An Open Letter to Period Shamers

Dear Period Shamers,

    Saumya here. I just wanted to say… where do I start. Okay, how about with the fact that my period is none of your business. You are not my doctor, you don’t get to tell me what is healthy and what isn’t.

Why do you feel so strongly about the fact that I am on my period, anyways? I don’t care if you consider me your friend, unless you’re telling me that I have blood on my favorite white pants, I don’t care. You can have an opinion, you just can’t have an opinion about MY period. Did you catch that?

MY period. Mine. Not yours.

    It irks me even more if you are someone who has never had a period. What do you know about how a period feels? Nothing. You know nothing. If you think my period is disgusting, why are you here? No one asked you to come and share your opinion on something you have no personal experiences with. My biology is not something that should be ridiculed.

Do I even have to tell you that people like you are the reason why society still exiles women during their periods or treats them as touchy and irrational? I guess I do, because obviously you are completely ignorant of those facts. Guess what? Women are still not treated as equals, and while you aren’t the whole reason why, you certainly are a part of it.

You might not even realize you are doing it, so here’s a checklist. If you seriously ask women if they are on their period when they’re mad, call women unfit to lead because they are “irrational”, explain things to them like you would a child when they’re mad, etc., you’re probably a period-shamer, and you should stop.

Now let’s move on to a list of things people like you have caused. I cried when I got my period because I thought it was a bad thing. Thanks, period-shamers. My mom didn’t even know what a period was until she got hers because her mom and sisters were ashamed to talk about it. Thanks, period-shamers. I am always self-conscious about whether or not I’m leaking, even when I’m not on my period. Thanks, period-shamers.

Sincerely,

Saumya

Period Myths VS. Period Facts

By Saumya Bajaj

Periods have long been taboo, even to this day. Although there were (very) few studies in the 19th and 20th centuries concerning periods that were actually done well and were replicable, the ones that were done had some valuable information debunking common myths associated with women’s menstruation. Now, we have quite a few more female scientists (though not nearly enough), so there are more studies pertaining to periods. These studies more often than not completely disprove myths relating to periods. Let’s take a look at some of these myths that still continue to haunt women around the world.

• Do periods affect cognitive function? No. Absolutely not. In fact, one of the first reputable studies into menstruation was about whether or not periods affect cognitive function. Leta Hollingworth actually conducted this study for her dissertation, concluding that it does not affect ability. Another more recent study done just this year headed by Brigitte Leeners concluded precisely the same thing. So when someone says women shouldn’t be leaders because they can’t think straight during their periods, you can tell them “Wrong”.

• Do women’s cycles sync up if they spend enough time together? Again, no. This is called “menstrual synchrony” in the science community. Martha McClintock conducted the original study suggesting this, but several papers were published reporting flaws in this study. While McClintock suggested pheromones, doubt was cast upon this conclusion, along with many people’s inability to reproduce this study.

• Does PMS necessarily cause mood changes? No. A team led by Sarah Romans reviewed 47 studies, concluding that there is very little correlation with mood changes and menstruation, let alone PMS. While this didn’t say that mood changes are never caused by PMS, it did say that most women don’t have mood swings caused by hormonal changes during PMS.

While there are quite a few more myths that continue to limp along, they are continuously being debunked, slowly being chipped away at until they completely fall. In the meanwhile, know that everything you read about periods isn’t necessarily true.