Do you remember when you had your first period? Did you know what to do? Did you have someone to talk to about what menstruation was? In India, the idea of menstruation has been a taboo subject until one woman decided to tackle it head on.
Aditi Gupta had her first period when she was 12, but was told to keep it a secret. Why? In India, menstruation is seen as taboo and thought of as something that shouldn’t be discussed with anyone. The issue of menstruation has often created a stigma around it, especially in rural communities. With fear of being ostracized for something they can’t control, Gupta decided that there had to be a way to take away the shame and empower girls to speak about menstruation freely.
With the help of her husband Tuhin Paul, they created Menstrupedia in 2012, a website that outlines the physical and emotional changes that girls go through, during menstruation, as well as answering questions that girls wouldn’t ask anyone else for fear of retaliation.
While Menstrupedia was a good first step in learning about menstruation, it wasn’t enough to tackle the ongoing stigma that girls and women go through during their cycle. This stigma brings about isolation for millions of girls who don’t understand how to get past an age old tradition that shames them for being seen as impure. In order to bring more awareness of this issue, Gupta & Paul created a Menstrupedia comic book that considerably helps girls be more informed on it.
The comic book features four main characters who talk about menstruation when one of the characters gets her period. Through dialogue and illustration of the female anatomy, the subject is explained in detail, ensuring that girls from ages nine and above can understand the information. In addition, the message they want to spread is one of inclusion, not shame.
My first encounter with menstruation at twelve was confusing and frustrating. I was away from home and when I realized that I was going through it, I had no clue what was going on with my body. My mother never prepared me for what to expect with regard to menstruation. I was on vacation at my aunt’s home and in midst of playing with my cousins when I started to feel some discharge staining my shorts. Horrified and scared because I had no idea why I was bleeding, I ran to the bathroom and from behind closed doors, was informed by my aunt that I was menstruating. I was never told by my mother about this radical change in my body and thought there was something wrong with me. Fortunately, my aunt made sure to educate me about menstruation and future bodily changes I would go through during puberty by telling me about her experience.
It was not uncommon for my mother to withhold information about menstruation, since menstrual hygiene was never discussed in her family, and especially in public. In addition, awareness of menstruation was not supported because it was seen as a “woman’s problem”.
Education plays a big part in spreading awareness about this issue, but unfortunately, age-old traditions play just as big a part in how girls are perceived when they go through puberty. While traditions should be respected, it should never be at the cost of taking away a girl’s right to be educated about her body. Gupta’s comic book is a great way of educating girls in India on menstrual hygiene. In addition, it empowers them to take control over their bodies and not be shamed for what is happening to their physical well-being naturally.
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How is menstruation handled in your country?
Pic Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Tes Silverman
Tes Silverman was born in Manila, Philippines and has been a New Yorker for over 30 years. Moving from the Philippines to New York opened the doors to the possibility of a life of writing and travel. Before starting a family, she traveled to Iceland, Portugal, Belgium, and France, all the while writing about the people she met through her adventures. After starting a family, she became a freelance writer for publications such as Newsday’s Parents & Children and various local newspapers. Fifteen years ago, she created her blog, The Pinay Perspective. PinayPerspective.com is designed to provide women of all ages and nationalities the space to discuss the similarities and differences on how we view life and the world around us. As a result of her blog, she has written for BlogHer.com and has been invited to attend and blog about the Social Good Summit and Mom+Social Good. In addition, she is a World Voice Editor for World Moms Network and was Managing Editor for a local grass roots activism group, ATLI(Action Together Long Island). Currently residing in Virginia Beach, VA with her husband, fourteen year-old Morkie and a three year old Lab Mix, she continues to write stories of women and children who make an impact in their communities and provide them a place to vocalize their passions.
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Despite being an Italian girl raised in South Africa, my experience was just as traumatising. I was 11 years old and was trying on a dress with my mom when we saw the blood stain on my cotton underwear. My bewilderment turned to outright fear when my mom burst into tears, said “You’re a woman now” and ran out the room! I’ll never forget that day! It was a Sunday, and all the shops were closed so I had to use cotton-wool wrapped in toilet paper as a make-shift sanitary towel. The next day my mom gave me a box of sanitary towels and a book on “how the woman’s body works” and instructed me to read the chapter entitled “menstruation”. It wasn’t a book meant for a child (even though I was a good reader) and it really didn’t address any of my fears. One of the things I’m proudest of is that (despite my upbringing) I was able to talk to my daughter openly (and in an age-appropriate manner) regarding the changes she would undergo so that, when the day came, she was prepared for it. She’ll be turning 21 in May and we still have a great relationship. She talks to me about many things that I would NEVER have discussed with anyone, least of all my mom! I’m sharing this because getting over our own inhibitions when our daughters are small is SO worth it, since I believe that it leads to us having their trust and confidence even when they are adults.
Hi Simona,
Thank you so much for your comments! I am so glad that despite how you were “informed” about menstruation when you were 11, you were able to have a greater experience with your daughter. It took me a while to be comfortable talking to my daughter about menstruation when she was 13, but I’m glad I did. It definitely broke the taboo for me and deepened my relationship with my daughter who is now 18.
What an important topic and amazing post!!!! Thank you so much for covering this!
It’s somehow hard for us to imagine that menstruation are seen this way in some parts of the world. Thank you for talking about this Tes and showing that progresses are being made for girls to understand better these changes in their lives and be able to talk about it.
It’s been a free topic in my home. When it happened I was at school and did not feel embarassed.
Information is key. There should ne no shame about what’s natural.