Periods,Menstruation, chumps, girls flu. Most of us are aware with any one or two words from these. But do we exactly know what it means. Is it just a word or holds a significant value. Honestly, I sometimes regret living in a country like India where talking about sex, menstruation and many other topics are considered bad. Why don’t we consider this an important topic to talk on. Firstly, we won’t consider this important enough to talk about such things with each other or educate the masses about this but then again we will mock at our country’s rules and regulations and describe India as a rape country and with other titles mocking at the dignity of our nation.
Let’s see what exactly menstruation is about. It is basically a monthly cycle that takes place in a female. It starts at the age of around 13 years and continues till upto 50 years . The menstrual cycle is the monthly series of changes a woman’s body goes through in preparation for the possibility of pregnancy. Each month, one of the ovaries releases an egg a process called ovulation. At the same time, hormonal changes prepare the uterus for pregnancy. If ovulation takes place and the egg isn’t fertilized, the lining of the uterus sheds through the vagina. This is a menstrual period. Blood loss from the uterus and discharge from the inner part vagina is called menstruation due to the changes in the body of women.
Now knowing what it means do we still need to be hiding this and pretend that we don’t know anything and should avoid bringing such topics to talk with friends and families. I always had this one question in my mind that isn’t it that menstruation cycle is just like any other biological process like why aren’t we ashamed of talking about the respiration process, the metabolism activities taking place in our body, the cell psychological process then why is that the menstrual cycle which is just like any other biological cycle we are so ashamed even to take the name or call these names like periods of menstruation in front of someone.Why everyone thinks this as a symbol of shame even if its one of the reason for why our world is growing. Why are we so ashamed of this word?
The process of menstruation do make a girl feel uncomfortable, but talking about it shouldn’t especially in this generation. It is really important to educate the new generation aboit these things to stop most of the unwanted myths and uncomfortness regarding this Lack of menstrual education to periods mean girls don’t feel comfortable talking about it with their parents and friends. And girls having their first period without any knowledge will lead to a scary experience if the haven’t been told what is happening. With right advice given to girls about the new developing changes in their body and making them prepare for it would help them to increase their confidence and will be able to manage and adapt the new changes. In India, women and girls are not allowed to enter the kitchen or cook food during their period or allow them to touch pickle as some people believe it will cause the pickle to rot. Girls are not allowed to sleep in their bed or enter the temples because at that time they are considered to be impure. Do u really think these cruel restrictions are important to be imposed to a girl just for bleeding? After knowing this I really feel the need of right education to be provided about periods and these senseless and meaningless restrictions should vanish.
More than girls I feel the boys of this society should be educated about this. So that they do not mock around at girls for bleeding and for the stains that they see in girls school skirt or other clothes. This usually happens in school, I myself have witnessed where a boy was laughing at a girl just because her skirt was stained with period blood. Why was he? Its just because he was unware about what it is and what a girl goes through at her period times. Men in our adult lives also view periods with disgust. Girls in school avoid to attend class and miss their school beacuse boys who lack understanding of periods and resort to humour, poking fun at girls with period-related jokes and sniggers. Teaching boys about periods, will mean they’re comfortable talking about periods with their peers. It’ll reduce the number of stupid, upsetting jokes made at the expense of girls on their periods. Conversations about periods at home will help boys create healthier relationships in the society with the women.This will mean picking up tampons for a friend or girlfriend won’t be considered embarrassing. And also, the girls will be comfortable enough to share their problems about periods and will be way too comfortable to buy sanitary napkins and tampons public ally and not wrapped in a black plastic or newspaper.
Why a girl always have to secretly ask her girl friend that is there any blood stain in her skirt? Why can’t we make asking this from a boy normal. Why are sanitary napkins are given in black wrapped plastic or newspaper can’t we just buy that like any other Normal products. Rather then considering period blood as messy and dirty and impure we really need to improve this by saying bleeding is natural and it makes a women strong. Its not impure rather bleeding will give life to another being.
We all need to get better about talking about periods. We need to teach young people in a way that is accessible and stops making our girls feel ashamed and embarrassed.Using resources that are interactive and help girls feel comfortable asking questions and that also teach boys is essential. As society as a whole, we need to be more comfortable in such sensitive matter in order to make our society more progressive and supportive. Making everyone aware about this will earase the social stigma, and awkwardness and teasing related to in the name of periods.
Aishwarya Says:
I have always been against Glorifying Over Work and therefore, in the year 2021, I have decided to launch this campaign “Balancing Life”and talk about this wrong practice, that we have been following since last few years. I will be talking to and interviewing around 1 lakh people in the coming 2021 and publish their interview regarding their opinion on glamourising Over Work.
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