I still remember getting my first period – I think most AFAB people do. According to Independent, an astounding 44% of us don’t know what’s happening the first time we get one, which only makes it more traumatic. For most of us, it’s the first (but not the last) time we’re faced with the cost being female.
I think it’s a given for those of you lucky enough to never experience the pain in the ass that is the menstrual cycle that it can be incredibly painful for those who do. Periods are something we have to work around when it comes to the day-to-day stuff. Got a beach trip planned? Not anymore. Day out with friends? Make sure it’s somewhere with access to a loo. And don’t forget to say bye to your full range of mobility for the first couple of days.
We’ve all frantically searched and fallen down internet rabbit holes that lead to tired home remedies, pills and contraceptive practices like IUDs; things that are meant to help if you really struggle with your period (I swear by the tried and true painkillers and a hot water bottle) . We’ve all encountered the stereotype of “the sobbing girl on her period who craves ice cream” (not entirely accurate considering that one of the more prominent side effects of menstruation is nausea and bloating). Unfortunately, there’s a lot more about periods that we probably don’t know, simply because society doesn’t work that way; it is less inclined to spend time and money on what’s toted as a ‘girl problem’ than help over half the world’s population with something that can be far more debilitating than most people realise.
Did you know that when the females of other mammalian species menstruate, they can reabsorb their old uterus linings, instead of passing them as waste?
This is true of most animals in the wild, likely because it’s more economic to recycle the proteins and nutrients that are stored in the uterine lining in preparation for a foetus. I will never understand why humans are one of the few exceptions. It seems like an efficient adaptation to me.
While it does vary, the average female will have about five hundred periods in their lifetime
The average AFAB will have spent seven years of their life menstruating. I say these days, because over the generations, scientists have noticed a trend in that, AFABs get their periods earlier and earlier in their lifetimes. Accordng to AHPMA, 150 years ago, many of us would have gotten our periods at about 17 years of age.
Did you also know that there’s a word for when you experience heavy periods on a regular basis?
Menorrhagia. Sounds about as pleasant as it is. Unsurprisingly, with the limited information most of us are given at school, a lot of menstruating people won’t even realise that they suffer from it.
Below are a general list of the symptoms as outlined by the NHS. If they set off any alarm bells for you don’t hesitate to contact a medical professional regardless of how embarrassed you may feel. Trust me, they want to support you.
- Your flow soaks through one or more pads/tampons every hour for several hours consecutively
- You usually have to double up on pads to control your flow
- You need to change pads or tampons during the night
- Your periods last more than a week
- You have a menstrual flow with blood clots larger than the size of an American quarter
- You have a heavy flow that keeps you from doing the things you usually would
- You experience constant pain in your abdomen during your periods
Bummer, right? With the pink tax, discomfort, social stigma, and associated health problems it’s no wonder most people feel like periods are their body’s way of punishing them for not being pregnant. They’re actually not – in fact, recent studies suggest that periods are the body’s way of ensuring its continued well-being! Scientists theorise that periods are an ‘evolutionary tug-o-war’. Our uterine lining is made to be so thick, to prevent the implantation of embryos. Periods are our body’s way of flushing out anything that might deprive it of its nutrients.
In any case, I encourage you to do your own reading around the subject. There are thousands of articles online that can tell you everything you could hope to know, and it’s in your best interest to know them. Knowledge is power after all!