Why Is Menstrual Shame Still A Problem and How Can We Eliminate It?

Let's begin with the obvious: Every woman in human history has experienced a period. Every month, the uterine lining sheds, and blood flows out through the vagina (unless she is pregnant, in which case she gets a long reprieve). This process is as natural as eating and sleeping, and it's also quite beautiful—there is no humanity without it. Yet, for some reason, most of us have been taught to detest talking about it.

The Cycle of Silence

When girls have their first menstruation, they often embark on a journey of silence and fear that can last for decades. Menstrual periods can be painful, causing backaches, cramps, and emotional nausea, repeating every month for 30 to 40 years. In my experience, discussions about periods in public are treated with the same level of discretion as talking about a bout of diarrhea.

Women discreetly tuck pads or tampons into their sleeves on the way to the bathroom, ensuring no one knows it's their "time of the month." Stains on clothes happen. When supplies run out, a wad of toilet paper goes in the underwear. While these moments may seem almost comically relatable, these myths and habits born from misinformation contribute to a pervasive shame, causing significant harm to girls, women, and menstruators worldwide.

To some extent, this shame exacerbates certain cultural notions about menstruation. In many communities globally, discussing periods is not just avoided but deemed crude or embarrassing. Though euphemisms like Austria's "strawberry week" or Brazil's "I'm with Chico" may seem harmless, they reinforce the core idea that periods are shameful and not worth talking about directly.

When someone needs menstrual products, they often quietly ask friends or colleagues to avoid being overheard. And that feeling of an unexpected period bleeding through your pants in public? It’s a widely shared "awkward moment" that is rooted entirely in preventable shame.

Hindering Women and Girls on a Global Scale

Because of these suppressed discussions, it is widely believed that periods are unclean. This devastating misconception often leads women and girls to feel confined to their homes, excluded from public spaces, or considered unlucky or harmful to others for about a week each month.

The destructive impact of this shame, coupled with poverty, significantly affects girls' education. For instance, according to organizations like UNICEF, across parts of Africa, an estimated one in ten girls may miss school during menstruation. This accounts for about 10-20% of class time and can potentially lead to them dropping out entirely. Consequently, this puts them at a higher risk of child marriage and early pregnancy, increasing health risks. Lack of adequate education, coupled with forced early marriage, inevitably hinders a woman's life opportunities.

Globally, approximately 300 million people are menstruating at any given time. With a quarter of the world's population lacking access to sufficient toilets, many cannot manage their periods hygienically and safely.

The Solution: Education and Open Dialogue

Period Education for All Genders

A core challenge in addressing menstrual shame is the lack of menstrual health education. When it does exist, it often begins too late—sometimes even after a girl has her first period. This lack of preparation means initial reactions are often fear and embarrassment.

Furthermore, some sex education programs omit menstrual health or exclude boys, missing a crucial opportunity. Men and boys can and should play a role in changing negative attitudes surrounding menstruation.

How We Can Normalize Menstruation in 2025

Step 1: Self-Education

Ignorance perpetuates jokes and misconceptions about menstruation. It allows society to continue mocking a natural bodily function. So, the first step is to educate yourself. Understand the menstrual cycle, learn how hormones affect the body, and grasp how PMS impacts physical and emotional health. Each fact you learn challenges ignorance.

Step 2: Openly Discuss Menstruation Without Shame

The simplest action you can take is to talk about periods directly. By openly discussing any topic, we help eliminate the societal taboo against it. If you speak without euphemisms or a hushed tone, those around you will become accustomed to hearing that menstruation is a normal biological function.

The Mental Health Benefits of Normalizing Periods

Through these actions, menstrual shame can be significantly reduced. Eliminating this stigma has tangible benefits, like reducing school absenteeism, but it also has profound positive emotional effects. The pressure is alleviated, and people no longer feel worried or embarrassed to discuss what they're experiencing.

Since shame is a direct attack on self-esteem, eliminating it can help everyone feel happier and healthier. We all benefit when we finally normalize menstruation.

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