Menstruation is a topic that we all shy away from talking about in public. We always feel that menstruation is something that only women should be aware of, because it is their problem. Being a part of different groups over social media, one question that pops up every alternate day during the festival season is how to delay your periods for participating in a family pooja.
Now, most of these women are married and have children. Obviously, if they are posting these queries on social media, they should be fairly educated and from well-to-do backgrounds. What is surprising is not the query but the explanation that comes along with the query.
Most of them want to delay their periods because:
- There is a function at their in-laws’ place;
- The auspicious dates match with their period date (apparently periods come every month);
- Because apparently, a woman on her periods can hamper the entire function with her presence;
- What will people say if the lady of the house is absent from the rituals;
- The world will crash and clans would clash at home because the daughter-in-law deliberately had her periods;
- A woman getting periods on an auspicious day is a sign that God doesn’t want her to be a part of the pooja.
As ridiculous it may seem, even modern-day educated women feel that it is okay to hamper one’s body to please society.
Dear women, your body is yours. You do not have to be a slave to the society to make them happy. Whether you take a home remedy or a medicine from the drug store, you are ultimately hampering your body. These medicines will have future side effects during your menopause phase or at a later time in life.
Unfortunately, for us, everyone will tell us the rules and regulations and ensure that we are shunned from the society for a stupid reason. The fear of being shunned looms so largely in our minds that we resort to these medicines, which cost us our health. Ironically, when you are unwell, the same society will blame you for being unwell.
More than education, I feel that we should stop surrendering to the society; only then can we end the taboo of menstruation. Dear ladies, if you are going for a function during your periods, all you have to do is shut your mouth and stop feeling guilty about it. Nobody is going to open your dress and check you.
With modern sanitary pads, tampons and menstrual cups, you know how easy it is to manage. I know it is a bit difficult in rural areas but still, you can all take that one step and take the right benefit of technology.