Menstruation and Stigma

2/2/2020

Image Credit: Photo by The Female Company on Unsplash (https://unsplash.com/photos/Aeh5aSboNTE)

After reading Lindy West's "Are you there, Margaret, It's Me a Person Who is Not a Complete Freak," think about when you first experienced menarche (first period). What was that experience like for you? Was it something that was or secretive? Did you feel shame, pride, fear? How did others around you, like family, act? How does the way in which we, as a society, treat menarche a reflection of how we address issues relating to reproductive health, sexuality, and human rights?

I remember my first period well - like I imagine most of us who menstruate do - I was an early bloomer so it was particularly shocking. It wasn’t the exciting or beautiful thing that they make it out to be in videos on puberty or tampon commercials, rather it was accompanied by a sense of dread. I wasn’t surprised by it, my mom is a nurse and was sure to educate me about puberty and menstruation before any of it happened, I was never afraid to talk to her about these things. Despite this my period still felt shameful and isolating. I hadn’t really considered why I had these feelings about what is a normal bodily function until recently. Lindy West puts it well in her essay Are You There, Margaret? It’s Me A Person Who Is Not A Complete Freak, “The truth is, my discomfort with my period didn’t have anything to do with the thing itself… it was just part of the lifelong, pervasive, alienation from my body that every woman absorbs to some extent”. Logically I knew that what was happening was perfectly normal, it meant I was healthy and growing up, but if that was the case why was I supposed to hide it like I had a shameful secret? Even now I feel embarrassed to write this let alone share it! I wonder, if it weren’t something that affected only one half of the population, would it be treated as a either a secret, a punchline at womxn’s expense? Would sanitary products be treated as a luxury? Would the very real pain that many womxn experience when they menstruate be taken seriously?

Explain what is meant by the term "period poverty" and how it impacts EVERYONE but especially young girls' development, self-esteem, and independence. Give at least 2 examples. Then, search and find two organizations working to combat "period poverty". Who are these organizations and what strategies are they using to combat period poverty?
According to Global Citizen, period poverty is, “the lack of access to sanitary products, menstrual hygiene education, toilets, hand washing facilities, and, or, waste management” (Sanchez and Rodriguez). While this seems like a simple issue with a simple solution, it’s much more complicated. Many women and girls in developing countries are unable to access any sanitary products or if they are, they have nowhere to safely dispose of them. Without these products, they are unable to attend school which studies have shown increases girl’s likelihood of early marriage, early pregnancy, poor nutrition, domestic violence, and poverty (Global Citizen). In addition to being unable to attend school, lack of access to sanitary products and hygiene, the likelihood of health issues such as UTIs increase. This is an issue that impacts everyone not just girls because it limits their potential to fully participate in society. According to WomenDeliver.org, countries with better gender equity have higher GDPs, economic growth, and productivity. When people are educated on menstruation and girls have access to menstrual products, the issue becomes less stigmatized and everyone benefits.
There are many organizations working to solve these issues, two that I found are MINA and WASH United. MINA is an organization working to provide menstrual cups to women and girls, a more eco-friendly option than tampons or pads, and one that lessens the need for disposal of sanitary products. WASH United works on many issues related to period poverty, but most recently worked with Human Rights Watch to release a guide on menstrual hygiene and human rights. Both of these organizations are doing vital work, MINA by providing practical solutions now and WASH by providing education and guidance on a larger scale.

By Claire Budge

Sources:
Sanchez, E., & Rodriguez, L. (n.d.). Period Poverty: Everything You Need to Know. Retrieved February 2, 2020, from https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/period-poverty-everything-you-need-to-know/
West, L. (2017). Shrill. New York: Hachette Books.
Williams, H. (n.d.). These South African Women Are Using Menstruation Cups to Change the World. Retrieved February 2, 2020, from https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/mina-cup-foundation-south-africa-period-poverty/
Women Deliver. (n.d.). Invest in Girls and Women: The Ripple Effect. Retrieved February 2, 2020, from https://womendeliver.org/publications/invest-girls-women-ripple-effect/

12 Comments

Nhi My Ly

2/2/2020 04:43:06 pm

I am currently learning more about menstrual cups and I am thinking about purchasing them however I am still scared about how it works! I love how it is cost friendly and that MINA distributes this to girls in need. I find it really depressing that girls and women have to miss school and work because they lack resources to menstrual products. They also miss school and work because of menstrual symptoms. Some girls can't afford medication to treat the pain and some girls are discriminated for skipping school and work because having their period is not a "good enough" reason. Women lack the respect that they need and this heavily impacts their well-being.

Marisol Bejarano

2/2/2020 05:56:27 pm

I completely understand how you felt when you say you felt shame when you got your period. I also felt shame when I got my period, but because I had a very late start on my period. I was in middle school at the time and all my friends had already gotten their period, but I still hadn't. This made me feel insecure about my body and a bit shamed because I didn't know if there was something wrong with me. I remember telling my mom about it she talked to me and my sister saying that she had also gotten a late period, until she was about 15, which made me feel more secure. Periods can make you feel all kinds of ways that don't always make sense, so having your mom must have been a help!

