ThinkHer

Periods. From calling it with different names like chums, that time of the month or girl problem, to whispering about it around men, women have been conditioned to hide periods. Carefully concealing pads in bags, pockets, or beneath tops while rushing to washrooms has almost become second nature to most women. But why? Why do women lower their voice to say " I have got my period "? Why do women avoid eye contact with the pharmacist while buying sanitary products? Why are women ashamed of something so naturally part of them? Made on Canva @ThinkHer In India (while period stigma exists globally, this article mostly comes from responses shared by Indian women), menstruation is a taboo subject. As can be seen in movies like Pad Man and Great Indian Kitchen, women are generally considered impure or unclean during this period. In many communities, girls are made to sleep separately or sit in isolated corners in schools even today. Girls are often told to avoid visiting religious ce...

An average woman (or a menstruating person) has periods approximately 500 times over a lifetime, that is almost seven years of their life, and 29 liters of blood [1]. Periods are such an ingrained reality of all of our experience, and yet we are not sure how it is supposed to be. The experience varies widely from person to person. Bleeding can last anywhere from three to seven days, with flow ranging from light spotting to heavy loss exceeding 80ml (which can be considered menorrhagia). Symptoms like cramps, bloating, and fatigue also differ significantly, leaving many to question what constitutes a “normal” period. Despite this variability, society has normalized period pain (dysmenorrhea), with many dismissing severe discomfort as an unavoidable part of womanhood—even when it disrupts daily activities like work or school. This dismissive attitude often leads to underdiagnosed conditions, such as endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), perpetuating stigma and delaying neces...

" Although women are special, we are not a special population ", said Martha Gulati, a cardiologist specializing in women's heart health. When one reads this comment, its meaning and intention might not be immediately clear. One usually assumes that being considered as a 'special population' can only be beneficial because it ensures that specific issues that only women face are given adequate attention. I only recently realized that it can also have a downside. If women are viewed as a "special population" requiring separate focus or intervention, it can sometimes lead to neglect in broader or more universal programs that should apply to all people, regardless of gender. For example, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women. The medical field did not fully acknowledge that women experience different symptoms of the disease compared to men until 1999. This is just one such case. Some studies show that women h...