Period Stigma And How We Are Working to Break The Taboo
Throughout history, women have been shamed for their period, resulting in a deep stigma surrounding periods in many countries around the world. While things have certainly improved in recent years, many women still struggle with shame and embarrassment during this time of the month. We are working to empower women of all ages not to be ashamed about their periods or stop doing activities they enjoy at this time of the month. Today we’re going to travel back in time to discover more about periods in the past and how we are trying to break the taboo in the present day.
The History of Period Stigma
Period stigma can be traced back to the Old Testament, where the traditional Jewish term “niddah” was used to describe women who were menstruating. The term means “expelled” or “excluded” and it was often forbidden for men to be intimate with their wife during this time of the month unless the wife purifies herself first. Other religions also had rules for women during their period, suggesting they should be kept away from other people during this time.
Dating back to the 1800s, the popular term “on the rag” started to be used, which referred to the material that was pinned to clothing in order to absorb the blood and stop it from seeping through clothing. At that time, common period products and accessories we use today weren’t available, which is why period stigma was such a big issue. Women have always used code words to describe this time of the month instead of openly talking about having their period. It’s not uncommon for a woman to receive a visit from “Aunt Flo” or have a “Code Red” instead of being able to talk about what she is going through frankly.
Period Products Through the Ages
As we mentioned above, “on the rag” referred to the menstrual cloths that women usually wore during the 1800s during their period. These were made out of woven fabric or flannel, but of course, they were bulky and uncomfortable for women to wear. Around the turn of the century, it was brought to everyone’s attention that there may be issues with bacterial growth when using these reusable products and not cleaning them regularly. The late 1800s and early 1900s were a time of experimentation, resulting in some of the early forms of the products many women still use to this day.
As time progressed, women were then offered alternative solutions for dealing with their period, with the first version of the sanitary towel we know today launched in 1896. Johnson & Johnson welcomed the world’s first disposable and mass-produced product to the market, offering women a more discreet solution. Of course, period products have come on a long way since this time, and period underwear is an exciting solution we are proud to offer our customers. However, there is still so much misinformation surrounding periods, with suggestions that tampons impact someone’s virginity or statements implying that during their period, a woman can’t work to the best of her ability. The good news is that the world is slowly beginning to shun this outdated way of thinking, encouraging new and exciting developments within the world of period products and accessories.
Overcoming Common Concerns Surrounding Periods
One of the reasons that women feel so ashamed during their period is due to a lack of comfort and concerns about the products they are using to absorb blood. Sadly, in some countries, women still aren’t allowed to enter their homes or eat proper meals during their period. Touching other women or men is believed to make them ill or cursed, so they are shunned during this time of the month. While in most countries today, our periods are accepted as normal, there is still a lack of conversation surrounding this topic, especially for young women while they are still in education.
Experiencing your first period can be an embarrassing and difficult time for any young woman, which is why period underwear is an excellent solution for women at any stage in their life. They help to make young girls and women feel more empowered, and they’ll barely notice the difference between their period underwear and their regular underwear. Women often feel they can’t do sports or go swimming during this time of the month, but there are many protective solutions today to allow you to enjoy the activities that bring you joy. We encourage women to try out period underwear and products that will make them feel more secure, allowing them to still enjoy an excellent quality of life during this time of the month.
How We Are Breaking Away from Period Stigma
With the introduction of our period underwear, our number one aim is to start more conversations surrounding periods and to break the stigma that’s associated with this topic. Each month, women shouldn’t have to stop the activities they love or feel that they can’t perform to their best at school or work just because of their period. Period underwear can offer more comfort and support during this time, allowing you to wear the clothing you love and still look and feel your best. Most of us spend a large portion of our adult life having periods, so we encourage women to find solutions that make this time each month more bearable. We always hope to encourage more open discussions surrounding periods and avoid the shame of using and hiding period products. As a society, we hope that periods will no longer be such a taboo subject and that we can be part of this change.
Period stigma is something that still follows women today, and in some countries, menstruating still results in women being separated from society for that week. We hope that over the upcoming years, more conversations will be had with men and women alike about periods. By openly sharing our thoughts and turning away from outdated ideas about menstruation, we can work to create a more accepting environment for women during their periods.