Created in 2019, the ‘Related To Period’ Instagram account now has close to 57,000 followers. And even though the content is somewhat lighthearted—mostly funny and relatable memes—such accounts can play a significant role when it comes to diminishing the stigma surrounding such topics as menstruation.
Discussing the topic with Bored Panda, Prof. Jerilynn C. Prior, a medical doctor specializing in menstrual cycles, noted that people need to be accurate, respectful and brave when talking about menstrual flow, given the negative stereotypes and taboos.
“That means we must use and teach our daughters—and also our sons—to use accurate anatomical language. In this teaching we must be straightforward and direct,” she said.
The need to educate everyone—female and male—is evident when looking at how taboo the topic of menstruation still is. According to a survey of boys and young men carried out by Plan International, many of them avoid the topic, as they consider menstruation to be a ‘private matter’ for girls and women.
The survey also found that the male respondents, aged 16 to 25, reportedly associated periods with such words as ‘dirty’ (55%), ’embarrassing’ (31%), and even ‘disgusting’ (38%).
Seeking to spread awareness and information regarding the physical and psychological causes and effects of ovulation disturbances on women’s overall health, in 2002, Prof. Prior founded the Centre for Menstrual Cycle and Ovulation Research (CeMCOR). “The centre’s vision and goal is to ‘reframe scientific knowledge of the menstrual cycle and ovulation in a woman-centred context,’” she told Bored Panda.
But even though it’s important to be straightforward and accurate when talking about menstrual flow and women’s health, it’s not uncommon for people to use euphemisms when talking about the topic.
As a matter of fact, using all sorts of “codes” when talking about periods is so widespread that people in different countries and cultures use different phrases to describe it. According to menstrual and reproductive health app Clue, there are more than 5,000 euphemisms for the word “period” used in places all over the world.
According to Clue, in Germany, for instance, women refer to periods as “strawberry week,” a “visit from the red aunt” or the “relative from Rotenburg” (the latter meaning “red castle”), or “riding the red wave,” among others.
The French also make the connection to strawberries, referring to periods as “strawberry season.” They also use such phrases as “ketchup week,” “the little clown with a nose bleeding,” or call periods “Niagara falls.”
While it’s evident that people everywhere can get quite creative when it comes to talking about periods, it’s crucial that they are familiar with the actual terminology, too, as well as with the processes affecting women’s health. And while browsing memes might not be the way to learn about them, they can count as a step towards making periods a less stigmatized topic, at least.