The Invisibility of Menstruation

On average, a woman will have up to 500 periods in her life.

She will spend around 3500 days of her life menstruating.

She will need at least 11, 000 sanitary products.

She will spend approximately $3000 on tampons and pads.

So why is the topic still taboo? Why don’t we see the realities behind a woman’s cycle? Why do we, in our forward-thinking age, see a wink and nudge because it’s just assumed, ‘Oh, she’s just on her period.’ It is nothing to worry about right.

And let’s face it, it is a damn lot to think about and when it happens for the first time it can be downright scary.

Pads or tampons?

Swim or don’t swim

What if I leak?

Everyone will know if I ask to go to the toilet

I don’t get why I am feeling like this.

And then you become sexually active.

“Did you read the label? Birth control can cause a low libido, weight gain, migraines, acne, breast tenderness, mood changes, anxiety, depression, spotting, nausea, discharge, vaginal dryness, corneas, liver tumours, heart attacks, diabetes, strokes, breast cancers, high blood pressure, did I mention blood clots?

Male birth control can make him tired and cause acne and mild erectile dysfunction, weight gain, sometimes, but no more than 2kgs, don’t worry.

Sip it down, inject it, insert it, just make sure you control it.”

Chloe Grace Laws

Yes, these are the realities but in our supposedly advanced society, why is menstruation barely talked about and rarely proudly and or without some sort of intent. Rather, a woman’s first period is one of the most popular storylines regarding a woman’s cycle. Romanticised, it provides drama and entertainment, a symbol of womanhood…for a quick minute then it becomes invisible. Forgotten.

PhD student Bridgette Glover at the University of Newcastle has been using her studies to look at the prevalence of menstruation coverage on film and television. Some of the major hitters for television coverage can be seen in series’ like ‘Big Mouth,’ ‘The Handmaids Tale’ and ‘Anne with an E.’ But even so, that is not much. How are we supposed to know what to do let alone feel comfortable enough to talk freely about it when the coverage is less than the bare minimum?

“We’re kind of just scratching the surface because we could have had decades where we could have looked at menstruation and just didn’t and it’s done a lot of damage. And it’s really emphasised the stigma that surrounds it.” Says Glover.

So, I ask again in our supposedly advanced society, why is menstruation barely talked about?