#menstruation stigma

[vigilante-duck-hawk]

This is available on my Redbubble (MothraMade)! I think it's pretty good for my first time using an art program and not something specifically designed for making cross stitch patterns. If you do cross stitch and embroidery the pattern is on my Etsy (also MothraMade), otherwise here's the link if you'd like to get this design as a sticker or something!

https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/160017960?ref=studio-promote

[talkingaboutmens]

How do you feel when people find out that you are on your period? Do people around you even know that you are menstruating? What effect does it have if they do know?

With this video, I want to gather as many experiences, thoughts and feelings about menstruation as possible. This video is part of a research project for the Swiss Science and Youth foundation.

[thedashproject]

[chemicalarospec]

Anyways reminder that you CAN talk to your doctor about periods being hell and you CAN see a gynecologist and you CAN look into Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)! Periods may be an uncomfortable topic, but there is literally no mystic rule that can actually stop you from opening your mouth and speaking about it!

I know medicial stuff is difficult for many, but in general if your doctor isn't listening to you, you can get a new doctor! I mean, I've simply had doctors retire on me a lot and getting a new one was as simple as choosing from a few options, making a new appointment like normal, and then showing up.

For me, hormonal birth control is not an option due to cancer risk, but going on the pill and skipping the placebo week to stop having a menstrual cycle is a Thing You Can Do! You can in fact end your periods without surgery! Antidepressants can be prescribed for severe PMS or PMDD!

Also, I've found that sugar is a major exacerbater for me, so unfortunately eating less sugar can help! For me only Halloween-levels of sugar make my menstrual cycle unmanageable, though I do think my remaining struggle would decrease if I cut out added sugar entirely.

[lowpawly]

remember when mras would act like free bleeding was going to be a genuine social concern

[aviancataclysm]

is there a way to like block/quit 99% of tumblr but stay very active on the 1% because i cant take it any more people are so fucking stupid

or do i practice internet abstinence where i avoid looking at my dash and use tumblr solely for one or two tags (geometry dash + other fandoms i post about such as unaliver drones and gravity farts + aspec stuff because im not touching the trans tags!!! i am not!! people are so extremely weird about it even if it's the supporting side)

[talk2move-fundraising]

Kein neues Thema, aber kürzlich ist auf Netflix die Dokumentation „Stigma Monatsblutung“ erschienen und widmet sich mutig einem nach wie vor tabuisierten Thema: der Menstruation. 🩸 In dem 25-minütigen Film werden wir in den ländlichen Hapur Distrikt entführt, etwa 60 km von Delhi entfernt, wo junge Frauen mit den täglichen Herausforderungen der Menstruation konfrontiert sind. 🧘‍♀ Doch inmitten dieser Realität erhebt sich die inspirierende Figur von Sneha, die den Mut hat, gegen gesellschaftliche Normen anzukämpfen. Gemeinsam mit anderen Frauen aus ihrem Dorf gründet sie dank des Pad Projects und der Unterstützung einer Schule in Los Angeles ein Unternehmen, das handgefertigte Damenbinden herstellt und vertreibt. ❤️ Schaut euch diese berührende Dokumentation an!

[hneycmb]

"Menstruation isn't just a women's issue" and "misogyny is a contributing factor to period stigma" are two statements that can and should coexist

[becker-st]

Assignment #2

A semiotic analysis of tampon advertisements' exploitation of women

*the author of this post recognizes that menstruation is not only a female issue but is rather something that affects all those who have uteruses, regardless of gender. However, for the purposes of the following analysis of the gendered stereotypes present in the specified advertisements, menstruation will be discussed in the context of the female gender.

Tampon advertisements have long been shrouded in coy euphemisms and subtly suggestive imagery. While at face value these tactics appear to be a clever way to give a wink and a nudge to the female audience, the real strategy at play is something much less lighthearted. When tampons first arrived on U.S. shelves in the mid-1930s, government regulations and social mores made advertising the product a difficult task. Instead of trying to refute the stigma surrounding menstruation, tampon advertisements chose to use it to their advantage and continue to do so to this day. Through the employment of rhetorical devices such as euphemisms, metaphors, and personification, tampon advertisements exploit gender stereotypes and social taboos to persuade consumers to not only view menstruation as a problem but to believe that it is an issue only their products can remedy.

