Period Paranoia. It needs to stop. Period.
This article was written by Lonestar Writer, Stephanie Tang.
PERIOD and the menstrual movement have become a nationwide and global phenomenon — uniting states, schools, and countries to rally against period paranoia and for the #mentrualmovement manifesto that demands to end period poverty and stigma.
Why this particular movement speaks to me is that ending #periodparanoia is something that is very near and dear to my heart, especially because of the lack of awareness as well as support for the issue. Is anyone truly aware of the statistics associated with menstrual products or lack thereof? Does anyone truly understand how vital menstrual hygiene is to a woman’s reproductive health? Does anyone even begin to understand the implications of menstrual awareness inside the United States itself? I am here to attempt to end this stigma — whether you are a man or woman — and raise awareness for the Period Movement and to let you JSAers know how to take action within your own communities.
Let me break it down for you.
Who is affected?
Period Poverty is a growing issue in America, in which over ⅔ of low-income women lack access to proper menstrual care, approximately 26.4 million women in the United States alone. On a global scale, approximately 100 million women lack access to adequate menstrual products. This is an estimated one in ten young women who have been unable to afford protection for their period. Instead, 12 percent of these women resort to using toilet paper, cardboard cutouts, brown paper bags, and other inadequate materials to use as pads. In India, approximately 12 percent of its 355 million menstruating women reported cannot afford menstrual products, leaving them to use unsafe materials such as rags and sawdust as an alternative. Past studies report that a fifth of UK parents have struggled to afford sanitary protection for their daughters.
What are the main causes?
Menstruation, in general, is stigmatized around the world. In Nepal, for example, it is an actual cultural taboo for women to menstruate, to the point where menstruating women are seen as impure by their community and banished to huts during their cycles. In places such as Africa, some girls will miss as much as 20% of their school year during their periods, or even drop out of school altogether. The non-governmental agency WoMena conducted a study in Uganda and found many girls skipped school while on their period to avoid teasing by classmates. Even in the United States, menstrual hygiene is very scarcely talked about amongst students and adults alike. Menstrual hygiene is quite far from even being not ridiculed, much less acknowledged.
Why has this become such a huge problem is attributed to 1) poverty rates and 2) the tampon tax or the “pink” tax, which is a form of gender-based discrimination on female products, especially menstrual products. This is prominent in all areas around the world — including the European Union, which taxes 5 percent on menstrual products.
Why is this a problem?
Poor menstrual hygiene can cause physical health risks and has been linked to reproductive and urinary tract infections, according to UNICEF.
Period Poverty and poor period health can also cause girls to skip numerous days of school, putting a huge barrier to their education, In the UK, a reported 137,700 girls have missed school due to period poverty. They risk falling 145 education days behind their male counterparts. This is especially alarming because young girls who do not receive an education are more likely to enter child marriages and experience an early pregnancy, malnourishment, domestic violence, and pregnancy complications as a result.
Period Stigma also has negative mental effects as well on women all across the globe. This stigma carried by most males and some cultures disempowers women, and causes them to feel ashamed and embarrassed over a normal biological process that they shouldn’t be feeling ashamed of.
What can you do to help?
The first measures that we can take, as humans whether male or female, to end this issue is to stop the period stigma. Taboos, taxes, and laws against a normal biological process is absolutely unacceptable. We need to lead rallies, protests, and sign petitions to fight against the tampon tax and to get rid of stigmatizing period taboos.
I suggest signing the Period Movement petition and starting a chapter at your own schools/areas:
And personally, I propose a Menstrual Hygiene Initiative that I plan on and hope to undertake at my own school. This will include a menstrual product drive, raising awareness on social media, and other exciting initiatives.
Works Cited:
https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/period-poverty-everything-you-need-to-know/
https://www.actionaid.org.uk/about-us/what-we-do/womens-economic-empowerment/period-poverty
