Stereotypes Regarding Menstruation
By Zyna Shoukat and Carolina Beirne, 4/18/2020
Western Stereotypes & The Need for Normalization
Almost every girl can attest to an experience of showing the slightest sign of agitation and being met with the dreaded question: “What, are you on your period or something?” Despite tremendous advances in gender equality through the third wave of feminism, a lasting taboo surrounds the topic of menstruation and the way it is addressed within a public sphere, where the Western World continues to maintain a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ attitude.
In Christianity, most denominations do not follow any Biblical rules when it comes to the topic of menstruation, though some sects of Christianity follow the Holiness Code from Leviticus, which holds similarities to Niddah, a Jewish ritual. More fundamentalist ideas, such as those from Kristen and Bethany, from the YouTube Channel, ‘Girl Defined,’ defend the exclusion of women from ministry based on the notion of uncleanliness, despite the Apostolic Constitution of the Old Covenant abrogating purity laws. Others bar women from receiving Holy Communion, deeming a woman as ‘filthy’ whilst menstruating. However, a more secular outlook rejects these beliefs, though the derision surrounding it persists. In 1981, a survey revealed that 78% of American adults and adolescents believe that discussing the topic of menstruation is socially unacceptable, especially in a mixed-gender company – even within a family. Furthermore, more than one-third of girls do believe discussing the topic is inappropriate with their father.
Partially, these preconceived ideas of periods being an improper topic come from lack of education and a resulting deficit of normalisation for a very normal process. The menstrual cycle is frequently taught in combination with uncomprehensive, gender-exclusive sex education in the US. This failure to accurately teach the topic to both genders has negative implications in the social sphere by allowing people to act based on ideas associated with the topic of periods. This can lead to the objectification of a woman’s body, putting her at risk of teasing, and, in extreme cases, sexual harassment. However, major advancements for the normality of periods have been made in recent years. For example, sanitary product advertising typically avoids depicting menstruation by using blue liquids, rather than its true colour red, to depict blood in order to demonstrate absorptivity and effectiveness. However, in 2010, the American brand “Always” created the first tampon advertisement to use red. Though it proved to be a great success, the controversy this ad faced revealed that these toxic ideas persist both in the media and in everyday life.
Moreover, the critically acclaimed horror movie, Carrie shows a woman getting her first period and receiving verbal abuse from her peers. Her mother then locks her into a closet as she believes it is a sign of sin. Finally, furthering her embarrassment from the initial period scenario, someone dumps pig blood on Carrie at prom. Though this is a negative narrative of the reality women face when it comes to their periods, Carrie has become a cult-favourite, and the fact that a woman’s ‘transition into womanhood’ has become so popular reflects a growing acceptance of the idea. Moreover, Ingrid Berthon-Moine, an artist and photographer, exhibited her works on menstruation at the Venice Bennale, where she followed the protests of ‘free-bleeding,’ in which women purposely refrain from using sanitary products and allow themselves to bleed out, in order to challenge the cultural ideas of menstruation being dirty.
In conclusion, this topic continues to challenge many societal conventions, though there are ways Western society could work to reduce it, though all change is glacial. A more comprehensive education for all youth is a pertinent starting point which needs readily addressed, whilst further representation in the media is also a dire need – if it becomes more acknowledged and enters every-day life for everyone, the ‘fear’ of menstruation could potentially be extinguished.
In Christianity, most denominations do not follow any Biblical rules when it comes to the topic of menstruation, though some sects of Christianity follow the Holiness Code from Leviticus, which holds similarities to Niddah, a Jewish ritual. More fundamentalist ideas, such as those from Kristen and Bethany, from the YouTube Channel, ‘Girl Defined,’ defend the exclusion of women from ministry based on the notion of uncleanliness, despite the Apostolic Constitution of the Old Covenant abrogating purity laws. Others bar women from receiving Holy Communion, deeming a woman as ‘filthy’ whilst menstruating. However, a more secular outlook rejects these beliefs, though the derision surrounding it persists. In 1981, a survey revealed that 78% of American adults and adolescents believe that discussing the topic of menstruation is socially unacceptable, especially in a mixed-gender company – even within a family. Furthermore, more than one-third of girls do believe discussing the topic is inappropriate with their father.