According to Johnston-Robledo and Chrisler (2020), menstruation meets all three of the criteria of stigma as determined by the sociologist Erving Goffman. First, because menstruation is unique to the female sex, it serves as a marker for the “tribal” identity of femaleness (Johnston-Robledo & Chrisler, 2020). Second, the hygiene and ritual practices surrounding menstruation imply that menstrual blood is viewed as dirty or unwanted (Johnston-Robledo & Chrisler, 2020). This speaks to menstruation as an abomination or “defect” of the body. Lastly, given such aversions to menstrual blood, “even reminders of such (e.g., tampons) can lead to avoidance and social distancing, which suggests that menstrual blood may serve as a blemish on women’s character” (Roberts et al., 2002, as cited in Johnston-Robledo & Chrisler, 2020). The fulfillment of all three of Goffman’s criteria of stigma makes menstruation a particularly potent source of female culture and strife.

In the context of advertising, messages are both explicitly and implicitly sent through the combination of symbols, objects, and words to communicate and connect with a target audience. Semiotics suggests that the extent to which a symbol is comprehended by the interpreter is dependent upon a number of factors. Namely, a person’s culture can heavily influence the way they receive and understand messages. Because of this, it is crucial that advertisements understand the culture of their intended audience. The following analysis of three Tampax advertisements will demonstrate how Tampon ads utilize signs, symbols, and semiotics as a whole to construct messages in the pursuit of maximum comprehension and compliance. 

In 1994, Tampax released a commercial for their new product, Tampax Compak. As its name implies, the product’s new design offered a compacted applicator. The commercial opens with a slightly more upbeat version of Billie Holiday’s “Ain’t Nobody’s Business If I Do,” repeating in the background. Throughout the commercial, various women are shown moving about in what is suggested to be their natural habitat. A few of the interesting shots portray several women in gowns, one in a bikini jumping into a pool, and most notably, a group of scantily-clad women running “Baywatch-style” down the beach (see Figure 1). A voice-over toward the end of the commercial boasts “nobody knows you are carrying it or wearing it." It is apparent through the commercial’s scarce mentions of the product and the numerous depictions of women frolicking in their leisure, that the advertisement is actually selling the lifestyle of the women using the product rather than the product itself. Additionally, the voiceover as well as the absence of any mention of the word “period,” conveys to consumers that periods are supposed to be kept secret and implies that one would be subjected to shame or negative reactions if anyone were to find out they were on their period. By conveying this message, the advertisement frames the compact feature of the product as a solution to the shame that they have just sold to its audience. A compact applicator doesn’t offer any benefit to a woman’s health, nor does it truly serve any purpose. It only matters when you believe that discretion is a priority. 

Figure 1

In 2008, Tampax launched one of its most popular campaigns entitled “Outsmart Mother Nature.” As seen in Figure 2, each commercial that ran as a part of the campaign featured a middle-aged woman outfitted in a green tweed suit, who served to represent the Mother Nature referenced in the campaign’s title. Already, the euphemistic personification of a woman’s period as “Mother Nature” highlights the off-limit speech that exists within the industry. Additionally, while a woman’s period is an indication of her health and maturity that some meet with celebration, the campaign’s title suggests that the biological event is in fact a problem that must be outsmarted.

Figure 2

In a commercial titled “Photoshoot” that ran as a part of the “Outsmart Mother Nature” campaign, Mother Nature visits a model on the set of a photoshoot to deliver to her a “monthly gift” which is neatly concealed inside a pink and red adorned giftbox (see Figure 2). The commercial opens with loud strobing music as viewers are shown flashes of models dressed in all white, spliced with other images depicting colors of silver and white (see Figure 3). As Mother Nature enters the set, the music screeches to a halt and she informs the model that it’s time to end the shoot, alluding to the gift in her hand. The model rebuts, claiming that because she has the new Tampax Pearl, her period doesn’t have to interrupt her life. The commercial closes with an image of the product and a voiceover repeats the campaign’s slogan, “Outsmart Mother Nature.” 

