Colton Underwood obviously has a presence in the public eye, whether that’s with his virginity or for hopping a fence in front of America. He was recently interviewed by LadyGang and made some comments that had me confused but not surprised. It’s safe to say that his lack of compassion for the female body has much to be desired, but I think there is a bigger component to his story that tells us about what men feel about menstruation.
As the interviewers asked him what he thought about period panties, Colton stated that period panties are comparable to underwear you’ve “pooped in” and why would you save those? He also questioned why women always go after the bad boys and hurt the nice guys as if its the 1950s, but that’s a whole different conversation. In all, it’s sad to think our society negates menstruation and that women’s bodies are under so much scrutiny. Period blood could never be scientifically comparable to feces but maybe Colton was a tad confused on whether they came out of the same place?
I don’t want to say that Colton’s period undies repulsion stems from his lack of sexual experiences because there a lot of men that lost their virginity at a more “common” age and still can’t buy a box of tampons for someone without feeling embarrassed. To better understand responses like Colton’s, we must look at how we conceive periods in society. Why is it seen as a topic that receives shame and disgust? Are we still living during a time where we are embarrassed of our periods?
As a woman, I know the embarrassment of menstruation that half of our society has never experienced. I remember calling my best friend in eighth grade to tell her how upset I was because I damaged my favorite bed sheets and remember bleeding through white denim shorts before P.E. I have a vivid memory of me and my elementary school friends not even saying the word period in front of mixed company and how even adult women won’t carry tampons or pads to the restroom and instead bring their entire purse.
We have to pretend like menstruation is this whole secret experience, and maybe that’s why Colton can’t fathom the idea of period undies. However, I do see progress in our culture, and I feel as though millennials are actually more open about feminine health and how we feel about periods as being something that is natural versus being taboo.
I am not up in arms persay about what Colton said because at the end of the day, I have heard men say many derogatory comments about periods and feminine health. I don’t want to shame him for his comments because he’s just discussing how many men feel towards menstruation and how there needs to be a bigger conversation about gynecology and the human body. We wouldn’t talk about periods the way we talk about stomach health or physical health because menstruation has a lot of stigmas attached to its identity. Just like with sexual health, the less that is known about it, the less it is discussed. Sexual health is also something very secretive in society and just like periods, knowledge allows for more acceptance and a healthier sexually active community. Your period is to remind you that your body is doing what it is naturally supposed to do, and we all know period panties are for utility so that you don’t continue to ruin your best ones.