Flow Summary

Why is it that, in a world of advancements and open conversations, menstruation—something half the population experiences—remains shrouded in myths and misconceptions?

1. Menstruation has always been a misunderstood phenomenon

Historically, menstruation has been surrounded by fear and power. Ancient cultures viewed menstruation as both sacred and hazardous, considering menstrual blood a symbol of life but also something toxic. These paradoxical beliefs shaped centuries of stigmas, subverting the role of women in society.

From Roman philosophers to modern-day taboos, misinformation about menstruation spread. Pliny the Elder, a Roman thinker, claimed that menstrual blood could wilt flowers and cause harm to animals. These wildly inaccurate ideas went unchallenged for centuries, fueling myths that saw periods as "unclean." This archaic notion still lingers in parts of the world today.

Such perceptions led to physical and social exclusion. In ancient traditions, women were often secluded in menstrual huts. Rituals marking the start of menstruation also sometimes involved humiliation, such as caging girls for multiple years as seen in some historical customs. Even as late as the 20th century, menstruation served as a reason to ban women from participating in certain religious or social activities.

Examples

• Roman texts claimed menstrual blood could spoil wine and steel.
• In British Columbia, initiation meant sending girls into the wilderness after menarche.
• Islamic customs often ban menstruating women from rituals even today.

2. Menstrual symptoms were once mislabeled as hysteria

The concept of hysteria was once applied to unexplained symptoms in women, such as mood swings or sleep issues. In the Middle Ages, such behaviors were attributed to witchcraft, showing the limited understanding of women's bodies at that time. This stigma persisted well into modern medicine with the term hysteria.

In the 1950s, doctors began replacing the diagnosis of hysteria with premenstrual syndrome (PMS). While PMS was a step toward understanding menstrual symptoms, the condition remains under-researched. We now understand some physiological causes, such as the uterine contractions behind cramping, but gaps remain in explaining mood swings or fatigue associated with PMS.

Treatments have evolved, but their historical absurdity highlights ignorance. In the past, remedies for “hysteria” included leech therapy or midwives manually stimulating clients to orgasm. Modern science still struggles to categorize menstruation-related phenomena fully, leading to debates whether these experiences signify a problem or just human variation.

Examples

• Hippocrates theorized that the uterus moved around the female body, causing hysteria.
• PMS is recognized globally, but concepts like PMDD are mostly limited to Western medicine.
• Women exhibiting symptoms of hysteria were branded as witches during the Middle Ages.

3. Period sex is neither taboo nor harmful

One of the biggest cultural taboos is sexual activity during menstruation. Historically, religious doctrines often labeled menstruating women as "unclean," sometimes barring them from sexual or even physical contact—practices that carry residual stigma today.

For example, rules in Orthodox Judaism require couples to abstain from any touch during a woman's menstrual period and the week thereafter. Islam, too, bans sexual activity during menstruation, while Christianity historically stigmatized menstruating women as impure beings requiring cleansing.

Scientific research debunks these fears, concluding that period sex is normal and safe. A Yale study even suggests potential health benefits, like reducing the risk of endometriosis with regular orgasms. Despite this, shame continues to dominate conversations, silencing what should be open discussions about bodily autonomy and intimacy.

Examples

• Orthodox Judaism mandates a ritual bath, the mikveh, to "cleanse" menstruating women.
• Certain Polish networks banned tampon ads fearing they were inappropriate for public conversations.
• Research shows orgasms during menstruation can alleviate some menstrual discomforts.

4. Femcare products revolutionized women’s lives

Before modern hygiene products, managing menstruation was incredibly difficult. Women resorted to using moss, rags, leaves, or even sheep's wool. Rubber-lined garments offered relief for wealthier women, but most struggled without proper solutions.

The advent of commercial femcare began with products like Kotex in 1920, using materials adapted from wartime bandages. Over the decades, innovations like self-adhesive pads in the 1970s further empowered women, coinciding with the broader women’s movement. These advancements allowed women to participate fully in public life without menstruation interfering.

However, access remains unequal. In parts of the developing world, inadequate femcare leads to substantial educational and economic barriers, with young girls missing significant time from school each year due to lack of resources.

Examples

• Kotex pads were introduced in 1920, marking a milestone in femcare history.
• Before tampons, some women used soaked moss or grass for periods.
• Girls miss up to 20% of their school days in parts of Sub-Saharan Africa due to pad shortages.