Figure 3

Throughout the commercial, the audience is presented with several layers of euphemisms. At no point are the benefits of the product explicitly stated. Rather, the advertisement uses symbols and codes to convey to viewers the hindrances of menstruation and leaves the viewer to draw her own conclusion. To start, the woman referred to as “Mother Nature” represents the giver of a period, and the pink and red box that she carries is used to represent that said period. Additionally, the use of the color white evokes notions of purity and cleanliness. A study on the depiction of women’s bodies in commercials explains: 

Consistent with prior research, disidentifying clothing was commonly used in the advertisements. Depicted women were often dressed in tight and/or white clothing. Prior research has contextualized the use of disidentifiers as a means of maintaining secrecy and avoiding shame since the advertised products are not visible under tight clothing and will prevent leaks that could soil white clothes.  (Erchull, 2011)

The use of white clothing suggests that a woman would or should fear bleeding onto her clothes while menstruating. In the commercial, the model’s white clothing is used to communicate to the audience that she is free from the anxieties of wearing white on her period, suggesting that Tampax Pearl lets her be carefree. Lastly, the advertisement’s use of a model, a golden standard of beauty in the U.S., further reinforces the idyllic narrative of Tampax Pearl.

As a part of the same “Outsmart Mother Nature” campaign, Tampax also produced several print advertisements in which the same implicative strategy is used to convey to consumers the benefits afforded to them by Tampax tampons. In one particular ad (see Figure 4), neither Mother Nature, her monthly gift, nor any other woman is present. Instead, the ad depicts a tall, dark, and handsome man outfitted in a familiarly white suit.

Figure 4

The motel room in which the man stands is decked out with all of the makings for a romantic Valentine's Day—dark red upholstery, roses, chocolate, and a man cast in an angelic glow. The only thing missing is his date, who, as suggested by the ad copy, has been afflicted by Mother Nature’s monthly gift (i.e. her period). The beaming light and the white of the man’s suit work together to cast him in an image of purity that stands in stark contrast to the red hue of Mother Nature’s storm that brews just behind him. The implication of this is that the man is “good” and that Mother Nature, and consequently the absent woman, are “bad.” In a study that examined women’s experiences with sex during menstruation, over half of the surveyed participants indicated that they experienced negative reactions to sex while menstruating (Fahs, 2020). In the fashion of the old Nature versus Culture dichotomy, this advertisement exploits this facet of menstrual stigma by implying that a woman’s period impedes intimacy. Unlike the “Photoshoot” commercial, this print ad doesn’t make any explicit reference to tampons or periods. However, the Tampax logo affixed beneath the campaign’s slogan in the corner of the ad manages to still suggest that even if you can’t stop Mother Nature, you can at least outsmart her by using Tampax.

Today, almost a century since the modern tampon first hit the U.S. market, tampon ads are still beating around the bush. Issues of censorship and the social taboo surrounding periods, while progressive in relation to the ‘30s, continue to persist nonetheless. The potent stigma surrounding menstruation presents tampon advertisements with a distinct opportunity for the maximization of their efficacy. Thus far, tampon ads have capitalized on women’s shame by gift wrapping it in a little pink and red box. However, analyses such as this may hopefully indicate that the time for clever equivocation at the expense of women is no more. The treatment of women’s periods in the media has become palliative at best and it’s time for a new strategy.

References:

[djuvlipen]

There is a woman called Nomcebo Mkhaliphi. She is a feminist activist fighting to end period stigma in Eswatini and she is now raising funds to continue her work travelling around schools to teach kids about period, distributing pads to girls and school shoes to those who need them. I am linking her GoFundMe here in case anyone wants to donate!

[sweetstarcollector]

So phrases like "people with uteruses" or "people who have periods" never really bothered me as much as more overtly dehumanizing phrases like "bleeders" or "birthing bodies", but I saw a post today talking about the abnormal symptoms women experienced after getting tear gassed protesting, that ended with something like "we don't know the full effects of tear gas on people with uteruses". And what struck me about that is that's not really correct, because female people without uteruses (either bc they were born without one or bc they had a hysterectomy) will still experience different symptoms after being tear gassed than male people. Women metabolize substances differently than men, our immune systems are different, our hormonal cycles are different, our skin has different thicknesses, etc. All of those things have potential effects on tear gas reactions, and are not dependent on whether or not we have a uterus. They're dependent on whether or not we're female. So saying "people with uteruses" when what is meant is "female people" is not really accurate. And I realized that a lot of times when people use those kinds of phrases, they aren't being accurate.