Partially, these preconceived ideas of periods being an improper topic come from lack of education and a resulting deficit of normalisation for a very normal process. The menstrual cycle is frequently taught in combination with uncomprehensive, gender-exclusive sex education in the US. This failure to accurately teach the topic to both genders has negative implications in the social sphere by allowing people to act based on ideas associated with the topic of periods. This can lead to the objectification of a woman’s body, putting her at risk of teasing, and, in extreme cases, sexual harassment. However, major advancements for the normality of periods have been made in recent years. For example, sanitary product advertising typically avoids depicting menstruation by using blue liquids, rather than its true colour red, to depict blood in order to demonstrate absorptivity and effectiveness. However, in 2010, the American brand “Always” created the first tampon advertisement to use red. Though it proved to be a great success, the controversy this ad faced revealed that these toxic ideas persist both in the media and in everyday life.
Moreover, the critically acclaimed horror movie, Carrie shows a woman getting her first period and receiving verbal abuse from her peers. Her mother then locks her into a closet as she believes it is a sign of sin. Finally, furthering her embarrassment from the initial period scenario, someone dumps pig blood on Carrie at prom. Though this is a negative narrative of the reality women face when it comes to their periods, Carrie has become a cult-favourite, and the fact that a woman’s ‘transition into womanhood’ has become so popular reflects a growing acceptance of the idea. Moreover, Ingrid Berthon-Moine, an artist and photographer, exhibited her works on menstruation at the Venice Bennale, where she followed the protests of ‘free-bleeding,’ in which women purposely refrain from using sanitary products and allow themselves to bleed out, in order to challenge the cultural ideas of menstruation being dirty.
In conclusion, this topic continues to challenge many societal conventions, though there are ways Western society could work to reduce it, though all change is glacial. A more comprehensive education for all youth is a pertinent starting point which needs readily addressed, whilst further representation in the media is also a dire need – if it becomes more acknowledged and enters every-day life for everyone, the ‘fear’ of menstruation could potentially be extinguished.
Eastern Stereotypes & Cultural Stigma
The significance of menstruation varies substantially among different cultural and religious groups. In the Cherokee Nation, menstruating women are considered sacred and powerful. However, this positive view is rare, and in many parts of the world, menstruation is unfortunately regarded as impure and taboo, particularly in the East. In fact, it was just a few years ago that it was common practice for women to stay home from work or school when it was “their time.” Today some Brahmin Hindu women continue to be secluded during menstruation and do not participate in normal domestic activities during their period. Many religious or cultural practices forbid menstruating women from participating in religious ceremonies, or engaging in physical intimacy. For example, in some forms of Judaism, women participate in a ritual bathing at the end of the menstrual period called Mikvah, prior to resuming sexual relations.
Hindus in India tend to view menstruation, especially a woman’s first menstruation, as a positive aspect of a girl's life. In South India, girls who experience their menstrual period for the first time are given presents and celebrations to mark the occasion. However, in many traditional Hindu homes in India, girls and women face restrictive taboos relative to menstruation, such as being denied entry to the temple and the kitchen and are told “when you menstruate, don’t cook food because you will pollute it.” In areas around the Jhabua district, the belief is that "menstruation is a disease and not a normal biological process", and therefore women who are menstruating are not allowed to sleep on beds, enter kitchens, touch male members of their family or eat spicy foods.
