Fighting Menstrual Stigma Through Empowered Education and Self Advocacy
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When I was ten, I got my first period. It was heavy and painful. It blind-sided me with debilitating exhaustion and nausea. That was just the physical experience. Emotionally, I struggled with this new found notion that I was a ‘woman.’ That word felt heavy. Heavy with expectations that my ten-year-old mind couldn’t fully grasp.
The formal education I had received about this seemingly pivotal life event was that my body was transitioning into a state where it could procreate. I was a vessel from which new life came. What I didn’t realize was that I was also a vessel for the expectations and beliefs placed upon me because of my gender. I figured out fairly quickly, due to the explanations in quiet corners, and otherwise avoidance of the subject, that my period was something I should hide. That it was dirty, embarrassing, and an imposition that I should silently carry with me through my reproductive years, and perhaps beyond.
This was one of my first palpable experiences with shame.
Shame. That ugly word that drives you to hide parts of yourself in order to appease others. A thinly veiled tactic that has been used for eons to control populations in an effort to influence a desired outcome. A tactic that disempowers. For many women and people with periods the shame that is cultivated through the stigma of menstruation has a ripple effect with dangerous consequences on our society, and the ways it operates.
Take the medical system, for example: For decades conventional medicine has told women that our menstrual cycle is nothing to be concerned about until we want to conceive.
If you speak to any woman, or person with a period in your life, she/they has most likely encountered, or heard some semblance of this conversation:
“Dr. Smith, my periods are awful. They are so heavy I don’t want to leave the house. My cramps are so bad I have to take a handful of ibuprofen to get out the door,” etc.
“Here is a prescription for the birth control pill. It will fix everything.”
The truth is that hormonal contraceptives do not fix women’s hormonal struggles. The pill is incredible at doing what it was originally designed to do, which is prevent pregnancy. And the autonomy and freedoms that the pill provides for women all over the world is profound. However, the birth control pill is being handed out like candy to women who are suffering from hormone imbalance. Instead of dealing with the root cause, we opt to mask the symptom.
In effect, the pill causes you to go into a chemical menopause. Your body stops producing the hormones it was designed to create on its own due to the suppression of ovulation. These hormones are responsible for healthy bone production in premenopausal years contributing to the prevention of osteoporosis. They are also responsible for the healthy production of neurotransmitters like serotonin which has an impact on our moods, sleep and digestion.
When we stop these natural processes through chemical intervention we lose the emotional and physical benefits of having these hormones naturally cycle in our bodies. But did we learn this in sex education? I know I didn’t. With so little information provided about our reproductive health, it’s no wonder we leave it to somebody else to make these decisions for us.
Please understand that this is not a manifesto on why the birth control pill, or conventional medicine is evil. That is just not true. Conventional medicine has allowed humans to far surpass life spans of even five decades ago, and ended mass amounts of unnecessary suffering. Birth control has single handedly changed the role of women in our society and it is within our right as governesses of our bodies, to make that choice.
This is a plea for information that is unbiased, inclusive and accessible to ALL, even those that may never experience a period, pregnancy or menopause.
Lack of education breeds ignorance. Ignorance breeds fear. Fear places the power into someone else’s hands. In the case of women this transpires into three scenarios: one, our bodies are an inconvenience and imposition, two, they are only of importance when needed for more bodies in this world, and three, that others have answers to deal with our bodies better than the ones we can work out for ourselves. This is dangerous! Just look at the maternal mortality rates in the United States. They are abysmal, and even worse for women of color. The unconscious bias against race and gender that exists in our medical system and in our society as a whole, must end.
This starts with education and dialogue.
What I am asking of you is to to seek out education on your reproductive, emotional, and overall health. Get curious! Ask questions! And above all else, listen to your gut. Only you know your experience, so trust it, and speak up for your needs. If you feel invalidated by a medical professional, friend, or any other person in your life, find someone who will validate you. Better yet, validate yourself.
We’ve been taught to not listen to our needs, or our bodies, but now is the time for you to become your own strongest ally. Your own health advocate.
You can help spread the word by having these types of conversations with other women, people with periods, and really any and all other humans in your life.
Some people that I follow that have changed my life:
@ericachidicohen
@nicolejardim
@dr.carriejones
@thisisloom
@blackmamasmatter
@larabriden
@the.holistic.psychologist
I encourage you to find the people you connect with and please share them below. With information we can stand in our power and make informed decisions that align with our reproductive goals.
And Happy National Period Day!
In honor of de-stigmatizing menstruation, stay informed about ways to get involved in lobbying efforts and rallies by following @periodmovement
And the next time you ask for a tampon, fight your instinct to whisper. Instead declare your need and know you are doing your part to dismantle the system.