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[orangerful]

The Fight to End Period Shaming

Long article but a good read and worth sharing.

Comments

[rhoda-rants.livejournal.com]

I'm one of those people who hates tampons and will only use pads forever, so I won't be using those groovy websites, but either way, this is way important. How the hell are they getting taxed as "luxury" items? I had no idea.

Randomly though:

"ACROSS THE U.S., you can buy food, doodads and necessities without being taxed: Pop-Tarts in California, BBQ sunflower seeds in Indiana, Mardi Gras beads in Louisiana, Bibles in Maine and coffins in Mississippi."

. . . interesting. I'll just file that away for a future story maybe. (Vampire Road Trip!)

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

I don't use tampons either. I was more interested in the cultural and political side of things. It is so fascinating/scary how menstruation has been a part of things since the beginning of TIME yet everyone is still has issues with it. And, more over, males like to use it as a reason to discount female opinions etc. blaming it on PMS, hormones blah.

and the "luxury item" thing is just beyond messed up.

[rhoda-rants.livejournal.com]

OK, I have to show you a thing, this is amazing:

[meepalicious.livejournal.com]

Well, I guess, to be fair, coffins are necessities for (almost*) everyone, sooner or later.

*unless you get cremated or turned into a tree

[rhoda-rants.livejournal.com]

Weirdly in VA (where I live) movies aren't taxed. Like in the theater. Huh.

[meepalicious.livejournal.com]

Where I live, exactly everything has exactly an 8% sales tax. It's a little strange, but at least you don't end up with situations where tampons are "luxury items."

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

Really, being able to afford a coffin and a place to be buried is a luxury when you see the price tag. And now we are running out of space! (http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-31837964)

[hamsterwoman]

Thank you for sharing -- that was a great article!

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

You're welcome! It definitely felt like a "The More You Know!" kind of article. Women just need to stop being made to feel embarrassed about our bodies ALL THE TIME.

[snogged.livejournal.com]

Thank you for sharing this.

[kita0610.livejournal.com]

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

LOLOLOLOLOL

[jediknightmuse.livejournal.com]

I'm like rhonda_rants, I'd honestly rather wear a pad, even though they feel like a diaper (and there are times where I get the huge ones that REALLY feel like a diaper because of how heavy it is), than a tampon. I've sucked it up and worn them when I've had to, like to go swimming, but otherwise I stick to pads, as much as I hate to. The biggest thing for me is that um...well, the fact that they get -stuck- and it FREAKING HURTS trying to pull them out (if you try to pull it out too early or whatever). There's also toxic shock syndrome, and while I'm not particularly worried about it because of my lack of using tampons, it is a factor that makes me glad I don't use tampons.

Honestly, if I could just skip through having my period, I would. I HATE it. I don't get it as bad as my friend does, where she had (or maybe still has, I'm not sure) some hormonal thing where she would have it for weeks and I think months at a time and she gets really bad cramps that she used to call out of work because of, but it gets to be pretty bad and makes me miserable and even more emotional than I already am. I probably need to see about some kind of birth control that can help make my periods less painful/heavy, honestly.

[bittertwee.livejournal.com]

Hi there. The Mirena IUD pretty much stops your period completely and has very minimal hormones. Would recommend. No I don't work for them/ don't have stock in the company etc :)

[jediknightmuse.livejournal.com]

Hm. I dunno how I feel about that kind of birth control, but maybe. I think I'd probably prefer a pill over anything like that.

[the-moonmoth.livejournal.com]

The progesterone only pill (or mini-pill) often stops periods altogether. I was on it for several years before getting pregnant, and it was awesome :D

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

Yeah, ever since I went on the pill, my period has been SO MUCH EASIER. When I was in high school, I blacked out a couple times. That was fun. But, yeah, talk to a doctor. I'm sure they could give you some kind of hormone pill that makes it less intense.

I think that menstruation/period shaming is sort of like casual racism - it's so embedded in the way we behave, both genders, that we do it ALL THE TIME and don't even realize it. Why are women always so ashamed of their bodies? Always saying sorry? Like Gloria Steinam is quoted saying in the article, if men had periods, it would be a COMPETITION.

[jediknightmuse.livejournal.com]

D: Blacking out is definitely not a good thing.

I totally agree, and I totally agree that men would brag about it and have a competition like it was no big deal...it sounds disgusting to think about. D: I hate talking about my period, because it's not exactly the most...pleasant conversation to be having, and it's embarrassing. My dad sometimes asks me if I have stomach aches still and I'll be like "well, yeaaah...but usually it only happens at my time of the month" and even saying that is awkward 'cause...it's my father.

Then again, I'm, like, 99% certain that I have a memory of the day I got my period, in 6th grade, where (thank GOD my sister was home when I got it, 'cause I think I would have freaked out) I got it and then my mom came home and I told her and I remember standing in the kitchen acting all shy when my dad was home 'cause my mom was trying to get me to tell my dad that I'd gotten it. YES BECAUSE I TOTALLY WANT TO ADMIT THAT I AM GETTING MY PERIOD AND AM GOING TO BE EXTRA EMOTIONAL AND SENSITIVE AND MISERABLE ONCE A MONTH TO MY FATHER AND I'M SURE HE WANTS TO KNOW, THANKS MOM. XD

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but he KNOWS you're going to get your period, you're a girl! Your mom was trying to normalize it so that you wouldn't feel that way lol. Why should it be so wrong to tell him? It's just because the prevailing culture has decided it is gross and you should feel bad about it. It's not like anyone wants to have a long conversation about it, but it would be nice if women could talk about it without it being used against them.

It is hard though. We were all raised in this society, we've all got these hangups. I try to be open about it with friends, and especially Tim. Which actually worked to my advantage because I was talking to him about how I felt and he used his librarian research powers and found out I was making myself feel worse because studies shows that coffee + chocolate when you're on your period is actually BAD and can make you feel worse. I now make a conscious effort to avoid both and now the exhaustion isn't all day long!

So if the whole thing wasn't treated as such a taboo, maybe more would be done to make it easier for women, to make us feel more comfortable talking to a doctor and other things that effect our health.

[jediknightmuse.livejournal.com]

It wasn't even that she was trying to normalize it, I don't think. I just remember being super shy and embarrassed about it, lol. What eleven or twelve (sixth grade...probably eleven) year old wants to admit that they have their period for the first time? Lol.

Maybe. I know I'm not thrilled with the idea of talking to a doctor about it, and I hate the idea of going to THAT kind of doctor, to the point of being terrified about it.

[ragnarok-08.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for sharing this!!!

[velvetwhip.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the link.


Gabrielle

[night-owl-9.livejournal.com]

Agreed. Thank you for sharing!

[qwentoozla]

Thank you for the link! It's so sad how much shame women have around their periods, even though it's such a normal thing that we all have.

The random things that states don't tax is kind of hilarious. Seasoned croutons? Garter belts? How did they make that decision?!

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I can't even figure out WHY some of those are taxed. It must be old laws left over from eons ago and no one has bothered to update them.

[meepalicious.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the link! I like to read longform articles at work, so I'm saving this one for tomorrow!

[kseenaa.livejournal.com]

Periods and shaming, ugh. And then there's the lack of knowledge when it comes to the illness I have, Endometriosis, who is very much connected with my period, thank you very much. :-P

[teagues-veil.livejournal.com]

VERY nice read. Thanks for sharing!