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Women and Menstruation

I came across this article today:

http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20150420-why-do-women-have-periods

I found it very interesting. I particularly appreciated the tone - perhaps others are more knowledgeable about such things than me, but I liked the simple explanation to begin with followed by the scientific exploration of how menstrual cycles affect different animals and groups of people. I think my favorite thought was this:

"There are women who are sometimes afraid of not having a period," says Clancy. "I think understanding the origins of how our body works helps us realize that the boundaries of normal are much wider than we might think. Rather than pathologising every little tweak and every little difference we have, maybe we should leave it alone a lot more."

 It's helpful for men and women to be able to discuss these things. For too long, as the article points out, menstruation was viewed as a dirty, unspeakable thing. It was uncouth to talk about it, and women who were experiencing their normal, biological cycles were viewed as untouchable. But, like many other biological functions, it's just a normal part of life, and doesn't deserve the negative attention.

I'm heartened by this kind of article, then, where things can be looked at without being reduced to uncomfortable potty humor, without the hyperbole and histrionics, and while leaving it in a more clinical kind of setting. I also think that if more men would understand a little more about women's biology and health issues, they'd come to appreciate and value more what women go through. Empathy is always a good thing.

Comments

lillysmum said…
For too long? It still is, for the most part. It's still dirty, it's still gross, it's still embarrassing, still something to be hidden. It's still the butt of jokes, the reason women get angry, have emotions, etc.
I wish it were not this way, but it still is.
April 21, 2015 at 8:55 PM
Bill Cobabe said…
Yes, it's true. But I was agreeing with the article that the understanding of menstruation has changed even scientifically. There is still a long way to go, no doubt.
April 21, 2015 at 9:15 PM
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