Today is Menstrual Hygiene Day!

Menstruation is experienced by half of the population – by women, girls, trans*, nonbinary and intersex people.

So why aren’t we celebrating? Did you even know about this day?

This topic is still a taboo on so many levels and medically not adequately researched. Every fifth woman* is suffering from endometriosis, but young girls* get told suffering pain is part of the deal.

That lack of proper menstrual health may lead to greater risks of infections, the movements and behavior of adolescent girls* and women*, hindering their ability to attend school, work, or participate in daily life. And it shouldn’t be that way.

And what does this mean in times of Covid-19?

Millions of people who menstruate struggle to manage their monthly menstruation safely, comfortably and with dignity.

Menstruating people face inadequate access to toilets and water and may lack the most basic materials needed for managing blood flow, such as menstural products, underwear and soap.

Privacy is often scarce, and when toilets are available, they often lack locks, functioning doors, lighting and separation by gender.

In the same way that pandemics affect all of us, menstruation is part of the reality for half of the population and is affection us all. Taboos limit the ability of people who menstruate to fully and equally participate in society, undermining their overall status and self-esteem and has an impact on society as a whole.

Imagine men in our patriarchal societies would menstruate and be in pain every month. All research funds would be put into men’s health. Men would celebrate each other as heroes and we wouldn’t stop hearing about it.

Let us change this taboos and start teaching young people to talk about menstruation!