Last week, a man on Facebook decided to show his expertise on menstruation and educate menstruators on how to cut down on the costs of having a period. He outlined quite clearly how to do this and concluded by suggesting we ought to 'cut down on [our] starbucks venti frapps and stop whining'.
The thing that scares me most about this is that this lack of understanding is not uncommon. I don't blame this individual man for his ignorance, I blame the patriarchal society in which we live. A society established by men that allows, and even encourages, men to be ignorant about all aspects of health that are traditionally seen as 'women's problems'.
To address the ideas in his comment, anyone who experiences periods will know that a suggestion of using only seven tampons per cycle is not only preposterous but dangerous. Tampons must be changed at least every eight hours to avoid toxic shock syndrome which is very real and deadly. Along with this, not everyone uses tampons on their period and sometimes we use both tampons and pads. What's more, I don't know about you but I'd be pretty grateful if my period only came for nine months of the year, as this man suggests.
But there are other costs involved with having a period. The Huffington Post highlighted just some of the extra costs, on top of sanitary products, that we have during our periods. This includes heating pads (or time taken out of work to walk to reheat a heat pack), acne medication, sanitary products, chocolate (because having a period sucks), pain relief, new underwear, and birth control.
But there are other costs too, and as March is Endometriosis Awareness Month it would be remiss of me to not highlight this. Endometriosis affects one in ten menstruators and can only be diagnosed through a laparoscopy which can be a costly and time consuming operation.
But that is not the only problem with diagnosing endo. For many menstruators, a diagnosis takes years to get because our symptoms are dismissed and we are simply considered weak. We have to fight our doctors to get them to take our pain seriously. There is no cure for endometriosis and treatment for it can involve having multiple laparoscopies to remove and limit the problem. But it can lead to other costs later in life, with one in three endometriosis suffers having issues with fertility and struggling to get pregnant.
Periods, and a lack of support for those suffering from them, are costing the economy. Not just in terms of the waste that sanitary products generate but also in terms of sick days. A YouGov poll in the UK found that one third of people who menstruate had taken a day off work due to period pain, not to mention a decreased ability to focus that comes with the physical and emotional toll of having a period.
"Why do we have to perform stealthy, under-the-desk manoeuvres to lend a tampon to a sister in need? Why do we hide our sanitary products? Why do we disguise our pain and pretend it's something else? What good is this doing any of us?"
Many of these statistics and ideas are generalisations based on a cis-woman's experience of menstruation. It is a completely different experience for transgender and non-binary people. Not only can it complicate which bathroom to use to ensure their safety and comfort but it can leave them suffering from gender dysphoria.
These costs and issues surrounding periods are only heightened by poverty. Some menstruators in Nepal are made to sleep with animals when bleeding due to the stigma — this lack of cleanliness and lack of access to supplies can lead to illness and death.
But, things are changing, reusable pads are being made by local communities in poverty stricken areas, periods are being spoken about and education for people of all genders is occurring to reduce the stigma. Documentaries such as Period. End of Sentence are winning Oscars and generating discussion.
Why can't we be open about menstruation? According to the ABC, period stigma is holding menstruators back. Why do we have to perform stealthy, under-the-desk manoeuvres to lend a tampon to a sister in need? Why do we hide our sanitary products? Why do we disguise our pain and pretend it's something else? What good is this doing any of us? It leaves men in the dark and it leaves women feeling ashamed.
Maybe things can change? The fact that this man's comments went viral is a good thing as it means that we are talking, and this can only lead to education and a reduction in stigma.
Brenna Dempsey is a freelance writer and involved in various areas of activism while studying at University.
Main image: Getty Creative