Menstrual Blood, Shame and Capitalism

A girl hits puberty at the average age of 8 to 13, entering a phase of physical, emotional, psychological and reproductive maturity. This period is marked by one of the most important events or phenomena of her life, the beginning of menstruation and the menstrual cycle, also termed as menarche. This is the cycle due to which all human lives were possible. It ends when women reach the age of around 45 to 55, a phase known as menopause.

Despite menstruation being a natural and necessary physiological process, many around us are disgusted by it. Illogical and unscientific facts are used to stigmatize it, sometimes even motivated by religion.

The Phase of Menstruation Explained

During adolescence and youth, the female body undergoes several hormonal changes. The female reproductive system is continuously preparing the uterine lining for pregnancy, with hormones like estrogen and progesterone playing a key role during the menstrual cycle. The uterus lining is thickened by hormonal action, primarily estrogen, for the implantation of a potential embryo. Most of the time, a pregnancy does not occur, making the thick tissue-lining inside the uterus obsolete. Hormonal levels drop. The menstruation phase, commonly termed as a "period", occurs as the lining is shed off and comes out through the vagina as blood tissue containing endometrial cells, vaginal secretions, cervical mucus and unfertilized eggs.

This occurs on a monthly basis, in every woman, lasting 3 to 7 days, however irregularities are possible. Depending on the individual girls and women, period cramps, backaches, and mood swings, known as premenstrual syndrome (PMS), occur with varying intensities. Imagine calling girls and women overdramatic for this when you don't even understand the basics of human anatomy and physiology! Also, it is worth mentioning that menstruation is not a problem. Its absence is one, unless it is a result of a consensual pregnancy.

Addressing Some Myths

1. Menstrual blood is impure.

Fact: By now it should be clear that it is all body fluids leaving the body due to the absence of pregnancy. The only thing impure is the mentality of people who think this way!

2. Women should not exercise while menstruating.

Fact: Gentle exercises actually help relieve cramps. Even other physical activities are fine, including swimming.

3. Women cannot get pregnant while on their period.

Fact: This might seem true on the surface because unfertilized ova are menstruated, but in rare cases, it is indeed possible.

4. A menstruating woman should not wash her hair or bathe.

Fact: Does this even need to be explained? It is common sense that it is a nonsense myth!

5. Sour food items should be avoided.

Fact: No, it is totally fine to eat those. It does not affect the menstrual flow.

6. Severe period pain is normal, don't be dramatic!

Fact: Period pain is a normal symptom. Expressing pain is not being "emotional", it is a natural human response. However, period pain must not be ignored if severe, as it can be a sign of a chronic condition like endometriosis or fibroids.

7. PMS is all in your head.

Fact: It is scientifically proven that hormonal changes cause it. But misogyny surely is in their heads!

8. A menstruating woman is impure and should not enter the temple! (Hinduism specific)

Fact, and a brutal one: If a convicted rapist can enter the temple, a menstruating woman has the full authority to! Also, if menstruation really were an impure process, your God would have never "created" it in the first place.

When Capitalism and Menstruation Intersect

Capitalism, as many would argue, provides "choice" among various period products. And women do have a variety of options in front of them depending upon their requirements and menstrual flow, like period pads, tampons, menstrual cups, menstrual discs, and others.

Absorbent pads, as the name suggests, absorb the period blood and can be disposed of after use. Reusable ones exist too now. Tampons are used to absorb period blood before it leaves the body. Menstrual cups serve the purpose of collecting fluids. Menstrual discs collect blood and are often more comfortable than products like pads and tampons. Wish they offered emotional relief too!

Anyway, this does not seem to be a problem on the surface. Why drag capitalism into it when it is in fact helping women? The answer lies in the demand for free to cheap healthcare. Menstrual products are also a form of hygiene healthcare, yet capitalism commodifies them making them look like exceptional products. Have you ever heard of free to use pads at the workplace? Such a concept hardly exists! In underprivileged and rural areas, girls are sometimes forced to skip schools because of their period and the lack of facilities at school. Nonprofits and NGOs come in eventually to provide pads and other menstrual products for free, like Pinkishe Foundation, The Pad Project and Hemkunt Foundation. Moreover, in many capitalist economies, the provision of menstrual leave is absent. Productivity is more important for the millionaires and billionaires. Many women claim that menstruation is a very valid reason for leave, yet their demands are dismissed. 

Capitalism even controls women's behavior and lifestyles indirectly. How is that? Just watch an advertisement on pads. A woman, after putting on a pad, somehow magically becomes super active in daily lives. Pads, like any other menstrual product, support women during periods. They are not some sort of energy boosters. Such ads reinforce harmful myths and create expectations that women should not express pain or be dramatic during their periods.  

Capitalism merely gives an illusion of choice, but it is not a choice if women from some sections cannot access those. It is not a choice if companies are motivated by profit rather than genuine concern for women's well-being. It is not a choice if the very advertisements which claim to be progressive reinforce regressive norms.

Final Thoughts

If men had periods, the story would be entirely different. Myths would still exist, but they would likely be in favor of men. Society might still not want them to express pain because of the toxic definition of a "tough guy", but undeniable privilege would still exist.

Even today, there is a lack of sex education in schools across countries. During discussions on periods, boys are asked to form a queue and exit the classroom, as it is considered a "girls' talk." Hence, boys remain uneducated on women's bodies, and traditional stereotypes of menstruation being dirty are reinforced amongst them.

If you are a boy reading this, do not feel ashamed to talk or know about periods with others. Discuss them in a healthy manner with your sister, your mother, or your female friend, depending on their comfort levels of course.

If you are a girl reading this, you are a strong and resilient person for enduring the pain both from inside and outside! May your pain ease in the future.