Tuesday 28-05-2024 - 09:38
The 28th of May each year marks Menstrual Hygiene Day. Observed for the first time in 2014, the German GMO ‘WASH United’ initiated it to raise awareness about the taboo related to menstruation. Menstrual Hygiene Day aims at pushing a 'period friendly world',especially in countries where people who menstruate face increased taboos and difficulties because of their periods. This year makes a decade of Menstrual Hygiene Day.
As a woman with endometriosis, I have had my fair share of discussing my periods with doctors. For about ten years of my life, I have suffered with heavy and debilitatingly painful periods. I didn't even know that I shared an 'anniversary' with the decade celebration of Menstrual Hygiene Day. I remember as a teen being mortified at the thought of having to discuss something that I decided was embarrassing with (often older male) doctors. I remember being told it was just due to my hormones or because I was just simply someone who suffered from unfortunately difficult periods. I've been made to feel like I was making a big deal over nothing. I also got the impression that the doctors felt awkward discussing my period too.
I’m lucky that I’m usually always prepared and carry spare period products in my bag, but what about those who aren't prepared, or can't afford period products? In a time of a cost of living crisis, this is a very real concern for many people who menstruate. We've all been caught off guard and had that sheer panic of having to ask a stranger if they have a pad or a tampon.
But why is it so taboo?
Having a period is natural, and whilst not all women menstruate and not all those who menstruate identify as women, periods are something that many people deal with. In school, I was usually the friend who you could ask for a pad, and I'd willingly give them out. It was often underhand, slipped under the desk like we were trading some sort of illicit substance. I've walked into a bathroom with a pad clutched in my hand or hidden up my sleeve in the past - it's sort of funny to think about but it's actually quite sad. Why are people made to feel that their periods are shameful?
During my undergraduate degree, the menstruation stations were introduced at EHU. You could go to a stocked draw in the bathroom and get what you needed. I remember eventually the format was changed so that the machines were free. Also during my undergrad and after years of pushing, I was finally referred to the gynaecologist by my GP. (I was officially diagnosed with endometriosis in August 2023 during my Master's year.) During my final few undergraduate assignments, my symptoms were so bad that I had to apply for an extension. I explained my problems and provided prescriptions and medication boxes in the hope that would be enough. It was. It was the first time I had probably openly discussed my period with anyone outside of my friends, family or doctor. It didn't feel weird or wrong. It was just like any other medical condition.
To further break any stigma or embarrassment I felt about periods, I wrote an essay on vampirism as a metaphor for menstruation, and the nineteenth-century view of menstruation in literature for an MA assignment. It was a strangely cathartic process. Taking a taboo and going: "Here, I'm going to use this for an assignment" was strangely empowering.
Shamefully, I had no idea that Menstrual Hygiene Day existed until a few weeks ago. I saw an Instagram post advertising MHD and I was shocked I hadn't heard of it before! As someone who has raised awareness of breast cancer in young people with the charity Coppafeel and Edge Hill's Uni Boob Team, and raised money for the charity Endometriosis UK, I like to think of myself as an advocate for issues that typically affect those who are assigned female at birth. I was mortified that I didn’t know about Menstrual Hygiene Day.
The date is symbolic, May is the fifth month of the year, and the menstrual cycle is on average twenty eight days, which is why the 28th is chosen. The goal is to address the global hardships that people who menstruate face, and break the silence about the taboo of menstruation, especially in developing countries.
The bottom line is: periods are natural. They should not be treated with shame, embarrassment, or secrecy.
I've included the link here to WASH's website, as well as their MHD campaign specifically. I'm going to be celebrating #MHDAY2024 by advocating for a #PeriodFriendlyWorld.