Caitlin Wort

2/2/2020 07:00:35 pm

I totally understand how you felt when you got your period, I felt the same way too. I was also a super early bloomer so I didn't really have any of my friends to talk to about it and could only really turn to my mom and older sister to speak about what was happening. I felt ashamed and embarrassed that I was the first of my friends to get my period, which is really crazy to think about now! Being able to talk to my mom and sister about it really helped me realize that it was completely normal so you were really lucky to have your mom educate you properly!

Gellila Solmon

2/2/2020 07:59:18 pm

It's ridiculous, that women still have to fight for basic reproductive and sexual health. Everyone knows that women get periods and need sanitary pads, but they are not aware of the lack of resources which are not available to these girls. Good thing that school have jumped on the wagon and provided pads/ tampons to their students, but there are still many girls who have nothing to protect themselves when they are on their period .

Samantha Sinclair

2/2/2020 09:20:02 pm

The reading really made me question why mensuration has such a stigma attached to it. I went to Whole Foods today to buy my own feminine products. I noticed two things. One, I could not find them anywhere! I though is there a reason why they don't list them under the aisle sign. They tag other products like toilet paper, canned goods, frozen food, etc. The other thing I noticed was that the cashier politely bagged my feminine products to hide them. I told her I didn't need any bags, but she still made a point to specifically hide that item.

Dezha S.

2/2/2020 11:13:54 pm

I agree with you that things are much more complicated than what most may think that it similar to the saying "it's easier said than done". Yeah, I think that this applies to many developing countries in more than one circumstance. It is kind of crazy to me that something like the lack of having safe and sanitary products impact when and if a girl is able to go to school or not in order to receive the needed education to be able to expand and grow to their full potential and to have knowledge of certain topics and throughout life. Unfortunately, young girls in these circumstances are often pushed more towards pregnancies, abuse and marriage and this shouldn’t be the case at all there needs to be more conversation on this topic, more support, access and resources need to be offered and to raise awareness to everyone not just women, not just people who live in these certain countries but to everyone. It is nice to know that there are actual organizations out there that are working to develop such an effect program that will help benefit those in need rather than keeping this same cycle going over and over and over again. I would have to do more research on these different organizations and follow any further progress that they make over the years so thank you for including these in your post. Nice job!

Selena Sorn

2/3/2020 06:57:53 pm

I could relate to you about feeling shameful when getting a period. I didn't get my period until I was in high school. Before this, I thought something was wrong with me since the people I would talk to, my friends and cousins got their period in middle school. I feel that if periods affected the whole population, the pain women experience during menstruation would be taken seriously. Most people who don't menstruate like to make assumptions that the pain during menstruation is no big deal and that women are overreacting. However, unless they go through the pain, they shouldn't have a say in how women should be during their period.

Savannah Compton

2/6/2020 10:15:16 pm

I also felt ashamed when i got my period. It is sad that girls feel that way but i feel like its not talked about enough in class or life so it makes them feel this way. Both of those organizations sound like they are doing great work. good job researching them. I think it is so sad that females gave to pay for feminine products but also pay tax on them when men do not. It can get very expensive and adds up fast. I think they should make products more affordable or free so that the money can be better spent on things like groceries.

Jaya Cross

2/12/2020 09:24:09 pm

Hi Claire,

I also remember seeing the commercials that romanticized periods, and when it was time for me to buy them and use them it was not the best experience. I am glad that your mom was able to teach you about periods and how they work. I agree with you that the topic of menstrual cycles can be uncomfortable to speak about. I think our society is doing a better job at normalizing it, but the fact that it can change our moods, and inflicts pain make it undesirable.

Samantha Sinclair

2/16/2020 02:33:06 am

I wonder how menstruation earned the stigma that it has today. It is looked at as a disease or a curse. Something that we can’t talk about and that people should be punished for. We are taxed and charged expensive costs for feminine products, products that are as necessary as toilet paper. We must keep it a secret and never complain of the annoying and inconvenient side effects of “Aunt Flow” coming to town. Our culture should understand it as a female natural process, instead there is shame and fault.

Mariam Elias

3/11/2020 01:43:08 am

You remind me of my story when I first had my period. I was freaking out and didn't know what to do. My mom gave me a pad and told me to not tell my dad or anyone about as if it is a shameful thing to have. Even though, it is a normal thing that every woman gets every month, people still get shameful and get shy even talking about. It is not a shame at all, it is a natural thing that has to happen in order for us to carry a baby or not.

Dolma

3/11/2020 07:20:31 am

In the western culture, the stigma are little to none and many things are changing as we progress ahead in society. But the stigma still exist. From hiding your tampon or pad whenever you're going to bathroom so other don't see it and also not bringing period in a normal conversation especially around boys and men because they might feel disgusted... those little things are proves that stigma exists.

Menstruation and Stigma

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