Hindus in Nepal traditionally keep women isolated during menstruation, when women who are menstruating are not allowed in the household for a period of 3 nights. This practise was banned by the Nepalese Supreme Court in 2005 but is still practiced by some traditionalists. Chhaupadi is a social tradition associated with a menstrual taboo in the western part of Nepal. The tradition prohibits Hindu women and girls from participating in normal family activities while menstruating, as they are considered "impure". In some parts of western Nepal, the custom requires menstruating girls and women to sleep in a hut called Chhau Goth some distance from the family home.
While these examples represent extremes in the cultural perception of menstruation, menstruation is nonetheless a taboo topic in numerous eastern cultures –in Sri Lanka, two-thirds of girls were unaware of menstruation before reaching puberty. Negative views of the normal, healthy process of menstruation are slowly improving over time, but still have a long way to go, especially in terms of developing adequate education surrounding the topic of menstruation.
Globally, access to menstrual products and education about menstruation greatly varies. Developed countries tend to have a wide availability of feminine hygiene products such as tampons, pads, and menstrual cups. In other areas, particularly in parts of Africa and SouthEast Asia, access to menstrual products, particularly disposable ones, is highly limited. Women in these areas typically use a reusable cloth to absorb blood, but do not always have facilities or proper cleaning products to adequately clean ruined cloths.
In countries where products are widely available, access to products may still be a struggle for some women, particularly those living in poverty. Homeless shelters tend to focus on providing meals and clothing, and feminine hygiene is not presented as a priority to donors.
Increasing access to menstrual products as well as comprehensive sex education in both developed and developing countries is a problem to which greater attention and resources need to be devoted. Improving women’s experience of menstruation globally will require a coordinated effort of policy makers in all eastern countries, the private sectors, and women’s rights activists.
Hindus in India tend to view menstruation, especially a woman’s first menstruation, as a positive aspect of a girl's life. In South India, girls who experience their menstrual period for the first time are given presents and celebrations to mark the occasion. However, in many traditional Hindu homes in India, girls and women face restrictive taboos relative to menstruation, such as being denied entry to the temple and the kitchen and are told “when you menstruate, don’t cook food because you will pollute it.” In areas around the Jhabua district, the belief is that "menstruation is a disease and not a normal biological process", and therefore women who are menstruating are not allowed to sleep on beds, enter kitchens, touch male members of their family or eat spicy foods.
Hindus in Nepal traditionally keep women isolated during menstruation, when women who are menstruating are not allowed in the household for a period of 3 nights. This practise was banned by the Nepalese Supreme Court in 2005 but is still practiced by some traditionalists. Chhaupadi is a social tradition associated with a menstrual taboo in the western part of Nepal. The tradition prohibits Hindu women and girls from participating in normal family activities while menstruating, as they are considered "impure". In some parts of western Nepal, the custom requires menstruating girls and women to sleep in a hut called Chhau Goth some distance from the family home.
While these examples represent extremes in the cultural perception of menstruation, menstruation is nonetheless a taboo topic in numerous eastern cultures –in Sri Lanka, two-thirds of girls were unaware of menstruation before reaching puberty. Negative views of the normal, healthy process of menstruation are slowly improving over time, but still have a long way to go, especially in terms of developing adequate education surrounding the topic of menstruation.
Globally, access to menstrual products and education about menstruation greatly varies. Developed countries tend to have a wide availability of feminine hygiene products such as tampons, pads, and menstrual cups. In other areas, particularly in parts of Africa and SouthEast Asia, access to menstrual products, particularly disposable ones, is highly limited. Women in these areas typically use a reusable cloth to absorb blood, but do not always have facilities or proper cleaning products to adequately clean ruined cloths.
In countries where products are widely available, access to products may still be a struggle for some women, particularly those living in poverty. Homeless shelters tend to focus on providing meals and clothing, and feminine hygiene is not presented as a priority to donors.
Increasing access to menstrual products as well as comprehensive sex education in both developed and developing countries is a problem to which greater attention and resources need to be devoted. Improving women’s experience of menstruation globally will require a coordinated effort of policy makers in all eastern countries, the private sectors, and women’s rights activists.