Not to get overly gross here but...
My period came accompanied by a headache this month. So in addition to being bitchy, bloated, achy, and sleepy, I now have the blessing of a headache. I'm not expert on menstruation, but my 23 year life experience with it has taught me a thing or two about it.
A Couple Valid Facts to Begin
- It is gross.
- Talking about it and experiencing it makes people uncomfortable.
- It is natural and healthy
- I am going to talk about it anyways
Even the Definition makes it sound nasty
men·stru·a·tion
noun
the process in a woman of discharging blood and other materials from the lining of the uterus at intervals of about one lunar month from puberty until menopause, except during pregnancy.
Each woman experiences periods differently. From the symptoms they experience, to the heaviness of their flow, to the length of their cycle. Normal. I am going to assume that the majority of my audience right now are adult woman and not bore you by listing the various symptoms you might encounter. I will note that per most sources a normal cycle lasts 21-45 days, my cycle is normally 23-28 days long, and my period lasts about 4 days. A cycle goes from the first day of one period to the first day of the next period. My fitbit app (Charge 2) actually added a function for tracking periods. Maybe this is a clue that menstruation is becoming something people are more comfortable with, but I doubt it.
Normal
As a woman who has ruined countless pairs of underwear and pants.....I can still assure you, your body disposing of something it isn't using (waste) is normal.
- Fact: Everyone reading this defecates and urinates.
- Additional Fact: Most of you have Vomited.
- Personal Fact: Vomit is more disgusting than menstrual blood, in my experience.
As young women (teenagers), most of us have gotten shamed for this natural thing our bodies do. I know women my age who have partners that still shame them for it, one friend's husband actually refuses to cuddle with her when she is menstruating....umm what?!?! You can't catch it, clothes/ and skin are both washable. This shaming is simply part of menstruation for many women around the world. Shame, embarrassment, exclusion and unsanitary situations.
It was recently brought to my attention through Facebook that I pay tax on my feminine products, and that it is unfair. I'm not even mad about it, and I actually wonder why anyone who is not forced by accessibility or affordability to freebleed...would be. I have access to affordable feminine products (sidenote: tampons...and I am a total tampon snob....tampax pearls please), many women around the world do not.
According to an article from 2016, 88% of the women around the world do not have access to feminine products . This is simply astounding to me, I will be finding a way to help with this issue when I get more financially stable.
There are many additional issues women face during menstruation in third world countries, you can read about them here or a quick Google search will serve you well. In many countries woman are facing oppression, in the United States the extra $0.30 I pay once a month, so I don't bleed all over myself somehow sounds like not so bad of a deal, when we look at the bigger picture.
My periods have become more intense in symptoms, and regularity as I have aged. My cycle is wonky, and my body just does whatever it wants, this too....is normal. I personally hope this headache thing isn't a new "normal for me". Menstruating does not prevent me from doing anything I desire to do, aside from sex, swimming, and wearing white clothing. Which I could do any of those, but chose not to. It makes me feel icky, but I'm not embarrassed by it, though that should be obvious if you have read this far down.
