Period shaming is something that women have been dealing with for centuries, yet it still remains a taboo topic. As a result, many people feel embarrassed and ashamed to talk about their periods and often suffer in silence. This blog post discusses why period shaming needs to be addressed and how talking openly about menstruation can help create more awareness and understanding.
What Is Period Shaming?
Period shaming is the act of making someone feel ashamed or embarrassed because they are menstruating or discussing menstruation in public. This can include anything from making jokes about periods to belittling women who talk openly about them. Unfortunately, period shaming has become so ingrained in our culture that it’s seen as normal behaviour—even though it can have severe psychological and physical consequences for those affected by it.
Period shaming can lead to feelings of guilt, shame, and embarrassment which can then lead to mental health issues such as depression or anxiety. Not only that but period shaming can also lead to physical health issues such as endometriosis or pelvic inflammatory disease due to the lack of open discussion around these topics. Not being able to talk openly means that women often don’t receive the medical care they need for these conditions until it’s too late.
How Can We End Period Shaming?
The best way to end period shaming is by opening up the dialogue around menstruation and creating more awareness and understanding of the subject.
This means:
- Talking openly about periods without shame or embarrassment and educating people on the facts surrounding menstruation.
- Challenging any negative attitudes towards periods when you hear them being expressed by others. By doing this, we can create a culture where everyone feels comfortable talking about their periods without fear of judgement or ridicule.
- Avoid always using cover-up names for our period such as ‘shark week’ or ‘Aunt Flo’. Using these nicknames is acceptable and fun to use but try not to use them as a way to cover up saying the word ‘period’. Be proud!
- Laugh off the leaks!
- Interact in an open and positive discourse on periods with the younger generation and also with those who don’t get them.
Periods are a natural part of life but unfortunately, period shaming continues to be a problem that many of us still face on a daily basis. The good news is that there are steps we can take to help end this outdated practice once and for all; namely by opening up the dialogue around periods and creating more awareness about what they are, why they happen, and how they affect us physically and mentally. With enough education and open discussion, hopefully, one day soon period shaming will become a thing of the past!