Menstruation is still a taboo in our society.
Throughout history, women have been the subject of urban legends and stories about how dangerous they can be when they have their periods.
The reality is that more than 800 million people in the world have it every month.
However, talking about this causes shame even in the privacy of homes.
On World Menstrual Hygiene Day,
Gabriela Rivera, Founder of FLOWFEM and Menstrual Coach and Amaia Arranz, Director of Social Impact of Ruby Cup have dismantled six myths that the United Nations and Unicef have collected about menstruation so that women have a period without taboos.
More information
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Sports should not be done during the period because women are weaker.
When exercising, endorphins are released, which makes us feel better, stronger, faster and more capable. “If you listen to the myth that you should not exercise during menstruation because you feel weaker and it is eliminated from the lives of girls and adolescents, what happens is that these benefits are also suppressed. Girls are induced not to enjoy it, even to isolate themselves, ”Arranz explains.
A menstruating woman is unclean or even has a curse.
None of these beliefs is correct. Menstrual periods are natural and normal for women. Menstrual fluid is just a harmless mixture of blood and tissue that the body did not use. This myth is often used as a reason to prevent women during their period from participating in different social, religious or decision-making events, ”says Rivera.
The menstruating woman should not bathe
. “This myth may have started during the times when people used to bathe outdoors, for example in natural water bodies such as lakes, rivers, etc. It can be understood that it can be shameful to bathe in public while menstruating and that some people would not want to expose themselves, ”Rivera denies. Arranz agrees on this, explaining that during the period this need for cleaning is even greater, in fact, a hot shower or bath can relieve menstrual cramps. "Banning or considering these hygiene and self-care routines during menstruation means that girls and adolescents withdraw for several days a month and are more reluctant to participate in daily activities," he says.
You cannot talk in public about menstruation.
Being silent about menstruation can lead to ignorance and neglect. “This makes women and girls more vulnerable to things like menstrual poverty and discrimination. This can affect more than anything the most vulnerable women who do not have money to buy compresses and for fear of asking, they can get vaginal infections, "says Rivera, who does awareness workshops from his social networks to break the stigma.
It is bad to have sex during menstruation.
“It is not true, there is no problem with having them.
In fact, many women enjoy sex during their periods, and having regular orgasms throughout the menstrual cycle has been shown to have benefits for the body, as it can help maintain a healthy hormonal balance and a regular cycle, "she recalls. Arranz.
All women have a bad mood when they menstruate
.
The menstrual cycle is governed by hormonal changes, which have different effects on different women.
“In some women, a bad mood is a side effect of these hormonal changes.
Other women do not feel changes in their mood, ”says Rivera.
Menstrual hygiene ranges from the management of hygiene itself as well as other factors that are related to health, education and women's rights. A very important part of this is that they have an environment that has access to safe water, toilets and have access to pads, tampons to have a dignified menstruation. “Although most women and girls will have a menstrual cycle every month, from the first menstruation through menopause, this normal physiological function is still surrounded by silence, taboos and stigma. Everyone, around the world, faces numerous obstacles regarding their menstruation, ”states the Unicef menstrual health manual.
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