For example, I'm sure we've all seen people say things about how the repeal of Roe v Wade will harm people with uteruses/people who can get pregnant/etc. And while yes, it definitely harms those people, the full truth is that abortion bans harm *female* people, *regardless of if they can get pregnant or have a uterus.* Because female people who don't have uteruses can still get pregnant, and in those rare cases will 100% of the time need an abortion. Female people who deal with infertility and can't carry a fetus to term can still be jailed for miscarrying. Female people who are completely sterile (for whatever reason) can still be denied medications/medical treatment on the grounds that the treatment could theoretically harm a fetus. Female people who may currently have no uterus/no longer be able to get pregnant but who have had an abortion in the past will face increased stigma.

Here's another example:

It seems pretty straightforward- menstruation stigma is experienced by people who menstruate. But again, that's only half true. Period stigma is experienced by all female people, regardless of if they menstruate. Think about the fact that we are told female people should not hold political leadership because "what if a female president has PMS and starts a war", despite the fact that almost all female presidential candidates are old enough that they would have experienced menopause. Female people have their feelings dismissed because "it must be that time of the month", regardless of if they're too young to menstruate or too old or if they have a condition causing amenorrhea. Female children grow up seeing periods- a natural function of their bodies- portrayed as disgusting, dirty and gross, as making them unclean, as something to dread and fear. This affects them before they experience menarche, this affects them even if they never experience menarche. It affects all female people.

I could come up with more examples, but you get the idea. Reducing female people to singular body parts and organs inherently denies the reality of femaleness. All parts of us (both biological and social) interact with all other parts of us to form an experience that can't be understood by chopping us up and putting our individual functions under the microscope. In order to get an accurate picture you need to look at the whole (female) human.

[honest-moth-of-silver-grove]

hcs for all the castlevania boys (trevor, issac, hector, alucard, dracula, godbrand, the judge, varney, ratko & st. germain- i think that's all of them lol) caring for s/o reader on their period. can be modern times or past times whichever u prefer. 💖

A/N: I wish more people would be less disgusted and more understanding when it comes to menstruation. There are still so many myths circulating about it, I’m shocked sometimes. One time a guy on Twitter said he thought women got periods because they evolved to eat meat. And I was like…. Excuse you?? Lol. Anyway, on to the HCs!

Sorry, some are short. I wanted to do longer to make it fair but there were like TEN characters mentioned and my max is supposed to be SIX so some are taking a far back seat. 

TW: Blood, Period Mention (still w/ GN Reader)

Castlevania Boys Helping S/O GN!Reader with Their Period: 🩸

Trevor: 

Is surprisingly resourceful, given the man was a wandering drunk when you first met him.

Not so much in a kind about-it way, he’s very sarcastic and so over the whole thing right after it starts.

But he did have a large family once so he remembers what his sisters and mother went through.

Will cut off strips of his cape for you to use, but expects you to take care of any sort of ‘mess’, he’s pre-occupied cleaning whatever latest monster’s guts off himself anyway

Buys a whiskey but lets YOU drink most of it to help with the cramps (and for him this is the ultimate sign he loves you lol).

Alucard: 

Is unexpectedly awkward for someone whose mother was a doctor.

He’s very knowledgeable but unsure of how to broach the subject, sort of giving you instructions on what to do (as if you made it to the age you did without knowing??).  

And of course, the castle has everything you could need, and if it doesn’t, he won’t hesitate to travel to get it for you. Although he does insist you stay in while he retrieves it.

If you’ve been together for a while, offers to help clean you up in equal parts removed curiosity and bewitched hunger (although he’s comparatively embarrassed about that later part).

Hector: 

Not phased at all. The man’s used to sticking his hands into corpses, why would menstrual blood be an issue?

Isn’t super knowledgeable about it, he’s been alone focusing solely on his needs for so many years, and this was never one of them. But he does try and learn now that he has you.

He sends his most trustworthy night creatures and reanimated pets to go hunting for the herbs and wild medicines you use. On the other hand, Hector orders the more domesticated pets to stay and cuddle/play with you. 

