The importance of being open about menstruation

Olympian Fu Yuanhui
Image source: scmp.com

Recently, a Chinese Olympic swimmer Fu Yuanhui caused quite a stir when she opened up about menstruation. Yuanhui told reporters that she did not feel her best because she had come on her period the night before and event. Her openness took many people by surprise, but also started a really important discussion on being honest about that monthly visitor.

Many people applauded Yuanhui, and I also think it was a great thing for her to mention. She was unembarrassed - it was as normal for her as saying she had eggs for breakfast. After all, this is exactly how it should be!

Periods are nothing to be ashamed of, every single female in the world and throughout history has had them (unless other medical reasons apply, of course). Menstruation is linked to the reproductive process - in other words, it is completely and utterly natural.

There are cultures, religions, and people that associate menstruation with being unclean. And given that it involves blood, and can be quite messy makes this idea somewhat understandable, but it compounds the negative attitudes surrounding it. It is important to work against ideas like this.

I'm not saying that every woman should start shouting about their periods from the rooftops, or start sharing all the details of every single cycle, rather that it wouldn't hurt to look at menstruation as something suitable for everyday conversation.

I have heard of stories where girls who, when they started their period, thought they were dying because no one had ever even told them what menstruation actually was. Their family, friends and school had never mentioned the subject, presumably because it was considered 'inappropriate' to discuss unless absolutely necessary.

If we were to remove the taboo from this subject, to discuss in openly with everyone in a similar manner to how we talk about breakfast foods (apologies for the continued food analogy), this would hopefully lead to more general knowledge on the subject for both females and males (yes, it's good for guys to know these things as well!). It would also help normalise things between women, who go through a plethora of symptoms that differ from one individual to another.

Talking about symptoms, being able to openly carry a sanitary pad or tampon in public without feeling embarrassed, and even being able to say the word "period" out loud without the urge to whisper may not seem like a big deal, but in a world where you can feel so isolated if you don't fit a certain mold, it can make a huge difference in regards to girls and women feeling connected to one another.

Again, this is not about being forced to share everything and anything about your period, but more about fostering an environment in which people (both females and males) can be open about menstruation, ask questions, and generally chat about it in a relaxed and unashamed way.

[Source used: Global Citizen]