Period myths busted!

Periods—those five days, every woman loves to hate! For some, these are same as any average day, for others they are the biggest woe of being a woman. Although each and every woman experiences them, that too every month, still talking about periods is considered to be taboo. Thus, a lot of myths have come into being–some of them are true while others are downright stupid. 1) Purity – A woman is not allowed to enter temples or touch the pickle or any idol just because she is “impure.” But how can the society say so? Periods are one of the most natural phenomena, and we should embrace them. Anyway…. 2) You can’t get pregnant during periods – Although women are not supposed to ovulate during periods but due to stress, or other reasons, their cycle might disrupt and hence it is advisable to use protection. 3) Sanitary pads are unsafe– Many females in rural India still use clothes or ashes and sands as absorbent for blood which might results in infections and other health problems. They think pads since, they are made of plastic may harm them. 4) Washing your hair increases menstrual flow – This is one of those myths that has no sense whatsoever. Menstrual flow is defined by how thick our uterus lining is and will not change if we decide to wash our hair. Plus, cleaning and hygiene are a must during periods so as to avoid infections. 5) Don’t exercise– A woman’s body is considered to get weaker during menses, and therefore, they are asked not to do heavy work during their periods. But contrary to popular belief, exercising helps release hormones that can contribute to combat woman with period cramps and pain. 6) Periods are shameful -But the most stupid myth of all time is that periods make a woman less-worthy. These are taboos, and thus, women are not allowed to talk about it in front of others. Why?? Why should female’s whisper about something that is so healthy and natural that having a period implies sound mind and body. All these hushed talks and shying off make a woman feel guilty and therefore, affect their mental health. Having a period is as normal as sweating and rather than getting ashamed about it, we should talk about what happens during a period so that such myths are not carried forward. These myths are nothing but, a manifestation of our little knowledge on this subject and therefore proper education should be given to males and females alike.     ———— ABOUT THE AUTHOR: This article is written by Pragya Dhir, our intern.