Periods, menses, chums, woh din, mahine, etc. are various euphemisms and colloquial terms to describe the periodic discharge of blood through the vagina as a result of shedding of the uterine (of the womb) lining—and is called menstruation—in medical dialect.

Why the shedding?

Because the womb preps for conceiving a pregnancy. It is a normal phenomenon as a result of hormonal changes in the body; it is a regular sign that the body is healthy to conceive.

All reproductively active (age group 12 to 45 years) biological females (sex determined at birth) go through this monthly per-vaginal bleeding. Menstruation occurs every 21 to 35 days, averaging 28 days, and stays for 2 to 7 days. The time from the end of the last day of a period to the first day of the next is called a menstrual cycle. The frequency of this cycle, its duration, and the amount of bleeding vary from person to person. But it is still important to determine a range that can be called normal. If someone falls outside this range, it may be a sign of some alteration in the reproductive physiology or linked to other problems. It is best to consult your gynecologist or primary physician.

What is stigma?

Stigmatizing is associating it with shame or disgrace, and taboo is a set of beliefs people of various cultures ascribe to their experiences of life. Even if both of these aspects are not reasonable to have any logical circumstance, they are deeply rooted in fear and collective psyche, negatively affecting people’s lives persistently. The stigma perpetuates through cultures and disproportionately affects marginalized groups, especially women, and affects their health in a substantial way. Stigma may have a grave consequence for the quality of lives we all live.

How does the stigma of menstruation affect women?

Many cultures enforce against openly talking about menstruation, attaching false labels of shame and impurity to it, or passing it to be having less importance. When women get periods, they suffer discomfort from pain due to uterine cramps, breast tenderness, bloating, headaches, anxiety, depression, mood swings, and irritability. PMS (Pre-Menstrual Syndrome) is a fancy medical name to make an attempt at describing what many women regularly go through during the end of their cycle. Adolescent girls start menstruating during the age of 12 to 15 years, and their first experience shapes their beliefs about menstruation and their outcomes of sexual, reproductive, and even mental health.

Stigma has grave repercussions: women around society avoid openly talking about it with their partners, family members, or even other women; as a result, it affects their overall health.

What are the roots of this stigma?

Historically, menstruation has been perceived as a taboo: an unnatural, ominous, impure phenomenon—a curse. As times evolved, scientific explanations started replacing these beliefs, but some remnants continue to control us. Although in today’s world, menstruation has stayed as a taboo only in isolated cultures, the modern world couldn’t change the ways the beliefs had permanently affected how it is perceived today. Importantly, the false beliefs about women’s right to live an independent and free life have stayed as one of the reasons why women remain more affected by any beliefs we as a society collectively keep.

What can we as a community do?

Women need a stigma-free environment that supports them during their periods. Right from decent hygienic restrooms up to the mental and psychological support in the workplace and family, it immensely helps them to cope better. It is vital to uncover the roots of this stigma, specific to a population, as most of it stems from the beliefs they carry about menstruation. Then, government, healthcare, other stakeholders, and people of the community can make efforts to collectively address these roots and get experts’ help to change them together.

It is crucial to educate adolescents about their bodies, sexual, and reproductive health. Making them aware will empower them for their future. The social environment must facilitate this—mothers, family members, and schools can play a huge role.