5. Advertising feeds menstrual shame

Though femcare ads increased the visibility of periods, they fed into societal shame by promoting secrecy and "cleaning" products. These campaigns typically used symbolic blue liquid instead of actual blood, reflecting misconceptions about menstruation as something dirty or unspeakable.

Beyond pads and tampons, the industry expanded into douches, catering to fears of vaginal odor. These products, however, are harmful. Studies reveal that regular use alters vaginal pH levels, resulting in infections like bacterial vaginosis. Yet marketing perpetuates the idea that natural odors must be masked, further stigmatizing basic biological functions.

Another issue is how ads exploit women's vulnerabilities. For example, early marketing targeted homemakers by implying that safer menstruation could save their marriages, reinforcing gendered expectations about hygiene responsibilities.

Examples

• Early tampon ads never displayed menstrual blood; only blue liquid was shown.
• Lysol, a kitchen disinfectant, was marketed as a vaginal douche, despite health risks.
• By 1970s, ads began exploiting fears of "unclean" women to sell femcare products.

6. Education on menstruation remains inadequate

Despite its inevitability for nearly half the population, fundamental knowledge about menstruation is often lacking. Many people wrongly associate delayed menstruation solely with pregnancy, unaware of other triggers like stress or hormonal shifts.

Misconceptions extend to ovulation cycles. For instance, many people don’t realize you can menstruate without ovulation and vice versa. Similarly, little attention is paid to sperm lifespans, which pose hidden pregnancy risks even when sex occurs during menstruation.

This gap in information partly stems from cultural taboos. By avoiding open discussions about periods, society misses opportunities to educate people on these critical aspects of health, leaving many confused or misinformed.

Examples

• Around 80% of cycles during the first years of menstruation don't involve ovulation.
• Sperm can survive in the vagina for days, making period sex a potential pregnancy risk.
• Amenorrhea, or absent periods, can sometimes overlap with ovulatory cycles.

7. The pill redefines menstruation

Many users of birth control pills don’t realize their withdrawal bleeding isn’t an actual period. The pill prevents natural ovulation and creates an artificial endometrial cycle, leading to lesser and different kinds of symptoms.

Inventors of the birth-control pill included placebo pills to mimic menstruation, fearing users might reject the idea of stopping it completely. This design is now questioned, with newer versions eliminating "periods" entirely.

While these altered cycles are often milder, they highlight a broader issue: many women lack clarity on what happens during natural versus pill-controlled cycles. This disconnect emphasizes the need for better menstrual education.

Examples

• Modern pills like Yaz are designed to halt menstruation long-term.
• Artificial bleedings during placebo pill intervals often confuse women into thinking they are normal periods.
• Some women prefer cycles modified by contraceptives to reduce harsh period symptoms.

8. Menopause is another goldmine for pharmaceutical companies

As with menstruation, menopause is often medicalized and seen as a condition needing treatment. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) has been marketed to ease symptoms like hot flashes or irritability, but prolonged use has serious health risks, including stroke and cancer.

Despite awareness campaigns, cultural fears about aging continue to feed demand for such drugs. Society often equates menopause with a loss of vitality, creating opportunities for companies to profit from women's apprehensions.

Ultimately, menopause isn't an illness. It’s simply another stage in a woman’s life that requires acceptance rather than over-medicalizing or exploiting for profit.

Examples

• Long-term HRT increases risks of blood clots, breast cancer, and stroke.
• Marketing campaigns frame menopause as something to "fix" rather than embrace.
• Women fear aging based on societal beauty standards, contributing to HRT popularity.

9. Recognizing menstruation as natural is liberating

By breaking taboos, women can take control of their narratives surrounding periods. Understanding menstruation as a healthy biological process—rather than something shameful or problematic—is empowering.

Cultural shifts are slowly dismantling stigmas. Public figures and organizations increasingly promote conversations about menstrual health. These efforts make periods less of a taboo and more of a normalized topic, giving women the confidence to discuss their bodies openly.

However, this change requires more concerted effort in education, advertising, and public discourse to truly redefine menstruation in positive ways.

Examples

• Social campaigns like "The Pad Project" aim to normalize menstrual discussions.
• Educational programs advocate for period equity by addressing product access for economically disadvantaged groups.
• Some governments, like Scotland's, have begun providing free pads and tampons.

Takeaways

1. Keep a period diary to track symptoms, patterns, and changes for better personal awareness and conversations with healthcare providers.
2. Challenge stigmas by openly discussing menstruation with friends or family to help normalize what is a natural process.
3. Seek medically accurate resources to debunk ongoing myths about menstruation, fertility, or menopause.