What happens in the bathroom stays in the bathroom. Even if you share that space with your entire family, you don’t need to know what anyone else is doing in there. Just keep it clean, always flush and wash your hands, andpleasedon’t splash any water on the mirror.
Despite how natural menstruation is, periods are still very stigmatized
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But this dad refused to comply with his wife’s demands after she wanted to ban his daughter from using their family bathroom
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Women menstruate for about 40 years on average
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Periods are completely natural and normal. Starting anywhere between age 10 and 16, everyone in a female body will startmenstruating. Then, these periods will occur about once a month every single month until menopause starts. Of course, women may skip a month here or there due to hormonal changes, weight fluctuations, or skip many months at a time due to pregnancies. But according to theOffice on Women’s Health, the average woman will have her period for about 40 years.
Considering how frequently women get theirperiodsand how inevitable they are in about half the population’s lives, one would think that talking about menstruation would be as normal as discussing taking a shower or washing your face. But for some reason, periods are still wrapped up in a lot of stigma. As far as where negative beliefs around periods came from, it seems like they’ve been around since Biblical times or longer.
In fact,Leviticusmentions women being “unclean” during menstruation. Unfortunately, many people haven’t changed their views very much on the topic over thousands of years. One 2022 survey fromPlan Internationalfound that over a third of boys believe periods should be kept secret, and over half associate them with the word “dirty.” A third also believe periods are “embarrassing” and “disgusting.”
Many men and women still hold harmful beliefs about periods
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When it comes to normalizing menstruation,Verywell Mindrecommends discussing periods openly and without shame. We don’t need to use euphemisms when talking about periods or refer to them in vague terms. There’s no need to feel embarrassed when telling someone that you’re on your period or try to hide the fact that you’re buying tampons. If anyone feels uncomfortable, that’s their problem not yours.
Normalizing menstruation requires open, honest conversations without shame or embarrassment
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By normalizing periods, we not only encourage girls and women to have higher self-esteem, we also make them safer andhealthier. If no one ever talks about periods, how are young girls supposed to know what’s normal and how to use sanitary products? It can even be dangerous to use tampons without being warned of the risks oftoxic shock syndrome, and it’s important to change out pads frequently to minimize the risk of developing aninfection.
Many readers took the father’s side, noting that his wife’s request is unreasonable
However, some readers thought that both parents could have handled the situation better
Thanks! Check out the results:Gabija Palšytė
Rugile Baltrunaite
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