Aunt flow, the curse, riding the crimson tide, and mother nature’s gift are just a few of the endless nicknames for menstruation. This secret code that women created to describe their “time of the month” is used as a shield to protect them from the embarrassment of admitting that they are on their period.
While sometimes waking up with bloody underwear is reason to rejoice for avoiding a pregnancy scare, it also indicates that the time to find crafty ways of transporting sanitary napkins to the bathroom without anyone noticing has arrived. Despite being a natural and monthly process that almost every woman goes through, negative attitudes towards periods makes it something that should only be talked about behind closed doors. Three faculty and student members of Indiana University of different sexualities and genders discuss why pulling a tampon out in public might be considered committing social suicide.
Matthew Arnstine, Hillel advisor, homosexual male
Arnstine says that the root of the negative stigma attached to menstruation comes from America’s puritan ancestry.
“We’re the only country with such weird social norms,” he said. “We suppress sexuality, while in Europe, people are open about their weird sexual kinks. In America, everyone is secretive, and they don’t tell anyone."
Dr. Debra Herbenick, sexual health professor, heterosexual female
“I don't think it is 'social suicide' to have period products be visible, but I do think it takes time for women to become more comfortable with the fact that they menstruate.”
The Kinsey Institute researcher says that it becomes easier for women to talk about their periods as they grow up and make friends with others who are also comfortable talking about it. “If no one talks with young girls in comfortable ways about periods, they may not initially be comfortable either.”
James Smith*, senior, heterosexual male
Smith admits that before having to clean women’s bathrooms at his summer camp, which included picking up tampons, he was afraid of periods.
“When I was a freshman in high school, someone threw a box of tampons at me and I caught it and screamed. I was scared because I didn’t know anything about them, and they were these weird things that girls put inside them.”
Being exposed to tampons desensitized Smith to periods. “On the surface level it’s gross, but when you spend a second thinking about it, it’s not a big deal.”
*Name of student has been changed to preserve his anonymity.