Menstruation-Why Still A Taboo?

3/2/22 7:40pm

A lot many would already skip reading this blog because that's how we all have been structured by our society..Not to talk about menstruation, avoid any rare contact to this topic, kids to skip family conversations about the same and elders to keep their mouth shut regarding this when in front of children; when infact Menstruation is nothing but a normal physiology of female mammals. 

Menstruation, the periodic lunar cycle of shredding endometrium from female uteri which manifests as cyclical bleeding has been considered a taboo, a sin for numerous years now. 

The etymology is related to Latin word "Mensis" meaning month which hails its origin from Greek word "Mene" meaning Moon bringing to analogy the lunar cycling of moon and menses. The surprising beliefs and myths about this dates back to centuries and have shaped a lot many cultural and social stigmas and it isn't history still. 

The same stigma prevails to the current day and is strong enough in some geographical areas for women to lose their lives at times too!!

Menstruation is just as normal as being preganant for women. I would never get this thing that making kids is fine for this world but talking about the very basis of it is not. 

Roots of period Shaming:

The roots of period Shaming women is explained by some ancient cultures and texts as menstruation was considered unclear and impure due to obvious lack of hygiene practices in those times.

Let's quote The Bible, as in Jewish law, a menstruating female called as "Niddah" was excluded from social and religious aspects of the society.

The Quran states "It is harmful thing for a husband to have sexual intercourse with his wife while she is having menses; Do not approach them until they are rid of it."

The Hindus consider menstruating women as impure and polluted. Very strictly, they are not allowed to be a part of any religious rituals or temples. 

And if you think this all is just history and has stopped now, you're fairly mistaken my friend. I very well remember one of my senior female doctors telling her story.

"She is married to a fellow respected doctor in one of the interior regions of upper Himachal Pradesh, geographically sharing borders with Nepal and China. Despite she and her husband both being educated doctors, she was forced by her mother-in-law to confine herself to the cow shed for 7days of her cycles. She wasn't supposed to eat or sit with other family members. She was banned from cooking and strictly told not to enter into the house."

Gives me chills to still think of her state during that time of segregation:(

I also remember listening to Sudha Moorthy ma'am telling how uncomfortable it was for her to pursue her Engineering from a college where she was the first female to get admission into and didn't even had female toilets in the entire campus. 

In a time when a female needs your most support because she is weak physically, you call her impure and throw her in a place where animals are kept. 

And the very next Navratras, you bring young girls home and worship them as "Devis".

Seriously?? Give me some space above this bigotry. 

So many young girls at their menarche experience fear, shame, embarrassment just because their families and the so helpful society make them feel so.

 Imagine a female being ashamed for the very thing that makes her one, something that is such an integral part of her sexuality. 

And this all doesn't stop here. Even today women don't have access to sanitary napkins and tampoons in many parts of the world.. Why?? 

Because we are the cool ones and we don't talk about this shitty thing in our world? Huh? 

It's not about equality. It's about how uncomfortable and painful we make this monthly experience for a woman which she should actually be proud of. 

Menstrual hygiene, breaking the taboos related to this and providing an adequate comfortable environment for our ladies is as important as having a good nutritious meal for our body.  Just like without food our bodies won't survive, without women, the races would end.

MENSTRUATION IS NOT A DISEASE. AND WE NEED TO STOP SEEING IT AS ONE!!

But in a world so so inspired and run by religions and customs, I fear the change coming sooner. But I always believe in the power that good thoughts hold. Speak up people, for your mothers, sisters, wives, girlfriends, and friends. Change starts at an individual level.

If we decide to do it, we can make it a better place for us all. 

P.s The picture at the start is from my Community Medicine postings at CHC, Mashobra during internship. 

Just like that butterfly, if we give everybody the space, love and support to grow and blossom, you can't stop somebody who is meant to fly. 

Give your ladies the love, care and respect they deserve. Trust me, they'll return you back the same manyfold.