Menstruation, Your Stance?

If you are reading this and a male, you probably must be aware of the myths that circle around a menstruating woman. Because the need to explain the myths to a woman is not necessary.

Lets not go the basic stuff like

• Myths and Taboos
• Periods and Moon
• Kamakhya Temple Menstruating Goddess

I am sharing a few people’s perceptions about menstruation and I am quoting the same.

Ramya 

My point is, if only men in India for the last three decades were taught and educated about how much pain and suffering it takes for women to go through menstruation, to give birth, to be physically and mentally prepared to have sex and every detail, rape, paedophilia, victim-blaming/shaming, body shaming would have been much much much lesser compared to the number of crimes against female in this country today. In other words, men would have learnt why and how to respect women.

Amoga 

• A bleeding woman will contaminate food..so keep away from d kitchen.
• This myth is entirely rootless and doesn't have any scientific reasoning. A menstruating woman is not a witch to have such capabilities of contaminating food and to rot fruits or pickles
• Do not enter the temple because you are menstruating and impure...
• It is a normal metabolic process and has nothing to do with impurity.. reproduction is, in fact, a holy process and menstruating, being a part of fertilization should b considered as pure and holy.. moreover even rapists, molesters, thieves, and murderers are allowed, but is menstruating such a crime to prohibit women from entering temples????
• Sanitary napkins used during menstruation should be secluded.. from other garbage... Also, it should not come in contact with men.
• Well napkins assist in this naturally gifted cleansing process and it need not b considered as a taboo.. disposing of it in a hygienic manner should b encouraged but that doesn't mean secluding it or considering it as worse than garbage.!!! Also, why should menstruation or napkins be kept as such a secret or hidden from men?
• Wrapping sanitary napkins in papers and dark covers.
• It is not a murder weapon or the most important evidence in a case.. why shouldn't we talk about it and why shouldn't others kno when a woman buys napkins.. well it becomes quite obvious with the colour of the bag or wrapper.. and everybody knows that a woman bleeds right.. ?? Dhn wats d need to hide or be ashamed of it?

Ram

• It is a natural process of flushing old eggs and creating new ones.
• Once periods are over, a female's ovules will be ready get fertilized by sperms. 
• The period goes on for 3 days and repeats every month 
• Intercourse should not happen during periods

People find it delicate to discuss it for the following reasons:

• They think that it is something about their private parts. 
• It is disgusting to discuss this
• They think people might look at them badly if they discuss it 

Sargunan

• Why making a fuss about menstruation when it is a very common metabolic activity
• My other big question is why is it a social taboo still when people are aware of what it.
• Why do girls and women feel embarrassed to talk about it? Is it because we teach them or influence them? 
• Why do men have the feeling that menstruation or periods is impure? Because we have been thought so.
• Do men make women comfortable in discussing menstruation? Or do we giggle around and make a fine example of mockery? Is that the reason why women do not discuss these things with their own brothers, friends, and father? 
• And why wrap it in a cover as if it is something to be hidden? and why keep them as some dark secrets?
• And moreover, the funny irony is that the period is celebrated whereas for the rest of her cycle, she is considered impure
• We all speak about Yoni while matchmaking and what comes …aaaag..  

How do we change the perception? 

The perception cannot be changed the next day but yes it can be.  The more we talk, the more common it is going to become. The more common it becomes, the idea of menstruation being a taboo will be lost. 

A small suggestion to the boys and girls, men, and women let's talk menstruation. 

Jeffery

• It's something we(men) hate before/after the wedding for obvious reasons. Women are extra sensitive, their mood swings will be more and they get annoyed easily
• The pain differs from person to person but I guess the mood swings are quite obvious in women during menstruation

Sathish

• A very common biological process which happens among the female, cannot be considered as a Taboo
• Intercourse should be avoided during that period due to certain biological reasons.
• One has to stay hygienic and maintain a proper diet during that period. That doesn’t mean they should not allow to temples, they should allow talk to men and so on… It’s total crap.
• It is not a curse over when men go and ask for a napkin in a pharmaceutical store. This perception is there among people if your dear one asks to buy one go for it…

Sukanya 

• Major disadvantage I would say is men not ready to discuss it. They feel disgusted. If they have no inhibitions abt talking it aloud then women too Will not fuss over.
• Also in general as u have mentioned in ur blog the taboos in the society is another major stigma attached to this. I have faced almost all of them. So only a father brother and a husband who understands the problem should give a strong support and break almosts. 
• I as a wife and a mother I would personally say pls give me enough space and rest for those 3 days with an abundant supply of food at the go to eat 😊.
• I wud also say in general to men - never hesitate to buy sanitary napkins. Luckily my man doesn't have such problems and also lets me be.