The Truth About Menstruation and Feminine Hygiene.

 What is Menstruation?

I hope most of you already know what menstruation is. After all, half of the population will experience it at some point in time. But for those of you who don't know, I'll try to break it down in less technical terms. Menstruation (often called a period) is a process starting in the pre-teen to teenage years (adolescence) when blood and other uterus lining materials come out of the vagina. A normal period occurs once a month for 3-7 days (can be more!), and last until the woman reaches the age for menopause(~50). Periods should continue to occur monthly between the ages of adolescence and menopause, except when pregnant.

Uterus Diagram

Why do women need to menstruate?

One thing's for sure, us women aren't menstruating for fun. It's often an uncomfortable, messy, long, and painful process that we have no control over. Periods should occur at the same time every month, but that doesn't always happen. Many times a woman's period can start unexpectedly. So if it's such an annoyance, why does it happen? The menstrual cycle isn't just about getting your period. It's the entire preparation of a woman's uterus for pregnancy. The typical menstrual cycle is 28 days long, or roughly 1 month. Uring the first few days (6-14) of the menstrual cycle, the uterus starts building up a thicker lining in preparation for pregnancy. The next stage in the cycle is ovulation. Ovulation occurs when a fully developed egg (day 14) is released and travels for 5 days from the fallopian tubes to the uterus. Once the egg reaches the uterus, there is about a 24-hour window in which the egg can be fertilized by sperm, and produce a baby. However, if the egg is not fertilized in that window, the uterus begins shedding its extra lining and expels it through the vagina. This part of the process is when the period begins. As stated above, this cycle occurs every month over the course of roughly 40 years.

Symptoms and conditions.

Having a period takes a physical and emotional toll on the body. It's definitely not a walk in the park. Here are some physical and mental symptoms that can occur before or during menstruation.

• Blood loss of up to 16 tsp.

  
• Cramps in the lower abdomen(PMS)
• Bloating
• Acne breakouts
• Tender or sore breasts
• Fatigue
• Mood swings

Some menstrual conditions are:

• Abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB)- heavy bleeding, no bleeding, or bleeding in between periods.
• Dysmenorrhea- painful periods
• Premenstrual symptom(PMS)
• Toxic shock syndrome- a rare yet deadly complication caused by bacterial infections. Can occur if a super-absorbent tampon is left in the vagina for too long.

Myths and misconceptions.

Menstruation is a very taboo topic in our society. Since nobodies talking about it, there can be a lot of misinformation and myths spread about it. This can be dangerous as not only do men nothing about it but some women too! A woman needs to know how her body works and how to care for it. I want to try my best to debunk these myths and tell you the truth about menstruation. 

• Women cannot stop or hold in the blood. - Having your period isn't like having to pee. It's not something you can hold in. You need to use something to collect the blood if you don't want it to soak into your clothes. In a later section, I will go over the different materials and ways you can control the bleeding.
• Women don't decide when to start their period. - Like I said earlier, a period is a monthly occurrence. It happens whether you want it to or not. Women can try and track their period to guess when it starts, but they won't know for sure. It's not something they decide to start at a specific time.
• Using a tampon is not the same as losing your virginity. - This is a really weird one for me, and really highlights the lack of sex and reproduction education in schools. A tampon is a cotton cylinder that is inserted inside the vagina and expands as it absorbs the blood. Virginity is a complex topic that has different meanings to different people. The overall consensus is that losing your virginity involves some sort of consensual sexual act. There is no sexual activity present in inserting a tampon, it purely hygienic. 
• Yes, you can have sex on your period. - Often times the excuse of being on your period is brought up as a deterrent to sex. Most times, women just use the excuse because they aren't in the mood, but some people actually believe you cant have sex on your period! There is nothing wrong with having sex, it'll just be a little messy. Sex can even be used to relieve menstrual cramps! 
• Tampons cannot be lost in the vagina. - Again, many people are under the assumption that tampons can become lost inside the vagina. THIS IS FALSE! The tampon is only inserted into the vaginal canal, which ends in the extremely narrow opening to the uterus, known as the cervix. A tampon however can become stuck inside the vagina. Worry not though, it can usually be reached by sticking your fingers into the vaginal and gripping either the string or the body of the tampon and pulling it out.
• Using bigger tampons won't stretch out your vagina. - Tampon size does not correlate with vagina size. The size of the tampon refers to the flow of the period. Heavier flows mean more blood, which requires a larger tampon to combat and absorb the blood. Using a certain size won't change your vagina.
• You can pee with a tampon in. Pee is stored in the bladder and is released from the body through a tube called the urethra. The urethra ends in a small hole beneath the clitoris but above the vagina. Tampons are inserted into the vaginal canal, which is the larger hole often mistaken as the "pee hole" or anus.
  
