Debunking Menstruation Taboos
In society worldwide, menstruation is seen as a shameful, taboo, or unspeakable occurrence that naturally happens to about half of the world's population. According to UNICEF, 1.8 billion people worldwide menstruate every month, yet the LANCET Group has researched that only an estimated 500 million of these people can attain menstrual health education. Therefore, menstrual health is now being classified as a public health & human rights issue. Here at Lala's Bedtime Tales, we are working towards spreading education, awareness, and normalizing a natural body function, menstruation. So, check out this informative blog that sheds light on menstrual health awareness and equity.
Menstrual Health Awareness
Menstrual health combines physical, mental, and social well-being concerning the menstrual cycle. Not just the absence of disease, it means that for a menstruating person to achieve menstrual health, they need access to education about the menstrual cycle, access to menstrual products, and health care services. Comprehensive menstrual health allows the individual to decide on self-care and whether and how to participate in all spheres of life during all phases of her menstrual cycle without being a victim of menstrual-related stigma, violence, discrimination, or exclusion.
According to the Global Menstrual Collective (http://www.globalmenstrualcollective.org/), achieving menstrual health implies that women, girls, and all other people who experience a menstrual cycle throughout their life course, can:
Access accurate, timely, age-appropriate information about the menstrual cycle, menstruation, and changes experienced throughout the life course and related self-care and hygiene practices.
Care for their bodies during menstruation such that their preferences, hygiene, comfort, privacy, and safety are supported. This includes accessing and using effective and affordable menstrual materials and having supportive facilities and services, including water, sanitation, and hygiene services, for washing the body and hands, changing menstrual materials, and cleaning and/or disposing of used materials.
Being able to access timely diagnosis, treatment, and care for menstrual cycle-related discomforts and disorders, including access to appropriate health services and resources, pain relief, and strategies for self-care.
Experience a positive and respectful environment concerning the menstrual cycle, free from stigma and psychological distress, including the resources and support they need to confidently care for their bodies and make informed decisions about self-care throughout their menstrual cycle.
Decide whether and how to participate in all spheres of life, including civil, cultural, economic, social, and political, free from menstrual-related exclusion, restriction, discrimination, coercion, and/or violence during all menstrual cycle phases.
The Different Stages of the Menstrual Cycle
The menstrual cycle has four distinct stages: menstruation, follicular phase, ovulation, and luteal or secretory phase.
Menstruation starts with the first day of bleeding and usually lasts 5-7 days, with heavier bleeding during the first couple of days and becomes lighter over time.
The cycle's follicular phase overlaps with menstruation and describes what is happening with the ovaries during this time. During the follicular phase, the ovaries are getting ready to produce an egg or ovulate. This time frame is variable but usually lasts from cycle day 1-ovulation, which is often about cycle day 14. Because of hormonal signals received from the brain, the ovaries start growing follicles, and one or maybe two of the follicles become dominant and release an egg.
This part of the menstrual cycle is called ovulation. Many women notice ovulation symptoms such as increased cervical mucus, increased libido or desire for sex, and ovulatory pain of the ovary. The time period from ovulation to menstruation during the secretory phase does not vary. This is a set time period usually lasting 12-16 days from ovulation until the period of bleeding starts again. The luteal phase refers to the corpus luteum in the ovary, which is the follicle that released the egg or ovum, and now recedes and resolves.
The secretory or luteal phase refers to the cushy, bloody lining of the uterus, called endometrium, which grows during this time under the influence of progesterone to be a nourishing environment to support a fertilized egg to implant and grow into a pregnancy. If pregnancy is not achieved during the menstrual cycle, this lining of the uterus sheds in what is commonly known as period bleeding.
Understanding PMS & PMDD
PMS or premenstrual syndrome and PMDD or premenstrual dysphoric disorder refer to symptoms both physical and mental, and emotionally experienced by the individual in a cyclic manner, specifically during the luteal phase or the 12-16 days before menstrual bleeding occurs. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 85% of people who menstruate experience PMS symptoms. Common symptoms include bloating, headaches, low energy, and mood changes such as irritability, tearfulness, depression, breast tenderness, acne, and many other period-related ailments. These symptoms resolve once bleeding starts. To make this diagnosis, a health care provider will want to review three months of menstrual symptoms with you. Keeping track of your symptoms in a daily journal is helpful for women to understand their bodies and overall health. In addition, three to nine percent of women experience PMDD, a severe case of PMS with symptoms so severe that it becomes detrimental to their ability to function in their daily lives.
Menstruation Effect On Your Physical & Mental Health
Menstrual cycle disorders can impact physical, mental, and social well-being, impacting the quality of life, physical discomfort, and abnormal bleeding. Physical symptoms like fatigue, acne and oily skin, changes in sleep, and sex drive are common. Bleeding, breast tenderness, and cramps can significantly interrupt daily life. Stress can lead to shorter menstrual cycles, skipped ovulation, and increased anxiety and pain. We can at least educate ourselves about how they can affect our bodies and minds. Our menstrual cycles are divided into four phases, each of which affects our hormones and our mental health quite differently.
