Periods

I have to share this hilarious feminine hygeine product ad: https://www.facebook.com/omeletocom/videos/10153837718164494/?pnref=story.

I know what you’re thinking. How can that topic be funny? It’s actually not, but if you’re a woman, watch it and you might find something interesting or relatable. I showed my husband and he couldn’t figure out what was funny about it, so it may be a woman thing.

I enjoyed the topic, the acting, everything about it. I should say, however, that I’m a little conflicted about the daughter being made fun of for her choice to lie about getting her period. It’s a very touchy subject.

Getting your period for a female is a big thing in our lives. For me, I didn’t want it. I was embarrassed by it. I worried. Felt shame. I didn’t tell my mom when it happened. I kept it secret for a year. My mom only found out when my doctor went out of the examination room and privately spoke to my mom and told her I got my period (I’m still not sure if my mom asked or if the doctor offered the information). My mom was so angry with me for not telling her. I felt betrayed by the doctor for spilling the beans. It was just an awkward time at a moment where I should have felt empowered by taking control of my own body. That’s the thing–as a woman, this is our body. We have to be able to have the power to make decisions related to our health. If we don’t want somebody to know about something, that’s our business. To take that choice away from us is to make us feel vulnerable.

And then, to make it worse, you have to deal with the actual reality of having a period. This is nothing short of torturous for a young woman in junior high and high school. You worry about people seeing your pads or blood stains or anything that would reveal this gross thing you have to deal with every single month. I remember many times checking out my butt in a mirror, stretching my neck as far as it could go to see from different angles if my pad was visible. It wasn’t fair. It sucked. If you had cramps, it was even worse. It felt like a horrible trick the universe was playing on us already vulnerable young ladies.

Men don’t want to know or talk about.

Women don’t want to fight for it.

Everyone rolls their eyes and mutters “that time of the month?”

Feminine products are expensive.

Multiple bathroom trips are a pain.

Mothers either prepare you well or don’t prepare you at all.

My own mother told me that tampons were only for when you got married (read: when you were allowed to not be a virgin) and gave me bus-sized pads. I quickly ignored her advice. My mom had a habit of running to my father with every bit of information about us, and I wasn’t comfortable with my father and brother using my period as fodder for their jokes, or even worse, as an excuse to throw the “it’s her time of the month” accusation at me every time they wanted to tell me I was a bitch. I guess Mom couldn’t help it. Her own mom silently handed her a rolled up rag when she got her period, so I guess the bus-sized pads were an upgrade.

The point is, we’re not at a point where periods feel natural in this society. Men don’t want to see it. Women don’t want to talk about it. And the government still taxes our damn feminine products in many states! Do they think tampons are a luxury?

Maybe we can all be like the woman who ran a marathon without a tampon to make a statement.