Let's Talk Periods

Why in 2019 is the topic of periods still such a huge taboo around the world? How has there been shame built around something which is a natural bodily function, allows us to create new life and occurs every month for around half of our world’s population? This makes no sense to me.  

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Now I was going to start by saying
if you are male and/or feel extremely uncomfortable talking about this topic then please click off this post but actually, please don’t. Please keep reading and find out how incredibly insane it is to feel awkward around this topic.

                                           

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Today I found out that around a quarter of the world’s female population are of a reproductive age. Yet we still use phrases such as ‘Time of the Month’ and ‘Auntie Flow’ to avoid saying the word ‘period’. 

By carrying on with the awkward silence on periods we are bringing future generations up to believe it is shameful to indicate you have started your period, which leads to lack of information for girls on how to deal with their menstrual cycle. 

I was shocked to recently learn that around 137,000 girls miss school in the UK every year due to lack of access to basic sanitary products, the things possibly you and I take for granted. 

Period poverty is a huge issue in some parts of the world whether it’s a family having to choose between food, warmth or menstrual hygiene or for rough sleepers who have no access to sanitary products. 

I came across The Red Box Project, a charity set up in the UK back in 2017 with the aim of stopping girls having to miss school due to their periods. This is just one of many charities working to combat issues surrounding the taboo over periods. 

If we all just start talking slightly more, more openly and confidently, maybe we will begin to see changes in how many issues there are.