Here's what you can expect from each phase of the Menstrual Cycle:
Menstruation, or the week you get your period, can be a rollercoaster. Many people feel bloated and sluggish during the first day or two of their periods, and some struggle with painful cramps that can take a toll on you emotionally. But about halfway through, as estrogen levels rise, your mood lifts, and you begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
As estrogen and testosterone levels rise leading up to ovulation in the follicular phase, mood tends to improve. Women often have a feeling of well-being, and calm prevails.
Testosterone levels spike at the beginning of ovulation, and so does sex drive. Not only will many people crave sex more, but they'll also feel sexier.
But beware, while the first days of ovulation may be fun, by the end, estrogen and testosterone levels drop, and progesterone levels rise, which can make people feel lethargic. Some also experience a slight "pre-PMS" during this time, leading to increased irritability and intense food cravings.
Different people experience different symptoms. The week leading up to menstruation in the luteal phase often leaves us feeling sad, anxious, and irritable due to low estrogen levels.
PMS can also aggravate existing mental illnesses, such as depression, and if symptoms intensify significantly, it might be time to seek help from a professional healthcare provider.
Poor Menstrual Hygiene Is Bad For Your Health
Poor menstrual hygiene management practices such as inadequate menstrual protection and insufficient washing facilities may increase susceptibility to infection and could potentially put girls at risk of being stigmatized. During menstruation, women are more vulnerable to the risk of infection (including sexually transmitted infection).
Here are five bad menstrual hygiene habits that could be a risk to your health and cause infections in your reproductive tracts:
1) Unclean Sanitary Napkins:
We knew there's a reason why sanitary napkins come in multiple covers! Using unclean pads can lead to fungal infections/yeast infections, urinary tract infections, or vaginal and uterine infections. Around the world, many women still use things like dried leaves, plastic, and cloth as a substitute for pads.
2) Wearing one pad for way too long:
Many of us are guilty of this one, and it is one of the worst things to do. If you do not change your pads frequently (at least every 6-8 hours), you are much more prone to develop rashes and vaginal infections with the side effect of foul odor.
3) Unprotected sex during your period:
Many of you might be confident about not getting pregnant due to period sex, and we'd beg to differ. Even if the chances seem less, you can still get pregnant if you do not take proper precautions. Please use protection, not just because you could get pregnant but also because you are more likely to contract an STD (sexually transmitted disease) like herpes, HIV, and Hepatitis B during this time of the month.
4) Unsafe disposal of your sanitary napkin:
It is best to dispose of menstrual pads and tampons by wrapping them up, so blood is not leaking and putting them in the garbage. Never flush menstrual pads or tampons. Exposed menstrual products can cause serious health concerns like Hepatitis B for the waste collector. Not to mention the societal health risk when these pads clog rivers and roadsides and contribute to the toxic air pollution from garbage dumps.
5) Not washing your hands
It's essential to wash your hands before and after going to the bathroom or changing menstrual protection.
Menstruation Changes Throughout Your Life Span?
Menstruation changes throughout our lifespan. Menarche is the first menstrual period, which usually occurs between the ages of 11-16 years old. The first few years of menstrual bleeding may be erratic and light or heavier. Once the body starts ovulating regularly, the menstrual cycle will regularly come every 25-35 days and continue until a woman becomes pregnant or achieves menopause. Menopause is one year without having menstrual periods. It usually occurs at about 51 years old and means a woman can no longer become pregnant.
Don't Shy Away from Menstrual Health Conversations with Children
Children need access to education about biological health and practical information to ensure good menstrual health. An excellent time to educate children about menstrual health is when the child is interested. Sometimes children are with their mothers in the bathroom and notice if the mom is changing menstrual protection or if there is blood in the toilet. That is a typical time to explain that women bleed once a month if they are not pregnant; it doesn't mean that she is sick or ill, and it doesn't hurt much. As the child gets older, more education can be given to anticipate changes in the human body and not be afraid when she starts bleeding. As she experiences her first few menstrual cycles, providing age-appropriate information about the body and how to handle menstrual products like pads, tampons, menstrual cups, and personal hygiene is essential. She needs to know about menstrual changes that are normal and expected versus what might indicate a medical problem. She needs clear and practical education about reproduction, fertility, conception and contraception, pregnancy and postpartum experiences, and menopausal changes.
Ways to Normalize & Destigmatize Menstruation
Referring to "women, girls, and all other people who experience a menstrual cycle" draws attention to how people experience menstruation differently, shaped by their lived experiences, needs, and circumstances. Disability, age, gender identity, place of residence, homelessness, housing instability, detention conditions, migration, disaster, insecurity and displacement, religion, ethnicity, caste, culture, and many other factors influence menstrual experiences and must be considered to meet menstrual health needs adequately. This does not mean that those who do not experience a menstrual cycle are not affected by social, cultural, and economic aspects of menstruation or that they should not play an essential role in achieving this state for others. On the contrary, achieving a complete state of menstrual health requires education about the menstrual cycle for everyone, including men and boys, health care providers, and the dismantling of harmful stigma and norms in society. (Sex Reprod Health Matters. 2021; 29(1): 1911618.)
