Fu Yuanhui, the Chinese Olympian who won a bronze medal in the 100- meter backstroke, did much more than represent her country at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. The 20-year-old inadvertently spoke about a topic that is still quite taboo as she was interviewed after her 4x100m medley relay swimming event, acknowledging that her period came the night before and was making her tired. This may not appear to be a revolutionary statement on the surface, however when one considers how menstruation is treated as a taboo topic not only in China, but throughout the world, this statement is bold and fearless in itself.

The Period Taboo

History once smiled favorably upon menstruation. In Ancient Greece, a woman’s cycle was viewed as a sign of fertility and good health, which was something to be celebrated. As time progressed these positive reactions towards periods changed to reactions of revulsion and fear, creating the taboo that the world would implement as a cultural norm for generations. Sociologically. a taboo is a negative norm that if violated will result in extreme disgust within a culture or society. In nearly every culture on earth, menstruation is treated as an impolite topic of conversation, something that is to be hidden and dealt with privately from the time a young girl receives her first period to the time she reaches menopause. In Fu Yuanhui's country of China, many seemed shocked at the idea that the young Olympian could possibly swim while she was menstruating, showing that there are still many misconceptions surrounding periods due to the lack of communication that stems from such taboos. The taboo of menstruation and misconceptions surrounding periods begs the question of how the conversation went from one that was celebrated to one that could only be discussed in hushed tones. While some experts believe there is a biological discomfort that comes with discussing menstruation, others believe that this discomfort stems from a mix of religious conditioning and patriarchal value standards that allow for misogynistic beliefs to be normalized in our society.

Dr. Valerie Curtis has studied biological reasons to fear discussing or coming into contact with menstruation. In her book Don’t Look, Dont Touch: The Science Behind Revulsion, Dr. Curtis discusses that due to evolution, humans have learned to avoid anything that may appear sickly or diseased to avoid contaminating themselves in some way. Humans have learned that diseases can spread is through bodily fluids, creating a natural unease when one thinks that blood is leaving a woman during her menstrual cycle. Another cause for unease is that humans naturally feel disturbed when exposed to blood, especially blood that is not their own. Although menstrual blood is different from blood that circulates throughout the body, they appear to be the same and therefore it makes many who think about or look upon it uncomfortable. This is only one part to a complex issue, however. Overall misogyny in a society contributes to this revulsion of a female being a biological being. As Abrahamic religions became much more prominent, the fear of the female came with it. Menstruation began to be tied with uncleanliness and with that, unholiness. In biblical text, women who are menstruating are discussed in detail as unclean. In Leviticus 15 this is most apparent with verses 19-20 that read, “And if a woman have an issue, [and] her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the even. And every thing that she lieth upon in her separation shall be unclean: every thing also that she sitteth upon shall be unclean.” Verses from Leviticus 15:21-24 also discuss how any person who comes into contact with a menstruating woman is also considered unclean. With the adoption of Abrahamic dogma and its permeation through many cultures, it is easy to understand how one can be conditioned to feel revulsion towards menstruation. This is perhaps why one will see a greater discomfort towards menstruation in theocratic countries and less in countries are secular. However, misogyny through religious texts is not the only thing that affects the patriarchal standards that cause discomfort around menstruation. Women are continuously objectified through media and by society, causing many to be more comfortable with the idea that women are not truly human but objects of desire to satisfy their imaginations. This idea can be found when society places a large amount of importance on a woman being attractive instead of seeing her as a multi-faceted human being, as men often are seen. When this image is broken and a contradictory image is presented to a culture that has been conditioned to see women in a particular light, the idea of a woman’s biology can cause a great amount of discomfort in the psyches of those within that culture. This can be seen when women discuss most bodily functions in general. When women with significant platforms such as Fu Yuanhui speak out about their periods, it chips away at these beliefs and can start important conversations that allow for more education and less mystery surrounding menstruation.

Why The Taboo Must End

The worldwide impact of a period taboo goes far beyond a few people being uncomfortable with public discussions of menstruation. Due to an overall lack of education on the issue as well as a lack of resources, many young girls and women in low-income countries are forced to leave school and use potentially hazardous methods to deal with bleeding. These young girls often use twigs and rags as hygiene products, which are not only uncomfortable but can lead to infections and health issues. In addition, young girls forced to leave school are more likely to marry for support, which may lead to forced sexual relations and opens many young girls up to violence and poverty. The lack of education about menstruation causes many to cling to archaic beliefs that girls and women who menstruate should be separated from others due to their uncleanliness or ability to become pregnant. Even in developed countries, many young girls find themselves uninformed about their periods, making many believe more myths then truths about their cycles.  Taxes are placed on feminine hygiene products due to them being seen as a “luxury” in the eyes of lawmakers who are not educated on menstruation. After Fu Yuanhui’s Olympic swim for bronze, many in China were surprised that a woman could get into a pool on her period due to the lack of education on different types of feminine hygiene products and social norms that dictate which ones are appropriate to use. In the United States, although most women have access to sanitary products and are less likely to face stigma, incarcerated and homeless women often struggle to find adequate hygiene products. Due to a lack of education on how menstruation truly affects women, many still view women as naturally unstable or weak in America. This makes women more vulnerable to sexism in workplaces, educational environments, in the healthcare system and in social situations. This is why it is important for women in Fui Yuanhui’s position to continue to speak out about menstruating and slowly chip away at social conventions for what is considered “appropriate”.

When we are uneducated on certain issues we are more likely to fear it, allowing these issues to continue to grow and permeate the lives of millions of women worldwide. Fui Yuanhui shows the world that there is nothing to be afraid of and that women who are menstruating are not disgusting and unclean, but quite capable and powerful. Her casual comment on such a public platform has begun a conversation that will eventually normalize discussions of a woman's menstrual cycle, making it as common as discussing a cold or an upset stomach. It may have just been one simple comment, but a simple comment can change the world.