Menstruation in the Media

As a man, I have never really given much thought to periods. Of course, I know what a period is – we were all taught about this in school at some point, and we’ve probably all overheard conversations or seen the TV adverts for period products. From period poverty, reusable period products and period underwear, it’s clear that periods are being given more time in the media than ever before, and I think that’s great.

What’s more, some local high schools are also offering free reusable and disposable period products to girls. This is a great step forward and helps to unite girls in knowing that periods are a normal part of growing up and nothing to be embarrassed about.

I’m a dad to four girls and also, married to a woman! Therefore, periods get talked about in our home quite often. Thankfully, as a family, we’re very open in talking about such subjects without embarrassment. I think it’s so important that subjects such as this aren’t seen as taboo. That’s why Evana have started their campaign which looks at Menstruation in Media and how important representation is.

Evana are providers of relief for heavy, disruptive periods and advocates for spreading awareness of women and the menstrual cycle. As they say, despite half of the world having personally experienced periods at one time or another in their lives, there is significant lack of realistic representation in the media.

If you don’t know much about periods, it may came as a surprise to hear that a lot of females suffer from pain, as well as heavy and irregular periods. Sadly, there is still very little in the way of representation for these women.

According to the Evana campaign: Accurate representations of periods can make a huge difference. It’s an easy way to highlight menstruation issues, like irregular or heavy periods, and to bring attention to possible treatments that help alleviate symptoms.

One shocking statistic that was shared by Evana comes from a 2023 ActionAid poll that found that in the UK, 22% of young women and people who menstruate (aged 18-24) felt embarrassed during their period. This is a significant increase from 8% in 2022. Of those respondents, 30% said they felt ashamed because people would see them taking period products to the toilet. A further 58% said it was because of fear of leaking onto their clothes. The final 12% of respondents said their embarrassment stemmed from jokes made about their period by a partner, friends, colleagues or parents. 

As dads and husband’s it’s important that more men understand how debilitating periods can be and offer support by reading up this. The Evana campaign linked above is a good place to start.