Talking about our experiences as menstruating people helps to normalize and destigmatize menstruation. We want to use terminology that does not reinforce menstruation or bodies as dirty or impure. Therefore, including gender-diverse populations is essential. Small things such as providing access to menstrual products in restrooms help menstruating people participate in society without fear, embarrassment, or shame.
Menstrual Hygiene Management & Menstrual Self-Care
In 2012, "menstrual hygiene management" was defined by the Joint Monitoring Program (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene as:
"Women and adolescent girls using a clean menstrual management material to absorb or collect blood that can be changed in privacy as often as necessary for the duration of the menstruation period, using soap and water for washing the body as required, and having access to facilities to dispose of used menstrual management materials. They understand the basic facts linked to the menstrual cycle and how to manage it with dignity and without discomfort or fear."
To support menstrual health, individuals must be able to select care practices that are preferable and comfortable for them and afford the resources required for self-care. These practices should support hygiene and minimize the risk of infection and harm. Women, girls, and others who menstruate must be able to care for their bodies with the level of privacy they desire. They must feel free from unwanted observation or disturbance, and in safety, they are protected from the risk of physical and emotional or social harm. Safety must be considered in the location of infrastructure and services, the quality of menstrual materials, infrastructure, and disposal practices.
The menstrual health of the individual requires that disposal practices protect from emotional and social harm, while disposal practices are also contributors to environmental health. Research has identified individuals' broad range of practices to care for their bodies during menses and the infrastructure and services required to support these. Self-care needs are not limited to accessing materials to collect menses. Still, they include transporting and storing materials and require facilities and services for changing materials, washing hands and the body, disposing of used materials, and cleaning reusable materials, including washing, drying, and other sterilizing practices such as ironing or boiling. These care needs are relevant throughout the day and night, both at and away from home. Materials, facilities, and services need to be accessible to people with disabilities. Difficulties managing menstruation are a source of distress, irritation, and discomfort, have been identified as barriers to education and employment, have been linked to potential reproductive tract infections, and can compromise social well-being.
Menstrual Equity is Essential to Women's Wellness
Menstrual equity refers to universal access to menstrual hygiene products and access to education about reproductive health. A lack of access to menstrual products has been correlated with strong feelings of shame, self-consciousness, embarrassment and absenteeism, and significant performance gaps, especially for students in low-income and marginalized communities. Having access to appropriate information about the menstrual cycle, knowing how to care for the body throughout the menstrual cycle and reproductive lifespan, and feeling comfortable seeking access to competent health care is part of menstrual equity.
According to the United Nations, access to menstrual products is a human right. Safe menstrual products are essential to everyday life. When a person can't afford menstrual products, their quality of life suffers drastically. Lack of access to menstrual products causes students to skip class or drop out altogether. This is a problem all over the world.
26% of the world's population are women of reproductive age. Women spend $120/per year on menstrual products and $20/per year on pain medication. There is a movement in some U.S. states to remove the "tampon" tax.
Having safe and affordable access to menstrual products allows menstruating people to participate in society fully. Around the world, girls cannot attend school for the duration of their period d/t inability to access menstrual products.
Homeless women may have very little access to menstrual products. Incarcerated women may not have access to menstrual products. In some places, girls and women may be sent away into menstrual huts where they are isolated and risk food scarcity and cold because of cultural and religious beliefs. The stigma around menstruation puts women at risk for illness and death. Many U.S. states are looking at reforms to reduce the practical costs of menstruation by removing the tax on menstrual products.
Let's Help End Period Poverty
Several other fantastic individuals, organizations & movements are working hard on menstrual equity issues, policy, and culture shifts. Here are a few we want to uplift. Let's keep growing this list!
Black Women for Wellness
Black Women's Health Imperative
Code Red Co.
Days for Girls
#HappyPeriod
Flo Code
HEJSupport
Korean Women's Environmental Network
The Kwek Society
Love Your Menses
Menstrual Hygiene Day
Period Equity & Jennifer Weiss-Wolf
Period Positive
Sending Her Essentials
Turning Green
WE ACT for Environmental Justice
Women's Environmental Network (WEN)
References:
What Does Menstrual Equity Mean to You? - Women's Voices for the Earth (womensvoices.org)
Menstruating is a natural and normal bodily function. It shouldn’t be seen as shameful, dirty, or taboo. So, let’s end the stigma by talking about menses. A significant part of Lala's Bedtime Tales mission is to provide a safe space and judgment-free zone to educate yourself on sexual health & wellness. The Sexual Health & Wellness corner will have monthly articles dedicated to continuous education on living a positive and sexually healthy lifestyle. Subscribe to Lala's Bedtime Tales Newsletter and follow @LalasBedtimeTales on social media to never miss any sexual education to help you live the healthiest life possible. Also, check out the Lala's Bedtime Tales Podcast and Lala's Oh So Exclusive Patreon account for even more content! If you’re browsing for sexy pleasure products or cute giftable items, then check out Lala’s Pleasure Shop.
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