Tampons Can’t Keep Us Down

Blood is gross. 

An artist makes a portrait of a potential presidential candidate out of her own menstrual blood. 

Nasty. 

A marathon runner lets her period soil her tracksuit. 

Repulsive. 

Instagram deletes photos of a sweatpants-clad women curled up in bed with her period stain on display. 

Justified.

 

 

Periods are generally regarded as being disgusting and that is exactly the point theses activists are making with their menstrual cycles. It is a natural human reaction to be repulsed when what flows inside our bodies makes its way to the surface. It seems menstruation falls into the gross category because it's connected with the monthly (and rarely publicly discussed) phenomenon of the period—riding the crimson wave, I should say. Perhaps getting a visit from Aunt Flo is preferable. On the rag? 

There are dozens of ways to avoid directly naming the natural biological happening that most women experience throughout their lives. Recently, however, periods have stolen the media spotlight and are demanding to be directly addressed. No longer concealed in the shadows of embarrassment and resentment, periods (and the women who have them) are taking center stage to end what is now known as period shaming.

Like a scarlet letter in our pants, periods, and its bff, premenstrual syndrome (a.k.a PMS), often becomes the punch line for jokes. Many of these mildly humorous yet disparaging remarks are made by the male species. The latest offender —Donald Trump. In the recent televised Republican debate, Trump attributed “that time of the month” as the reason why female broadcaster Megyn Kelly had asked him biting questions. 

Although this may seem like an obvious misstep to everyone but comb-over Trump, his "blood" comment illustrates an important fact. It’s not the cramps that contribute to the painful discomfort of discussing this topic. 

 

It is easy to see how misogyny can manifest when there is a lack of discourse about reproductive health. Especially when it is perpetuated by ignorance and misinformation. The recent BuzzFeed video, Men Explain Periods interviews men about all things related to periods. 

 

 

Highlights from the interview include the following funny yet poignant quotes: 

 

 

The viral video illustrates that many men are completely in the dark when in comes to the functions of women’s bodies and perhaps this is why they make fun of us. They mock what they don’t understand in order to make periods a benignly humorous and approachable subject. Perhaps this is an oversimplification but completely plausible. Take PMS for example, the hormonal shift was actually used as a court defense for murder. As a result, one can be sympathetic to the exaggerated perception of the effects of PMS.  

 

According to Dr. Elizabeth Kinne, an American University of Paris professor of comparative literature and women’s studies, women’s bodies have been used as a weapon throughout history. “It’s absolutely crazy that lawyers are being allowed to blame PMS for crimes. It would be one thing if there was parity. If men were also measured for testosterone levels before declaring war ok, maybe then PMS could be a valid claim. It’s like the legal system is blaming women’s bodies for bad behavior.” Famed feminist and activist Gloria Steinem also mused with the idea of role reversal. She wrote in her essay "If Men Could Menstruate" that “menstruation would become an enviable, worthy, masculine event: Men would brag about how long and how much.”  

 

Although it is biology that decided that it is women who will experience a monthly reminder of maturity, it’s not completely men’s fault that they don’t sympathize with our plight. Like a little nagging monthly secret, women don’t openly discuss what’s happening with their bodies with the opposite sex. Instead, we quietly pass tampons beneath bathroom stalls and speak in hushed voices about Midol and other tips to elevate discomfort. It’s admirable that women such as artist Kiran Gandhi, and artist Rupi Kaur are making such bold statements.

 

There, however, has been a significant amount of backlash to these period activists. Musician and athlete Kiran Gandhi was harshly criticized for intentionally omitting her tampon on the day of the high-profile London Marathon. Opponents stated her efforts were misguided and disgusting. Kiran Gandhi defended her actions by stating that she was aiming to bring awareness to women around the world who cannot afford sanitary supplies to assist them during their periods. 

 

 

Maybe bright red blood stains and paints composed of premenstrual fluids were jarring but these are absolutely necessary stunts needed to start the dialog. After all, many argue that American civil rights would have never progressed if it weren’t for the radical, polarizing opinions of Malcolm X balanced by the peaceful notions of Martin Luther King Jr.

 

Perhaps humor is the most relatable remedy. #LiveTweetYourPeriod has gained a lot of traction by mocking and embracing period woes. 

 

 

Whether it is with humor or shocking bold statements, I am very pleased to see that women’s issues have become mainstream topics of conversation. My hope is that this momentum will progress the menstruation revolution will continue to dissolve barriers and stigmas that oppress women worldwide.