  
  
  

Menstrual materials and how to use them.

There is no right or wrong way to combat a period. It's all about comfort. There are so many different ways to handle a period, you'll be sure to find something that works for you!

Tampons- Tampons are cylindrical swabs of cotton that are inserted into the vagina. Tampons come in a variety of sizes and brands to help you find the right fit for you. One of the most popular brands of menstrual products, Tampax, has 5 different sizes of tampons. Light, Regular, Super, Super Plus, and Ultra. Insertion - To insert a tampon, take off the plastic wrapper around it. The tampon should be covered in a shiny plastic applicator. The applicator is used to help smoothly insert the tampon into the vagina. Pull the skinny end of the tampon (where the string is hanging out) until you feel it lock into place. You need to lock the tampon so you can push the cotton out of the applicator. Once locked into place, angle the tampon towards your lower back, placing it at the opening of the vagina. *Note, the vagina is separate from the urethra (pee hole) and is the larger hole under it. Reference diagram above for help.* Gently push the applicator into the vagina until only the string is visible in the skinny part of the applicator. Some brands have a protective leak guard on the applicator which is a good reference point for deciding how far to put a tampon in. Once in, push the skinny part of the applicator to push out the cotton. Once it's pushed in, you should be able to slide the applicator off the string. Wearing a tampon should be comfortable. You may feel discomfort at first, or when inserting it or taking it out, but once its place, you shouldn't feel it at all. A regular tampon can usually stay in for 3 hours. It all depends on the flow. You can sleep with tampons in, you just might need to get up to change them. You should never keep a tampon in all day though. It is important to change it at least once every 4 hours. Removal- When taking out a tampon, simply grab the string and pull. If it is painful to take out, the tampon probably didn't absorb enough blood and is expanded yet dry. A "full" tampon will easily slide out. *Note, you cannot reinsert the cotton part of a tampon once you start to pull it out. You'll just have to continue taking it out. Your fingers may get blood on them when inserting or removing a tampon, so wash them hourly.*

Pads or sanitary Napkins- Another popular way of capturing period blood is a pad(sanitary napkin). A pad is a foam insert that is placed inside the underwear. To place a pad, take off the plastic wrapping, and unfold it. The bottom of the pad will be sticky, place this part onto the underwater with the foam facing up. Pads also have "wings" or little flaps that stick to the underside of the underwear peel off the paper covering the flaps and fold them under the underwater to help hold it into place. To remove, simply pull the pad off of the underwear and dispose of it.  Like tampons, pads come in many sizes for different flows. They even come in nighttime sizes that cover the entire span of the underwater, while regular pads only cover the middle portion. Small thinner pads are often used for spotting(extremely light bleeding) and are called panty liners.

Menstrual cup- A menstrual cup is a small plastic disk that is inserted into the vagina and opens up into a "cup" shape to capture the blood. To insert the cup; fold or pinch it in half, angle it like a tampon, and push it into the vagina where it will open up. To take out or empty; insert your fingers into the vagina until you can feel the cup. Pinch it like you did to insert it, and slide it out. Like a tampon, a menstrual cup needs to be taken out every 3-4 hours. Unlike a tampon though, menstrual cups are multi use and don't need to be disposed of right away. When using a menstrual cup, you can take it out and pour out the blood. Make sure to wash it after every use. These are a more ecofriendly option to tampons and pads. A menstrual disk is similar to a cup, but it is not reusable and is safe for intercourse. 

