First off, lets shout out the City Girls for sensationalizing the small-dot shaped punctuation mark! This 'on period' trend has allowed for the word 'period' to roll off of societies tongue with ease. Moving on... Sista. Flow visited my reproductive organs for the first time when I was 13 years-old. I remember it vividly and not because it was the most pleasant transition into womanhood but because it was uncomfortable. It was uncomfortable because I was embarrassed that I had received my period at a time I thought to be, "too early". That day, my mom told me to go down to the basement to get a maxi pad. Why were sanitary napkins in the basement you may ask? Well, my grandfather had always been the type to be prepared for anything so he purchased a boat load of them from a cash n' carry place. There I stood, at the bottom of the basement steps staring at three big cardboard boxes filled with a name brand of maxi pads I had never heard of out of the one I was familiar with: Always. I ran up to the bathroom, turned both the shower and the faucet on, in order to block out the sound of me opening the pad. The pad was so big it barely fit in my underwear and was of poor quality so the sticky part did not stick. I cried so hard that day. I felt ugly and nasty. Not just because I was wearing a pad that was oddly long, with one end touching my navel and the other at my tailbone but because my body had changed in many ways. Up until I was 15 years-old, I had been shy to even mention my period. Why did I feel this way? Why would any young woman or person feel disgusting, embarrassed and dirty because of their period?
Growing up, I don't remember there being a lot of talk on menstrual cycles or spaces were I felt comfortable speaking about it openly. Menstrual cycles are not meant to keep us from living our lives. They do not make us less of a person, it is an experience that is still being worked out around the world. Netflix original short documentary, Period. End of Sentence, feature a group of women in Hapur, India who tell their stories and experiences that surround the stigma of menstruation. It displays their silent yet loud revolt against sexual inequality. The short documentary also accentuates the stigma that surround sanitary pads. The short documentary won an Oscar earlier this year for Best Documentary Short Subject. This award not only praises the film greatly for its outstanding presentation and representation but it also brings light to a worldly issue.
Periods are no secret and they should not be. In order to erase the stigma that deem periods as repulsive, we need to have more healthy and sophisticated conversations about them. Topics that speak about people who are unable to receive products to cater to their periods due to certain circumstances or how to care for yourself while on your period. There are many young women who are clueless or tight-lipped about their periods because society has made them think that it is an adult thing or it is a burden. Last week I was on Youtube, and a THINX(BTWN) commercial popped up. It was a girl, maybe 12 or 13, talking about how convenient THINX leak-free underwear are. This made me smile and very happy because this was actually the first time I saw a girl being featured in a period commercial. The joy and carefree ambiance that filled that commercial was something I was missing in my early years. Grown women are not the only ones who experience Sis. Flow every month, twice a month or once in a while. Lets normalize that narrative as well and push forward with the understanding of what periods are.
Today, I stand as a woman who has no problem with talking about my time of the month in public. Runs to the store for period products are no longer a drag or an embarrassment. I do not need nor should I be ashamed of my nature's blessing. Periods help bodies stay healthy. Just recently, I was at a conference and my maxi pad fell out of my bag. I did not feel that sense of urgency to pick it up immediately. Yes world, I bleed from my vagina (uterus to be exact). It is my body's way of expressing itself through the lovely performance of uterus contractions, spontaneous food cravings, random crying spells, heat flashes, breast pain, back pain, nausea, gas, breakouts and bloating. The more we share our experiences about our periods and educate one another about the menstrual cycle; the stigma of it being 'uncouth' will soon be a distant memory.
A group of young women from Temple University, protest for period equality and for homeless people who are in need of period products. They stand in front of the school bell platform shouting for a cause, asking passers-by to drop period products in a cardboard box (not shown) Photo taken by Sumaiyah Bynum (me)
It is important that menses are not viewed as unclean. Sure they can be a pain sometimes and at moments are not the prettiest but these experiences are to be embraced. Next time you go to a pharmacy or supermarket, say no to that cashier that asks if you would like to "double baggy" your tampon purchase. If your period decides to come while your out with sister- friends, don't be afraid to ask "does anyone have a pad?" Even if it is one of those days where you forgot to get period products, don't be shy to ask your significant other to buy them for you. Try to get involved in clubs or activities that engage in conversations surrounding periods whether it be at your school or elsewhere. The university I attend provides maxi pads and tampons in every other bathroom. I have had conversations on social media covering the topics on period hygiene and organic period products. It's fun to be unapologetic and carefree about an experience that you are not experiencing alone.
Menses, Menstrual Cycle, Ms. Flow, Mother Nature, Red Nile, Woman Time, PERIOD. At the end of the day everyone needs to just go with the flow ;)
