The Period Piece. - Maxine Mah

The Period Piece.

Everyone sneezes. It may not happen often, and some people sneeze differently than others. But just because we sneeze doesn’t mean we need to hide it; everyone already knows that it’s a normal bodily function that one should not be ashamed of. The same should be said for periods. “Menstruation: the process in a woman of discharging blood and other materials from the lining of the uterus at intervals of about one lunar month from puberty until menopause, except during pregnancy.” Yes, the forbidden subject. The word that makes most men squirm and fills most females with dread: periods (and not the kind found at the ends of sentences). Unfortunately, this topic has been deliberately ignored by most since the beginning of time. So here I am, a sophomore at CCA, who is one hundred and ten percent not awkward and one hundred and ten percent open to talking about periods.

The word that makes most men squirm and fills most females with dread...

First, let’s start with the basics: the menstruation cycle starts when a woman’s body gets ready for pregnancy. Since the egg does not get fertilized, the lining of the uterine walls (a.k.a. the womb) deteriorate and are flushed out with blood. A standard menstruation cycle usually lasts around 28-30 days, while the actual bleeding can last anywhere from 3-7. However, some girls can have abnormal periods due to stress, excessive exercise, or other hormonal imbalances (Miller 2018). The process of ovulation is also included in the menstrual cycle. This is the period (no pun intended) when a woman is most likely to get pregnant since that is when her egg first gets released from the ovaries (the place where eggs are made).

Additionally, periods can include many, many symptoms, including cramps, moodswings, bloating, acne, fatigue, and soreness. The list continues with less common symptoms such as sleep disturbances, migraines and weight gain. These can vary from girl to girl, as some have no cramps and a light blood flow during PMS (premenstrual syndrome), while others may feel like their uterus is being brutally strangled. Periods can also vary by age. Some girls get theirs early, as young as age nine, whereas others have the privilege of waiting until they’re fifteen or sixteen. But when it comes to menstruation, age doesn’t

The Period Piece.

By Maxine Mah

matter. There isn’t any prize awarded to the girl who gets her period first because it’s just the pace your body chooses to take. On top of this, women can spend around $18,000 on their periods throughout one lifetime, which includes the cost of underwear, cramp medication, birth control (birth control, for those who don’t know, lessens period flow and cramp pain), and of course pads and tampons. It’s safe to say that menstruation is an inescapable expense (Kane 2017). In 2016, both houses in California State Legislation voted to combat the Tampon Tax-- the tax put on feminine products such as pads, tampons, and cups. But it

was vetoed by Jerry Brown, the state’s governor at that time. Periods are an uncontrollable event that takes place for around 30- 40 years of a woman’s life, therefore making feminine products a basic necessity that should be free (or at least free of sales tax). Periods happen to girls across the globe and some don’t have the money to afford luxuries like that of a simple tampon. The tax brings forward the plain and simple: females have periods, so why would it be treated as a luxury expense? The additional price that comes with menstruation is only the beginning. The fact that it's the 21st century and saying the phrase “PMS” still comes with an awkward silence afterwards is concerning. One in every seven women that you talk to today is on their period. It is such a huge aspect of every girl’s life, yet it almost feels as if we must act like it doesn’t exist. This lack of

Women can spend around $18,000 on their periods throughout one lifetime

discussion causes young girls to feel ashamed when it actually does happen. Just asking for a pad or tampon must be done so quietly; sometimes it’s better to suffer the leak than just ask. The bottom line of this entire piece is that periods are normal and no girl should ever have to be shy about it. Reading this, hopefully you know a little bit more about what women have to deal with, or at least have become a little less weirded out or awkward when it comes to PMS-ing (if you weren’t before, then hats off to you). I don’t expect every woman to go out into the world after reading this article and tell everyone they know about a horrendous period story, but if a girl can go to school confident with herself and willing to talk about her period without being ashamed, it would be a win. Period.