Let’s Talk About Periods 😊
Well, there is a reason as to why I used the above emoji. And I guess its meaning is all displayed on your pretty face when you read the blog title. Frequently, many ladies embrace such a face when this subject is mentioned; and this is most prevalent among teenagers. Why? Because they always feel shy talking about it. And who’s to blame? Well, this is a sensitive question. And I guess you already got some answers running in your mind. I’ll leave it to you to juggle on it.

Why the shyness when the talk about periods is brought to the table
The majority of girls, when asked anything about menstruation, they’ll most probably feel psychologically and emotionally constrained to freely talk about it. This goes to the ladies; when you first heard about periods, what was your reaction? Did you try to evade the conversation, or did you chip in the exchange to learn more? I bet the former took the lead. I will share some of my thoughts on this.
And I will sway more on the African lifestyle while discussing this. You see, in most African homes, children are socialized to become independent and learn to stand up for themselves from the earliest time possible. They are taught about social roles; little is taught about their biological functions and how they are supposed to play them. The boy child is taught complex jobs and labeled as the head of the family from an early age. He then learns to behave as per the label attached on in; in psychology, this is called the self-fulfilling prophecy – when one starts to act according to a designation given to him by society. He’s not told that he can impregnate a girl when he hits his teens age. And in occasions where he does impregnate a girl, some applaud him for being a man enough to sire- especially in native African regions.
Now to the subject matter of menstruation, do girls really receive enough information about menstruation while growing up? In the African context, and in pre-teenage, girls are socialized to take up feminine roles and behave as housekeepers. Parents seem not to care much about educating their daughters about menstruation until their first experience. They know little or nothing about ovulation and all menstrual stuff. Thus, initiating such a conversation with them as outsiders will not be openly received because the first socialization agents (family) never gave them any information about periods. And to them, they feel it’s something that should be hidden and kept only to themselves.
The shyness is still perpetuated by some religious beliefs whereby girls are seen as unclean when they’re menstruating. In some spiritual practices, girls cannot step a foot in their worship places, even in this modernism era where civilization has taken the lead.
Some dismal menstruation facts
Modernism has saved the human race through the tones of inventions and innovations taking place each and every day. In this regard, the credit goes to all who tried to invent sanitary pads and tampons to ensure girls’ menstrual hygiene. Nonetheless, not every girl can access the said hygienic pads and tampons due to extreme poverty. For instance, in Wajir County, some girls are forced to sit on the sand all day long during their menstruation days because they lack sanitary towels to maintain their menstrual hygiene.
This situation compels them to avoid school for as long as they are receiving their periods. Sitting all day long in the scorching sun, with no one to have a conversation with. This is so disheartening for one to go through in the 21st century where such issues have a remedy. It continues to
Others, where sitting on the sand is not an option, often get sexually exploited by “Bodaboda” taxi drivers in exchange for some little money to buy sanitary pads. ( Boda Boda drivers earn a living by ferrying people around using motorcycles). These, among others, are some of the setbacks towards realizing menstrual dignity.
A call to action
Nevertheless, it’s not overdue to spread the word about how menstruation is not a thing to shy off and why it’s indispensable to enlighten girls about menstruation soonest possible without waiting for them to have their first experience. Consequently, the practices of marginalizing menstruating girls should seize as this affects girls psychologically to an extent where they abhor themselves for being women because of the mauling they receive from society.
On that account, every menstruating girl deserves a smiley face for being such a beautiful and wonderful creature.
#Mensturationmatters.