation. Due to the lack of education surrounding menstrual health, many women become susceptible to negative health consequences and infections. In hopes of reducing this stigma and lack of education, Georgetown Project RISHI partnered with EcoFemme to launch a pilot program in two villages in rural Ajmer, Rajasthan: Nokheda and Rudali Villages. We promoted menstrual health educational workshops where participating women could learn about female anatomy, the menstrual cycle, and different sanitary products available in the market. We were also able to distribute reusable, eco-friendly EcoFemme sanitary pads. After seeing the overwhelmingly positive results of this effort, we decided to scale up our menstrual health initiative. As previously mentioned, a large contributor to period stigma is a lack of available menstrual health education. Inadequate education can lead to many stereotypes associated with menstruation. Georgetown Project RISHI’s EcoFemme program has taken substantial measures to address menstrual hygiene challenges and stigma faced by women in rural India. The program's educational, eco-friendly, and cost-effective approach underscores our commitment to sustainability and effectiveness.
”Georgetown Project RISHI’s EcoFemme program has taken substantial measures to address menstrual hygiene challenges and stigma faced by women in rural India.”
So why periods? Why menstrual health education? Why am I writing this blog post and why are you still reading it? Well, the unequivocal truth is that we all know someone who menstruates. Whether it’s our sibling, our next-door neighbor, or even ourselves, periods are something that affects everyone. The process of menstruation enables human life (the inner lining of the uterus, the endometrium, is lined with blood and tissue used to support the growth of a fetus). Period poverty is a neglected public health issue affecting millions of menstruators, and in order to reduce this rate, periods must be normalized so they can be discussed and promoted in policy settings. To quote artist Maia Schwartz, “Menstruation is the only blood that is not born from violence, yet it’s the one that disgusts you the most.” Only with the enrichment in the discussion of menstrual health education can we make great strides towards achieving gender equality.
A big thank you to Georgetown Project RISHI Vice President of Public Relations and Marketing, Nicole Vernot-Jonas, for giving me the incredible opportunity to write about my favorite thing ever (periods), as well as looking over my work and making edits. Additionally, thank you to the board of Georgetown Project RISHI for their support in writing this article. Finally, thank you to my dear friends; Anouk Hirano, Sophia Karaev, and Claire Koehler; for looking over my work and making edits. Let’s normalize periods!
Works Cited
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