Despite being a completely natural thing, periods are still very much stigmatized; to the extent where some people believe that men shouldn’t even be talking about it.
That’s whatthis redditor’sex-wife thought, as she called him “sick and perverted” for discussing periods with their three daughters. Needless to say, it didn’t make the relationship between the parents any better and resulted in them shouting at each other in front of their kids. Scroll down to find the full story below.
Below you will also findBored Panda’sinterview with an endocrinologist and medical doctor specializing in menstrual cycles, Professor at the University of British Columbia,Jerilynn C. Prior, who was kind enough to discuss the topic with us.
Periods are often stigmatized, resulting in girls being fearful of talking about it
Image credits:halfpoint / envatoelements (not the actual photo)
This man took matters into his own hands when his daughters needed to be taught about periods
Image credits:AtlasComposer / envatoelements (not the actual photo)
Image credits:aitaposthrowaway
Many young women have been shamed or teased over being on their period
Image credits:Sora Shimazaki / pexels (not the actual photo)
“The world of young and middle-aged adults includes two types of humans—menstruators and non-menstruators. Women or those born with ovaries should know about men’s erections and ‘night dreams’ just as men should know about menstrual cycles and cramps,” Dr. Jerilynn C. Prior pointed out in a recent interview withBored Panda.
Another studyof people’s views on periods found that roughly every fourth woman ages 16 to 24 feels anxious because of menstruation, with fears over leaking through their clothing, changes to their body, and people seeing them take period products to the toilet being the main stressors.
It’s important to talk about menstruation in order to diminish the stigma that surrounds it
The negativity that surrounds menstruation is probably the reason why many young girls don’t have the guts to discuss it even with members of their own family. And while the situation in some homes is not that bad—in nearly 77% of US households with at least one female resident in their teenage years, periods are discussed openly,Statista reports—many young people would rather opt for Googling information instead of asking someone face-to-face about it.
According to Statista’s data, more than half of teenagers would rather turn to the internet instead of talking to someone about periods. It’s safe to assume that they feel uncomfortable discussing the topic, as many teachers reportedly are, too—roughly 35% of those surveyed revealed that their health teacher appeared uneasy while discussing menstruation.
When it comes to schools and menstruation, it seems that the education system does not really prepare the youngsters well on period-related matters, as close to 80% students report being taught more about the biology of frogs than a humanfemale body.
Some men still consider menstruation “disgusting” or “embarrassing”
“Of course a father or older brother should be able to casually and calmly, if needed, talk with a daughter or sister about her menstrual cycle,” Dr. Prior said, adding that this cultural conscious or unconscious designation of a normal human physiological function as “yucky, nasty or unmentionable” is inconsistent with the purported equity of women and men in the 21st century in many parts of the world. “To the detriment of science and health, the stigma about having a period, or disposing of sanitary products extends tomenstruation and ovulation,” she added.
Thanks! Check out the results:Mindaugas Balčiauskas
Viktorija Ošikaitė
Gabija Palšytė
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