MYTH: Periods are dirty

FACT: Periods are perfectly normal and not dirty!

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Almost half of the world’s population will have a period at some stage in their lives. On average, a person who menstruates will have approximately 400+ periods in their lifetime between the ages of 12 to 50 years old.

Yet there is a cloud of shame and stigma that has been put over periods that has led society to condition us to be discreet about our periods. Hiding tampons and pads up jumper sleeves or in trouser and skirt pockets is commonplace, as is not discussing it with friends or family – recent figures from the Eve Appeal (2019) highlight that 1 in 4 young menstruating people did not know what a period was until they had one.

The stigma of toxins and cleanliness linked to periods has come from a lack of discussion about what a period actually is. A lack of understanding and information means that throughout history, women have been told to be discrete about their period, hide it away from the people around them and it has been linked with our toilets and going to the bathroom – but your period is nothing like urination or having a poo!

Period blood isn’t the body’s way of flushing out toxins or waste like going to the toilet. Period blood also isn’t just 100% blood, it is made up of several elements such as blood, mucus, bacteria and uterine tissue. The thickness and consistency of a period bleed can also vary from person to person, as can the volume of blood within a period bleed.

Unless a menstruating person has a blood-borne illness, menstrual fluid is completely harmless. Period blood contains no toxins - the uterus lining must clean enough to nurture an embryo, and therefore cannot be toxic.

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Image: Sequined menstrual cups and tampon, aka “The Glampon”, Sam Dawood, 2019