Menstruation: a biological function first observed around 200 centuries ago at the dawn of the Homo sapien race. Despite its ancient roots and prevalence as a rite of passage amongst young females, modern society continues to characterise this bodily process as inherently taboo in nature.
The beginning of a woman’s period symbolises the beginning of her fertility, and thus, a stain on her desirability in a culture which rewards purity and innocence. Historically, within conservative cultures, a woman’s first menstruation represented a shift from the asexual child, to an adult vessel of childbirth; illustrating a woman’s immediate loss of autonomy, and her new role within patriarchal societies to bleed, breed, and breastfeed.
Biologically, blood may evoke a sense of disgust in individuals, stemming from an evolutionary protective instinct which links blood to danger, injury, or sickness. The disgust towards menstrual blood, however, is subconsciously learned—a product of cultural silence, ignorance, and patriarchal systems which value total control over the female reproductive system.
When layered over hundreds of centuries, periods are now referred to with a sense of shame and secrecy; educational systems fail to teach menstruation properly, and modern-day women are made to learn of their intimate health through a series of assumptions and blind acceptance, without a solid understanding of their body’s intimate processes.
In society, menstruation exists as the spoiling tarnish on the virtuous persona that is prescribed to women at birth. It symbolises a paradox that neither praises women’s sexual processes nor commends the beginning of their reproductivity.
Within numerous ancient tribal cultures, a woman’s menstrual blood was not believed to be dirty or polluting, but rather, was seen as a source of feminine energy and a testament to their magical ability to create and sustain life. Ancient Cherokees (an Indigenous peoples of the United States) believed that a woman’s menstrual blood was a destructive force that could be evoked in sorcery, utilising it as an attack mechanism during war. Likewise, ancient Hindu cultures throughout South India observed the first menstruation through a sacred ceremony known as Ritushuddhi, wherein young girls were gifted presents to celebrate their transition to womanhood.
The present-day claim that ‘menstruation is to be ashamed of’ is an assertion of patriarchal power that desires total control over a woman’s sexual appeal and general autonomy. Initial negative attitudes surrounding periods can be attributed to the lack of active male participation in procreating activities with the rise of patriarchal lifestyles. Whilst married men throughout time have valued intercourse, the expectation of a ‘male breadwinner’ has historically barred them from actively providing menstrual support, particularly due to the desirable notion of stoic masculinity. This relational dysfunction, accumulating over decades, has resulted in a generational attitude, where men are unable to grasp the demands of menstruation, and instead view it as an impurity on a woman’s allure. This misconstrued and tabooed attitude has been internalised by women over centuries, subsequently serving to reinforce male dominance and social control, as women are shamed into operating within a ‘menstrual closet’ under the pressure to remain ‘clean.’
This deeply entrenched social belief has resulted in a transition from ancient sacredness to modern secrecy, as women are made to navigate their menstrual cycles through waves of assumption and ignorance. Presently, there exists a severe lack of female medical research, and consequently, a lack of proper menstrual education, which can be attributed to a historical male authority over all scientific disciplines. Through this male-centred lens, female bodily processes were largely considered ‘foreign’ and ‘more complicated’ than male biology. As such, women’s health became alienated under the justification of traditional patriarchal assumptions of women as ‘inferior,’ resulting in a modern day scarcity of authentic information regarding women’s intimate health.
Subsequently this inattentiveness has led to the normalisation of serious pain and a significant hesitation to seek medical help when needed. As Norwell Health discovered, currently 7 in 10 women with hormonal imbalances are unaware that their symptoms of fatigue, weight gain, and irregular periods, are caused by hormonal issues and only seek help when these imbalances have spiralled into drastic concerns.
In a world characterised by increased illness and disease, from the emergence of unhealthy diets and lifestyles, it is likely that women will continue to remain oblivious to the state of their reproductive health, allowing minor issues to culminate in drastic interventions. Younger girls will also continue to refer to their menstrual cycle through a series of polite euphemisms, furthering existing taboos, and maintaining secrecy around a bodily process that was once revered as sacred.
In recent years however, this restrictive narrative appears to have dissipated slightly, particularly with the emergence of menstrual activism which aims to leave period stigma in the past. This can be evidenced through an increase in female scientists conducting adequate and authentic research into women’s health, and an increase in productive, transparent conversations with young children about the reality about periods within schools. Now more than ever, with the decrease of gender segregation due to feminist movements in recent decades, it is essential that individuals employ this newfound power to reframe menstruation as a celebration of the intricacy and complexity of women’s bodily processes.
The menstrual cycle is the very foundation of life responsible for the creation of each and every person; and it deserves the respect that comes with that.
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