On the days you’re curled up in a ball in bed, he offers to read some of the books he’s been writing as he knows you find his voice very soothing. 

Isaac: 

Fascinated by human psychology and biology from an earlier age, so he’s moderately educated on the subject. 

Blood does not scare him, but he does understand the societal stigma around sharing such a natural cycle with him.

Like Hector, he sends out his night creatures to fetch you whatever you need. 

Ensure you drink enough tea and water to stay hydrated. Also asks that you eat plenty of red meat to help replace some of the iron you’ve lost.

Is one of the few men that requests you stay as active as you can, limiting rather than stopping your regular activities. Movement and keeping your mind occupied should make the days pass much faster, as Issac is a firm believer that self-discipline is one of the most powerful tools of all. 

Godbrand: 

Not grossed out, but ends up grossing YOU out with his enthusiasm about the whole thing

Will of course offer to go down there himself and ‘take care of matters like a man’ - his words, not yours. 

What? For Godbrand, being with a living, breathing, and most importantly, bleeding human are the perks of your relationship. It’s like having a partner and a constant food source all in one!

Will absolutely curse out if not straight-up attack any other vampire who dares to bitch about your mood swings or irritable behavior. And then once you’re out of earshot, he will proceed to bitch about said mood swings and irritable behavior. What? At least he’s gentlemanly enough not to do it to your face.  

Dracula: 

The most caring and respectful king fr

He is super understanding and educated on the subject. In fairness, he’s probably curated half of the books on menstruation within his vast libraries. 

Has the necessary products on hand- strips of cloth, herbs for cramping and pain, teas, and a medieval-era heating pad of his own invention. 

Like Godbrand, offers to pleasure you down there to help relieve some cramps with the help of an orgasm, although he’s much more romantic and poetic when he suggests such a thing to you. And unlike Godbrand, he’s in it solely for your benefit. The idea that he’d get to feed as well is the farthest thing on his mind. 

Literally the most perfect and doting husband to ever walk the face of this earth oh my god.

The Judge: 

Expects you to handle it yourself lol. 

Don’t ask him for advice or aid. If you must seek out assistance, he directs you to another woman or midwife within the town.

Considers it highly inappropriate to discuss such matters, even if you’re together. 

0/10, not very helpful, would not recommend. 

Saint Germain

Knows a decent amount of what to expect and how to aid you should you request it. 

He’s well-educated and very well-traveled, so he’s encountered quite a few different cultural views of menstruation. 

Does, however, expect you to take care of the more messy parts of it.

He will offer you back rubs or make tea, but aside from him being aware of your current condition, he doesn’t change the way he treats you much at all. 

Sala:

Gets high key disgusting with it

Asks if you can gather all your bloody rags in a big bowl so he can perform some satanic ritual with it. (You’re like… Um, no??? Unless you’re cray-cray too, which, if you’re with him, has a fair chance of ringing true.) 

Will tell everyone else in the monastery about it cuz he’s a freak like that.

Keeps reminding you how in your current state, you would be a perfect sacrifice for the Great Lord Dracula… Ya know, because of the blood thing?

Subtly is NOT his strong suit

Varney: 

The entity also known as Death knows your cycle better than you do lol.

Keeps a mental calendar in his head, and starts peppering you with more kisses than usual a few days before your bleeding starts. 

Just really wants to get on your good side. And wants you to recall in the coming days, how sweet he was to you, so you know, you don’t take all your anger and frustration out on him. 

Very little scares him, he is Death after all. But aside from people not dying and Belmont giving him another go, your mood swings on your period scare the hell out of him. 

He’s not a patient man, and by day seven, Varney feels rather demoralized after being encumbered by his partner’s common human condition. 

Begs Ratko for help. Is promptly told to piss off. 

Ratko: 

Doesn’t react, except to tell you that you smell so much better this way. 

He delivers that line in such a deadpan too, you almost misunderstand what he’s talking about.

Admits that he’d be willing to ‘clean you up’, should you find that arousing.

Regards you the same, but does find himself staying closer to you than normal, for fear the other vampires and night creatures around you will find your scent so enticing and try to take what’s his.

Challenges anyone who looks your way longer than five seconds. Partly as a means to protect his claim over you, but mainly because he rather enjoys the combat practice.