If you’re someone with a uterus, you’ve most likely whispered to another person with a uterus, “Hey, can you check me?”, “Do you see my pad?”, or the classic, “Hey, do you have a pad or tampon?” But, have you ever stopped and asked yourself why you whisper these questions to people and not speak with a normal tone? I’ll tell you why. Society.
No, I’m not referring to a specific population such as white men, although they practically initiated a little something I like to call Menstrual Shaming. I’m referring to every single person that makes up the human population, including you, that now participates in this. We’ve all done it at least once, consciously or subconsciously. And we’ve also experienced it at least once in our lives. Periods, as natural they are, get shamed for their own existence all the time. We have become so accustomed to concealing the fact that we as uterus owners bleed every month.
If you don’t agree with me that menstrual shaming is real, then maybe you had the confidence when grocery shopping with your parents to grab whatever period materials you needed during your pre-teen years. You go uterus owner! On the other hand, many pre-teens in the beginning of their menstruation lifestyle feel some kind of burden on them—I know I did.
The media has constructed ads in the past that have subconsciously shaped us into thinking menstruation is equivalent to uncleanliness and erratic behavior. Don’t believe me? Here’s an example of a Femicin ad from the 1960’s.
The purpose of the ad is to sell this menstrual pain reliever to uterus owners, but also appeal to their husband’s as well. The way they portray the product is by claiming it will not only assist in period pain, but the “pain” the husbands experience during this time of the month. The reason why ads like this are not okay is because of how it creates such a negative portrayal of individuals’ menstrual cycles, demeaning periods as a weakness.
Although this advertisement is over 50 years old, some people’s perspectives of menstruation are still the same today. The first step to ending this kind of shame is realizing you are not alone and recognizing how common it is amongst people with uterus’. Second, being more aware of the way we address menstruation can create a less shaming environment. We, together, can realize this menstrual shaming and stop degrading one another for something that is completely and biologically out of our control.