Menstruation – a normal vaginal bleeding that occurs as part of a woman’s monthly cycle.

Pretty normal
right? Well, my mom used to think it’s not normal, for men especially. No, I’m not talking about men
having them, I’m talking about men even being aware or talking about periods. Earlier, my mom used to
hide the fact that my 12 year old sister has started getting her monthly periods from me. “Iske pet mei
dard hai” Seriously Mom? So, my sister is getting monthly “pet mei dard” for 3-4 days straight every
month. Seems legit. I told my mom that I know about menstruation, they taught us about it in school
and “uss din star gold pr padman aa rhi thi”, so please don’t treat periods like a taboo, in this home
atleast.

In school, girls are secretly taught about menstruation and it’s effects, but they are also told to not talk
about it infront of the boys. Why? Why aren’t the boys allowed to know about periods? The ministry of
health and family welfare has been introducing a scheme for promotion of menstrual awareness and
hygiene among girls. But when will the government and everyone else stop treating it as a taboo for us
men.

Treating periods as a taboo have been prominent in India. There is a huge lack of conversation around
this topic, and according to one study, 71% of Indian girls aren’t aware of menstruation until they get it
themselves. And after that, they aren’t allowed to discuss it with the male members of the house. In
India, parents rarely prepare their daughters for something they know is bound to happen. In cities at
least, parents have started telling their daughters about menstruation. But the sons are kept unaware,
as if a nuclear bomb would fall from the sky if they would get to know about it. One of my friends told
me that the “pet ka dard” excuse is highly used in Indian families. Her mom used that line on her father
and little brother every month. Her brother still asks about the sanitary pads advertisement where the
girl is dancing and singing in her periods. She also told me about the panic situation that arrived when
her brother got hands on a sanitary pad. “Aree diaper kaun pehan raha yahaan” his reaction.

So here’s some awareness for us men. A woman’s body prepares for pregnancy every month, and if no
pregnancy occurs, the uterus sheds its lining. Menstrual blood is partly tissue from inside of the uterus,
and partly blood. And for this very normal health related reason, discrimination against menstruating
women is widespread in India, where periods have long been a taboo and considered impure. They are
often excluded from kitchen, temples and many other things during their periods. Menstruation often
comes up with painful cramps, and girls aren’t even allowed to talk about their monthly suffering. It’s
high time MEN become aware about MENstruation.