This week I wrote a piece on my blog on Psychology Today (Shameless Woman) about menstruation. It is called “Have You Ever Met a Women with Blue Menstruation”.
As a fertility coach, educator, advocate and woman – I have feel a strong commitment to helping women feel better about and understand about their menstruation as an important an integral part of their lives.
I believe that when women are disconnected from their periods either because of shame, anger (infertility) or suppression through birth control - that we lose a connection to our bodies that can impact us on subtle and not so subtle ways in everything from our sexuality, self esteem, and even understanding our fertility.
I love that a few of the companies that sell products to women during their menstruation are beginning to move with the times – and support women in not only feeling better about menstruation but embracing it as a part of being uniquely, fabulously female.
SCA is a company that sells what is known as “sanitary supplies” – I guess that would be pads and tampons! And they started an online campaign to raise awareness about ending the taboo around menstruation (You can watch the Youtube Video Here).
According to their press release:
“A majority of women across the world still feel uncomfortable in social situations when they are on their period. This finding is a main conclusion of the international Hygiene Matters Report from the global hygiene company SCA, which now starts an online campaign with the goal of breaking the menstruation taboo.
SCA recently conducted an international survey that shows that access to personal-hygiene products is essential for women’s sense of dignity, identity and self-confidence. The report shows a disheartening reality regarding women and their self-esteem during their menstruation periods; 56% of the women worldwide feel uncomfortable in social situations when they have their period. For the individual countries the figure is ranging from 28 to 87 percent, but the women in the United States match the discouraging global average precisely.
- We do not think that a natural, bodily cycle as menstruation, or incontinence, should impact women’s freedom to participate fully in society. But it still does, unfortunately. Our Report shows that women’s needs and aspirations, when it comes to personal hygiene for themselves and their families, are strikingly similar across the world, says Kersti Strandqvist, SCA’s Senior Vice President for Corporate Sustainability.
Through the series of Hygiene Matters Reports, SCA aims to raise awareness of the connection between hygiene, health and wellbeing among decision makers, experts and the general public around the world. At the same time the company wishes to contribute to a more knowledge-based public debate.
In order to try and break the menstruation taboo, SCA is now launching an online initiative called Period. The goal is to open people’s eyes to the fact that something as natural as menstruation is holding women back from participating fully in society.
SCA wants to raise the awareness of the connection between hygiene, health and wellbeing around the world. We believe that no one, no matter who they are or where they live, should have to suffer, physically or mentally, due to insufficient hygiene, says Kersti Strandqvist.
I am a taboo breaker. I am a women who adds her voice to other women when it comes to breaking the silence. Whether it is infertility, menstruation, or sex. It is about women joining their voices with other women – and being willing to speak about things that may make other people squirm. If we keep talking – eventually they will stop squirming!
Add you voice!
Read more about the 2011 Hygiene Mattes Report on Women and Hygiene and the Period. initiative: www.facebook.com/SCA.
I “like” it . Will you?
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Prexus Swyftwynd
March 30, 2011
I was glad to see an initiative like this performed by a worldwide manufacturer! It’s important that both women AND men have a positive outlook of menstruation and feminine hygiene needs. Even someone as close to me as my girlfriend, sometimes there is an air of discomfort when we have dialogue about sex, menstruation or even her own body. Particularly with growing up under Asian upbringing, many topics that are perfectly natural such as periods, sex, masturbation or sexual anatomy is a mystery and subject not-to-be-spoken-of and that should not be the case. While I can see that it’s polite not to have a conversation about one’s menstrual flow while someone’s drinking cranberry juice, these topics should not be “sheltered” and for men to believe these things don’t exist.
After all for all the straight & bisexual guys along with lesbians love vagina, there should be no reason that something as natural and associated with that wonderful part of the body should make us feel repulsed! Being an avid blogger about menstruation, I am happy to see evidence that backs up the reason why menstruation needs to be a more openly discussed subject.
MM McGee
July 23, 2011
This article slippery-slopes from the statement that over 50% of women feel uncomfortable in public during their periods to the claim that society is holding women back because of “menstruation taboo.” Hormonal changes resulting in psychological changes that make women feel like being alone during their periods are NOT society’s fault.
I’m all for women helping themselves (along with good men) to feel comfortable in public situations; I do see how menstrual discomfort (physical and psychological) can hold women back in careers, for example; and I’ve definitely experienced first-hand how a woman with an inadequate understanding of the relationship between her moods and her cycle could benefit from an adequate knowledge of, and less shame about, her body. A woman disconnected from her body can easily be mistaken for a shrew (and, sorry to say, too often is one). Further, feminist politics that deny the effect of women’s natural cycles on their emotional lives as patriarchal social constructs don’t help the women this author is trying to reach in any way.
But to lay the blame on a global taboo is over the top. Some women want to be left alone during their periods, and a respectful society, like a respectful man, will honor that without publicizing it as politics.