-

Periods – Not Taboo



Is it really wrong? 

Is it a sin?

Every adult is aware of menstruation, yet many still misunderstand what it actually is. What myths surround the menstrual cycle? And why is it seen as something that weakens women?

In our country, the onset of puberty in girls is often celebrated with great enthusiasm. On the surface, it appears to be a joyful event, but in reality, it marks the beginning of a lifetime of restrictions. I’ve seen young girls who once played freely with their friends suddenly disappear from public spaces after reaching puberty. That freedom is quietly taken away.

Even today, menstruating women are barred from entering temples. But the discrimination doesn’t end there. In many homes, women on their period are still not allowed to touch certain things or sleep in a bed; they are made to sleep on the floor, isolated.

As a child, I remember my mother whispering to my father to buy sanitary napkins. She said it so softly it was barely audible, yet he understood. Maybe that’s why the brand is called "Whisper" – because society has turned menstruation into something shameful and secretive. But why should we be afraid to talk about it openly? It’s a natural biological process. Still, shopkeepers wrap napkins in newspaper or black plastic bags, as if hiding something shameful.

Shockingly, around 60–70% of Indian women still don’t use sanitary napkins. Many use cloth instead, and in extreme poverty, some resort to using sand, old rags, or even ashes, believing that using pads is wrong or sinful. These practices, if we look closely, are designed to suppress and control women.


Understanding menstruation shouldn’t be limited to women alone. Men, especially in rural areas, often hold dangerous misconceptions about the female body. A tragic incident occurred recently when a 12-year-old girl in India was killed by her own brother, who mistook period blood for evidence of sexual activity. In reality, she had just started menstruating.

This is why sex education and awareness about menstrual health are crucial not just for women, but for everyone in our society.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

-
Image
Joy vs pleasure I know some people who are in my age range, even in my class, who have been chain smokers, alcoholics, drug addicts, etc., and I know some people who are in my age range and younger than me who have been educators, social workers, etc. Now, what is the difference between these two categories of people? It's joy and pleasure. Yes, it sounds like some, but it's actually a huge difference. The word 'joy' means permanent happiness that doesn't have any dangerous consequences in the future. Pleasure means temporary happiness, which just gives an adrenalin rush and dopamine perk for a moment but has dangerous consequences in the future. Many people run behind the short-term happiness that is pleasure because it's easily available to us. But joy is only available in one place, which is our mind. It's all about the choices that we make. I personally know a girl who is my junior. She is extremely talented and learned the entire 12th subject within her...
Read more

Encounter Ekambaram

-
Image
  It's fine to be a professional in a particular field I know more than 10 school kids who attend swimming class at 6 a.m., daily tuition at 5:00 p.m., dance classes at 6:00 p.m., and finally, karate class at 7:00 p.m. I asked their parents themselves about the classes. They said that it is common to join kids in a bunch of classes. I ask them, What is the reason? They said it is very mandatory to develop skills in different fields. I was shocked. I told them to join the children in one class with the suggestion and willingness of their children, and I assured them that their kids would shine in life when they learned something with interest, but they didn’t care about my words. It is not necessary to be a multi-talented person; it is fine to be a professional in a particular field. We take Vadivelu as an example. Vadivelu is a popular and very good comedian in Tamil cinema. Have you ever noticed a pattern in his comic roles? In all his comic roles, we can notice that he builds h...
Read more
-
Image
   Sleep is important Every living being, right from plants to humans, has the routine to sleep. What is sleep? I'm not going to talk about scientific sleep, but from my perspective. Sleep is the process where all the beings are dead and some may roam as ghosts (dreaming), and due to the recall, some may again get back to our lives (waking up) and some may not (death). Sleep is the most important thing to all living beings. If a mobile phone, laptop, desktop, or any other gadget is overused, it will generate heat. Like that, we humans become sick or are intended to get nerve problems or brain problems if we lack sleep. Lack of sleep makes a man mad. Yes, it's true. In World War II, the Russian army captured the enemy troops and sealed them in a large container that contained all the basic necessities like food, clothes, washrooms, and entertainment items like books, magazines, and playing things. But in that container, the Russian scientists periodically released gas, whi...
Read more