When I got my first period when I was still a child, I already figured it out that I was to go to my mom about it and not my dad. I already figured it out that my period was also to be kept from my brother and pretty much kept secret from everyone else. I had already been socially raised to believe that there was something shameful and wrong about the female body which explains when I got my first period I burst into tears and had a crying fit when I told my mom. I felt the shame I was raised to believe. I’ll never forget that moment of deep intense shame I felt one day when I had a relative over visiting and I was sitting on the couch with a hot water bottle on my belly because I was in a lot of period pain. My mother told me to put it away, that I was some how ‘advertising’ my period. LMFAO!
Historically, we used to believe that menstruating women were unclean, dirty, and sinful. Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism have all made statements about menstruation and its negative effect on women and society, leading to prohibitions about physical intimacy, cooking, attending places of worship, and sometimes requiring women to live separately from men at this time. If you don’t believe me just read the Bible or other religious texts.
But haven’t we come a long way? No not really. Today TV advertisements cannot even be honest about periods and they use a blue liquid to demonstrate how sanitary napkins work instead of blood. No one’s menstrual blood is BLUE! I even spoke about my new menstrual find (menstrual cups), on Facebook and I was just waiting.. just waiting for the the negative complaints to start pouring in. Luckily out of my 382 and climbing Facebook friends, probably over 90% of them are female, open minded, liberated pole dancers. So I didn’t receive many complaints.
Girls are taught from a young age how to hide sanitary napkins. Because *GASP* what if people noticed you carrying a tampon on your way to the bathroom? Then they will know you must be menstruating or something. LOL! Trust me how many of you hide your pad or tampon in your pocket, sleeves and creatively in your sock? LOL I used to hide mine in my socks while walking to the bathroom. Us school girls back in the day were creative at hiding things! Not me any more. I juggle my tampons or pads in the air while walking to the bathroom. I GOT NO SHAME!
DID YOU KNOW that menstruation is the main cause of school drop outs for girls/women in poverty/third world countries????? Imagine, bleeding every month and not having anything to stop the blood with. A lot of these women drop out of school and not leave their house due to shame and the menstrual taboo. See how this taboo causes harm to society?
Anyhoo.. so I am currently trying out a menstrual cup right now. I had a rough start with it at first but I think I’m getting used to it now. It takes a lot of practice! I plan on writing a review about this product so stay tuned. I am going to even test this product out while pole dancing! Menstrual cups are a cup or barrier to catch menstrual blood inside the vagina before it comes out. It is a bell-shaped cup made out of silicone. They cost around 20-40 dollars and meant to last up to 10 years!!! Just think of all the money you spend on sanitary napkins every month and how much money you will be saving in the long run. Also, using reusable menstrual cups are eco-friendly and better for the environment. Saving money and the environment isn’t the only benefit from this new invention. Most women report that menstrual cups don’t cause dryness or burning from abrasions that tampons can sometimes cause from their tiny fibres!!! Tampons and pads can sometimes cause yeast infections due to the chemicals and bleach that are in those products. Menstrual cups do not cause this! And you have no risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome!
In the mean time, check out this video. I want to help out this campaign some how. 
