Normalizing Menstruation and Body Literacy
- Leslie Canales Franco
- Dec 19, 2019
- 7 min read
Updated: Dec 16, 2021
December 2019
Menstruation, although perfectly normal in biological terms, is a subject that is rarely discussed in detail. In the United States, health classes glaze over the menstruation chapter in health textbooks. The issue worsens in developing countries that rarely discuss the subject at all. Ultimately, this leaves impressionable young girls and boys to create their own ideas about menstruation. The implications are often dangerous. Despite the fact that approximately 26 percent of the global population are menstruating, menstruation is quickly dismissed as an inappropriate topic for public discussion (“Period Shame”). Women and girls are burdened with physical and mental suffering mainly due to misinformation about periods. The onset of menstruation is accompanied by a wide range of reproductive health topics such as birth control and pregnancy. Being educated on these topics to make informed decisions is known as body literacy. Stressing the global impact this topic has, normalizing menstruation and body literacy is undeniably vital to society.
Understanding the menstrual cycle is at the core of creating an open conversation about menstruation. As defined in the New World Encyclopedia, “Menstruation is the periodic discharge of blood and cells from the lining of a non-pregnant uterus in human females…”. The menstrual cycle is a complex biological process unique to every menstruating individual. It is a pivotal part of maintaining the human race. Menstruating bodies require precise and intricate communication throughout the body. It is a common misconception that the menstrual cycle only involves the uterus and ovaries. In reality, areas of the brain and different glands play a much more important role. These glands secrete several hormones responsible for supporting the phases of the menstrual cycle. Despite the presence of scientific literature, this remains largely misunderstood and even unknown by many.
It is not uncommon for a person to be unaware of how or why menstruation occurs. Some simply do not have access to the correct information while others choose to disregard the topic completely. The issue arises when false information spreads because it can lead to dangerous misconceptions. Taboos and stigmatization of periods are interconnected with these misunderstandings. Many of these misconceptions are formed early on in the development of a community making them difficult to shake. For example, a study conducted in Gambia found that participants attributed menstruation to religious folklore (Shah). One post-menarche girl from the study stated, “In the heaven, God asked Hawa, not to eat a fruit, and she happened to eat and swallow it, this is why women used to see menses… but Adam did not swallow it, that is why it got stuck in his throat and men have an Adams apple.”. This statement is alarming considering the study began in 2015. It is unacceptable that even women do not know why their bodies function the way they do, especially when an extensive amount of information has been published. The list of misconceptions goes on as well as the effects they have on several aspects of a woman’s life.
Menstrual taboos are linked to the date and location in which they were developed. Despite the variations in taboos, they all manifest into isolating women and gender-based discrimination. Most taboos claim menstruation is dirty and impure. One male teacher in Gambia says, “The Ustas (Islamic scholar who teaches about Islam) teach the students how to clean and purify themselves after menses…they are told when they should wash this way. Until you purify yourself you cannot be part of the society.” (Shah). A similar belief can be found in the Bible, “Anything she lies on during her period will be unclean, and anything she sits on will be unclean.” (New International Version, Leviticus 15:25). An Indian based study reports that 12% of the participants believe menstruation is caused by a curse of God (Arora and Shah 20). These religious beliefs often restrict women’s role in society. They are not permitted to participate in daily tasks such as cooking, going to school, or even attending social gatherings.
Stigmatization of periods is another concern. Women and young girls are shamed during menstruation which contributes to guilt and unhealthy body image. Globally, menstruating individuals hide menstrual products or the simple fact that they are menstruating. In rural Gambia, post menarche girls revealed that they never told their parents when they started menstruating (Shah). The same study also found that when menstruation was mentioned participants hid their faces or laughed nervously. Teasing in schools or the workplace prevents women from attending either establishment (Castelloe). This is damaging to their education and affects their ability to provide for their families. Women and girls from the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea report their secretive methods of washing themselves in order to avoid exposing others to menstrual blood (Mohamed et al. 10). Another group worth mentioning is the trans community. In some areas of the world, access to menstrual products and gender-neutral bathrooms is limited. Transmen live in constant fear during their periods. They are far too often the victims of violent acts for no apparent reason. Physical assault is not their only worry, transmen also deal with verbal attacks and societal pressures. As a result, feeling comfortable in their bodies and defending their masculinity becomes even more difficult. Even I, someone who is fortunate enough to have access to these essentials, am guilty of hiding tampons under my sleeve and sneaking off to the bathroom. Stigma surrounding periods puts unnecessary stress and shame on all menstruating individuals. It is important to remember that menstrual blood is the product of a natural physiological process that poses no threat to society.
