'Menstruation' not a taboo word

Since time immemorial, women have been made to feel that menstruation is a taboo. This has led many people, including women themselves, to shame other women while on their periods. So, period shaming is basically something which makes women or girls feel ashamed or embarrassed because of the natural biological function of bleeding. At home, menstruating girls are sometimes even treated like the untouchables. 'Do not sit on the sofa, do not sleep on your bed, do not enter the kitchen', and the list gets longer. They hide the pads in their cupboards. In many homes, when the commercial of a sanitary napkin comes on television screen, either the channel is changed or the children are distracted. Even buying sanitary products can be shameful as some shopkeepers may feel embarrassed about selling the products to you.

First of all, we must remember that periods are absolutely normal. So, we have to talk about it in our social circles and everyday life. We have to be able to say the word and talk about it freely in our homes. If we cannot change our attitude towards period, we will never be able to break this social taboo.

Ashikujaman Syed,

Research Assistant,

Bioinformatics Research Lab,

Center for Research Innovation and Development (CRID),

syedashikujaman@yahoo.com