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Featuring Female Health II: taking the taboo out of talking about periods

Featuring Female Health II: taking the taboo out of talking about periods

This article will discuss periods as part of DJM's continuing effort to understand how female health issues can affect their employment and career opportunities. There are some symptoms, the spectrum, and how different women deal with them. Women aren't the only individuals who can have periods. It is essential to remember that trans men, intersex, genderqueer, or nonbinary individuals can also have periods. They are often omitted or not considered for any period of rights movements.

To begin with, periods are sacrosanct subjects and have always been for as far back or out as my subconscious can reach. It is an event or occurrence considered shameful and needs to be handled professionally, especially at school, university, or the workplace. In some traditions, such as the African one, it is known that periods are humiliating and dirty and should be hidden in public talk. This ethos has to be redressed; hence, we'll address menstruation in all its aspects, including its repercussions on women in professional settings.

 

To start, what is a period?

A period is a distinct phase in a woman's reproductive cycle, also known as the menstrual cycle. In a nutshell, once a month, a woman gets to bleed when the ovarian lining is shed, accompanied by the expulsion of an unfertilised egg. These cycles can range between 21-40 days for many women, though it is essential to note that not every woman will have a normal process. Entirely several females are prone to being on a menstrual cycle within a timeframe of about 3-8 days, and there are cases of some women going for even longer than that. Various factors extend beyond menstruation and periods but revolve around them, making menstruation for women a more intricate affair. This will be addressed some more later in this blog.

 

What are some of the psychological, emotional, and physical symptoms associated with periods?

Many women may undergo symptoms of PMS [premenstrual symptoms]. These are some of the signs included on various health care websites such as the NHS and Healthline.

  • Bloating

  • Muscle tenderness and soreness

  • Mood swings

  • Hot flashes

  • Abdominal cramping

  • Fatigue

  • Back pain

  • Headaches

  • Breakouts

In some women, there are disorders, such as endometriosis, PCOS, or others, that may have an impact on the period and, thus, make it harder for the woman to cope. Some of those are doing some injections, pills, or other medications that may include a hormonal element, which is a common practice or, in some cases, easy then prevents, though difficult when administering. Other women may have hormonal changes that disrupt their cycles and cause permanent alterations, hence leaving periods irregular or even non-existent.

Some food for thought

Many girls start their period around the age of 11-12. However, there is a range. Some may start their much younger, and some may not get their periods until the age of 18. As many of these girls start their periods at school, there is an air of shame and scarcity concerned with how women should deal with their periods. Many girls are told to deal with their period quietly, as boys may be too immature to handle it at that age. This conditioning continues throughout their education at the behest of how boys 'may' react concerning their period rather than dictating that periods are a normal bodily function.

The subtle culture of shaming and hiding continues when certain women enter the workplace, believing that it is shameful or embarrassing to take a sanitary product to the bathroom in a workplace. Of course, there is a converse argument here: some women may keep their hygienic product out of sight, as they believe it is a private matter that has nothing to do with being embarrassed, and that is an act that also has to be respected.

If periods are a somewhat bodily and private matter, why are we taking the time to talk about periods in the workplace?

There are many exciting regulations to consider when discussing periods in the workplace, from extreme pains, days off, and bathroom and sanitary products being available within the workplace. With all the symptoms besides the bleeding, periods can be challenging, mainly when the subject is considered taboo and embarrassing.

Is there a way to create period friendly workplaces?

One of the most expansive campaigns that women's rights groups run is ensuring that one of the complimentary amenities included in all workplaces is free and readily available sanitary products. Many women believe that this should not even be considered an amenity but rather an essential requirement for employers to have them freely available in bathrooms for women to use. Employers would have to see whether they will be able to afford the product, but when this is a fundamental bodily function that most women and some trans men, intersex, genderqueer, or nonbinary individuals have happened on a somewhat regular basis, should this not be considered a requirement to make it a more period friendly place?

In a previous article where I addressed menopause, I touched upon how workplace environments can affect a woman's disposition and behavior and how it can make her extremely uncomfortable, which can affect her work output.

Another thing that certain employers are starting to consider is that certain women should get period sickness days because the symptoms are difficult to handle at times, particularly within the first few days of a woman beginning to menstruate. When looking at this from an employer's perspective, it is understandable why this may be undoable in some instances, as scheduling and rotating employees in shift work can be challenging and fragmented, but in the case of some of these more intense symptoms, what other benefits or amenities could be provided to women to ensure they have a more comfortable way of maneuvering the workplace?

Some things to possibly consider:

  • The chance to work from home [on period days]

  • Period sick leave [if this is something that can be performed within your organisation]

  • Prolonged breaks

  • Leaving early or starting late- if required

  • Free products in the bathrooms

  • There may be even more suggestions that you could implement that could be useful to make it a more comfortable space for women to use

 

Here at DJM we aim to be inclusive as possible, so we will be releasing a podcast later this week on Podbean for those who need or prefer audio material!