Period Underwear- Period underwater is exactly what it sounds like. A type of absorbable underwear can be used on its own to collect blood. There are different styles of underwear for different flows. Most of this underwear can only be worn for a few hours before they need to be cleaned. Period underwear is reusable. 

Free bleeding- The act of free bleeding is actually the opposite of a period product. Free bleeding is when a woman decides to forgo any precautionary measures or products, and bleeds directly into her clothing. Some people free bleed for religious or economical reasons.

There are many different ways to combat menstruation, and they are all used for different reasons. Some or used for comfort, affordability, economic or religious reasons. Here is a chart comparing some of the different materials you can use against your period.

Social implications.

    Like I said earlier, menstruation is a taboo topic, but why? Is it because it's gross? I'm not going to deny it, periods can be really disgusting even though its a natural biological process. So why is it such an uncomfortable topic? To me, it's simple. It's uncomfortable because its a Womans biological process. Ignoring and avoiding the topic of menstruation is a form of gender inequality. If men were to suffer from menstruation as well, it would be celebrated as a right of passage, a step into puberty. So many men (and women) no absolutely nothing about periods. Some women are os ashamed of it, they don't ever tell their daughters. Some poor little girl has to figure out what a period is on her own, whether she learns about it beforehand or when it happens. 

    There is a sexual stigma hanging over menstruation. Anything having to do with a vagina is seen as sexual, and unfit for casual conversation. Meanwhile, openly discuss the lengths of their sexual organs or any of their sexual activities. Women are shamed for having anything to do with sex, whether it be having too much, or not enough. 

    Then there's the issue of hormones. Being on your period releases hormones that can impact you emotionally. This is often associated with PMS, where women tend to have stronger emotions in the days leading up to or during their periods. Men often use the excuse that women cannot handle certain jobs or tasks due to being "emotionally unstable" while on their periods. Having strong emotions doesn't invalidate them. They are still representative of how you feel. Sometime around the 1970s, some companies were trying to create a birth control for men. The main reason the production and creation of these products were stopped was because of the side effects, many of which are similar to those of periods. Now male birth control seems to be back in production, but the toxicity around acting like a woman was too strong for past generations it seems. 

    If women could stop or prevent periods without getting pregnant, I'm sure most of us would! There is a form of birth control (depo shot) that can prevent periods, but not everyone wants to deal with the side effects or even take birth control. It's a fact of life that periods exist, and we need to acknowledge that. Women cannot properly care for their physical health if they don't know how their bodies function. Almost 50% of the world population will get their period at some point. You know someone who has a period, you might even live with one. It's important to educate yourself on how to care for your body, and what works for you. It's also important for men to know too. Our society has privatized periods, and I think it's unhealthy. Periods can be extremely painful, and it can be really helpful to have support. Men should know how to support the women in their lives during this uncomfortable period, especially if it happens once a month for 40 years!

    

Call to action!

We need to normalize periods, now. One way to do this is to talk about it. Share your struggles with your friends, share your feminine products, inform your male friends, talk! Companies and the government can also do a better job. Feminine products are taxed as luxury items, making them more expensive. 

    The government should work to remove the tax and get companies to provide free feminine products. A box of 36 tampons is $8.00 or more (depending on the brand). Condoms are typical $0.50-$1.00 apiece and are free at many organizations. Condoms are used for sex, a consensual activity that isn't necessary, while periods happen regardless of what you want, and they cannot be stopped! Public restrooms (male, female, unisex) should all have free menstrual products and disposal sites.

    Commercial companies need to stop marketing period products as empowering and should focus on normalizing the process of using and buying these products. Most commercials for period products use a blue dye to represent blood. Knock it off! Use red, and show what a period really looks like.

    Shopping and storing period products can also be embarrassing. People try to hide their products in checkout lines or hide the products in their own homes. Don't hide them, keep them in a close, comfortable, storable place with easy access. You don't hide toilet paper, do you? So why hide these products? Yes, you should wrap a used product in toilet paper, but do it for sanitary reasons, not to hide it.

    You don't need to be proud of your periods, but you shouldn't have to hide it. It's out of your hands, but it shouldn't be out of the social agenda!