To the girl on the school bus, who proudly shared when she was on her period, I will always be in awe of you.
Starting in middle school health class, we were never taught to fully accept or even normalize the process of menstruation. I distinctly remember my teacher telling us to come up with alternative explanations for our symptoms – to tell everyone that you were in a bad mood or how you were feeling under the weather that week – instead of confidently declaring that it was your time of the month.
At the time, I did not realize how succumbing to these excuses and cover up stories creates a culture, where people feel ashamed or even embarrassed about a natural bodily process. In highschool, it was extremely common for students to hide their tampons and pads up their sleeves, in their boot, and even in the waistband of their pants, rather than simply holding these sanitary products in their hand out of fear of being seen.
I, for one, was always afraid that I would bleed out and be caught with period stains on my pants because I did not want to be labeled as “disgusting” or “gross” by my classmates and teachers. Reflecting on this collection of moments, it saddens me that I spent so much time worrying about being judged for an experience that so many people routinely go through.
The stigmatization of people on their periods needs to come to an end. We need to break the cycle!
In order for attitudes surrounding menstruation culture to change, I think that one of the first steps is recognizing how you perceive yourself and the behaviors you engage in when you are on your period.
I am actively working on building my own body confidence and practicing self-love. For me, this means openly talking about my period, expressing when my symptoms are bad, and confidently carrying sanitary products in my hand.
As more people begin to redefine their relationship with their period, there is an opportunity for our society to become more welcoming and inclusive, creating the momentum for a positive cultural reset.
And, that’s on period!