Talking Periods!

 

Being a girl has its own hardships. It is her who is expected to do all the household chores and take care of her family, especially if she's married. It is her who is going to get pregnant so that the human race doesn't end. It is a girl who has to experience periods every month for more than half her life.

A little before our teenage, we are terrorized about getting our periods and not being able to do certain things which involve physical work. In some orthodox families, even going into a kitchen or a holy place is strictly prohibited. But getting terrorized about it and experiencing it are two whole different scenarios. First, the 'Premenstrual Syndrome' (PMS) which is the overly emotional and physically painful phase that occurs a week or two before each cycle. Then comes a week-long bloody war. A waterfall of blood flowing down in the panties. If we sneeze or laugh, it would feel like a flood down there.

Just imagine, being so emotional that you cry over anything and everything happening around you, being angry at something with no-fault, craving sweet at all the odd hours and the feeling of nerves being pulled in your lower abdomen. And then a few days later, discovering your underwear and bedsheets ruined with blood. Your underwear being full of blood for a week every month, the uncomfort of putting a pad, tampon or menstrual cup, all the while keeping in check that the blood doesn't leak out and ruin your clothes. On top of it, back pain, the ache in the thighs and unbearable cramps, so bad that in some cases that one can't survive without painkillers. Sounds horrifying? Well, it is! And girls experience it all since their early teenage.

Then comes the taboo of not talking about it, especially with the guys. Why? What if I have a guy best friend? What if I don't get along well with girls and I want to talk about it when I got periods the first time? I never get the point of keeping our menstrual cycle a secret from guys. So what if they know? We did a study about it in school, right? They know it happens. Then what is the problem if they know when it does?

A girl requires around 10 pads and a few tampons for each cycle that occurs every 28 days for forty years. Each pad costs for Rs. 7 in general. Which means Rs. 70 goes to buying pads for each cycle. Experiencing approximately 521 cycles in our lifetime costs us Rs. 36,500 for just the sanitary pads. The cleaning products, ruining a panty and bedsheet every month, clothes at times too is to be added to the cost. Then if the cycle is irregular, going to a gynaecologist and buying the recommended medicines.

Well, this is periods for us. And if we get angry over something, we are made fun of by being asked, “Are you on your period?”. Well, it makes me want to answer, “Yes, I started my day by waking up in the puddle of my own blood. Is that how you want me to end yours?” So dramatic.

Girls find it embarrassing to buy menstrual products, not just because they want to keep it a secret but also because of the judging stares getting in their way. This is just a little description of periods we are expected to not talk about. Trust me, they're worse. So much to go through and not being able to talk about it freely is somewhat distressing. I want to be able to talk about it without being judged and I bet so does every other girl.

By: Mahi