Most notably, misconceptions about menstruation affect women’s health. It should be noted that body literacy is affected as well. Without the proper education on the complexities of female reproductive health, women can not support their bodies thus leading to an array of health issues. One example is iron deficiency as a result of heavy periods. Women become increasingly fatigued and lethargic leading to a poor quality of life. Dysmenorrhea, otherwise referred to as menstrual cramps is a common issue. Some cases are manageable, while others cripple women. Severe cases may be caused by disorders in reproductive organs, many of which are seldom treated. This puts women at risk for developing life threatening diseases that could have been avoided altogether. Misinformation affects women themselves and their unborn children. In Brazil, participants in a study revealed they were largely unaware of the transmission of the Zika virus through sexual intercourse (Borges). The mother and child now fall victim to this fatal disease.
In vulnerable countries, women do not have access to sanitary conditions and/or menstrual products. One woman reports on a Zimbabwean prison stating, “Often there’s no water, or running water. There are no sanitary bins. You have to find ways to dispose pads or rags leading to increased health risks.” (“Period Shame”). The same holds true outside of prisons. For example, researchers found that few women in Gambia were aware of more than one menstrual product and its use (Shah). Not knowing how to properly use a menstrual product is an issue because women and young girls can injure themselves or develop fatal conditions such as toxic shock syndrome. Access to menstrual hygiene products is another issue. Only nine out of ten states in the U.S. have removed taxes from menstrual hygiene products while Viagra, ChapStick, and dandruff shampoo remain tax exempt (Sagner). This leaves more than half of the population to choose between eating lunch or purchasing menstrual products. In order to obtain menstrual products, women are forced to resort to drastic measures. Transactional sex is one method. Although their intentions are pure, it often puts girls in unsafe and violent situations. Engaging in these activities also increases the risk of childhood pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and HIV (“Period Shame”).
Equally important is the empowerment of women to use accurate information without judgement. Body literacy can be achieved by giving women and young girls access to unbiased scientific research. Menstruating individuals require this education needed to make informed decisions on contraceptives, fertility, and other reproductive health topics. Alas, tampon manufacturers, physicians, and other pharmaceutical companies bombard these individuals with biased information. Popular birth control methods such as the pill promise to free women and young girls from menstruation. This perpetuates the stigma towards periods by promoting the idea that menstruation is a burden and should be eliminated. Physicians constantly push the pill as a universal problem solver which is far from the truth. In fact, research suggests the pill may affect response to stress, the activity of several neurotransmitter systems, mood, and a number of other factors (Hill 201).
Ancient ideas regarding motherhood also harms women physically and mentally. Some women put themselves through demanding fertility treatments in order to satisfy societal pressures (Benyamini 800). On the other hand, women that choose not to have children are considered “evil” or “irresponsible” (Benyamini 800). Another issue is that some women struggle to assert their position on condom use. This can lead to unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. Ultimately, cultural and societal expectations create gender imbalances and stigmas that lead women to disregard their wellbeing. Simply providing information to the masses is not enough. A solution to this problem is having open and non judgemental conversations between all individuals regardless of sex. People should educate themselves on reproductive health topics, allowing for a better understanding of the situation.
Menstruation and body literacy affects society as a whole. Menstruation is vital to the survival of the human race. Reproduction would not be possible without it. Despite this fact, menstruating women have been viewed as impure and unclean from the early stages of civilization. Taboos and misinformation lead to the development of dangerous misconceptions. Such misconceptions affect women’s health and socioeconomic status. They also cause stigmas to emerge that further perpetuate issues such as poverty. Although information on female reproductive health is available, its function is limited if women do not have the freedom to use it without fear of being judged. Attaining full independence over one's body will continue to be a battle for menstruating individuals until menstruation and body literacy are normalized. The universal impact of this issue is reason enough for all members of society to be a part of the solution.
References
***Disclaimer: Not all information written is credited to the author of this blog post.
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