Menstruation myths you need to break up now

We enlist all the most common myths about menstruation that you probably have heard and also believed. 

The menstruation. The period. The menses. The monthlies. The bleeding.

All these names (and more) are given to this cyclical period of a menstruating person. These words sometimes are spoken slowly, with tension and respect: almost as if their presence conveyed fear. Who would want to live with something so feared between their legs for the next years?

The answer is nobody.

Fortunately, according to various psychotherapeutic strategies and proper sex education, we can transform this experience into something positive. Even to apprehend menstruation as part of one’s sexuality and life. In other words, it’s about telling the truth about menstruation and getting to know it better, for this reason, it is important to talk about the myths around menstruation.

Myth 1: Menstruation is dirty

It is not.

It’s true, menstruation can sometimes make clothes dirty but it doesn’t contain any bacteria (like there is in our urine or fecal waste, and even on our hands or our cell phones!). In fact, menstrual bleeding is responsible for keeping the cervix in the most optimal and hygienic condition.
The use of pads and tampons, with toxic chemicals and materials like disposable plastic, is what turns an organic process into 1) odorous, 2) polluting and 3) with a dirty feeling.

Actually, menstruation is not the problem – the problem is morality and society, that consider the menstruation unclean.

Myth 2: Sex during your period is gross

It is quite a subjective myth that, in reality, can be closely related to the idea that one has of the menstruation. That is if a person thinks that menstruation is something dirty; ergo, sex during the days of menstruation will probably be dirty. However, there is no study or scientific basis that shows that sex during menstruation is unhygienic or unhealthy.
Learn more about the pros and cons of the menstrual cup.

Myth 3: You lose a lot of blood during your period

On average, a menstruating person can bleed about two to three tablespoons during their period. There are people who lose less and others who lose more. In the case of the latter, it is known as menorrhagia (more than the norm) and usually occupies more than seven tampons in a single day.
If the loss of this bleeding begins to affect the person’s life in other areas (such as eroticism, health, work, family, etc.), it is important to go to the doctor, the one who generates the most trust and understanding.

Get your own Menstrual Cup right here! 

Myth 4: You can’t (and shouldn’t) exercise during menstruation

Actually, physical exercise releases a series of neurotransmitters that regulate colic and symptoms of Premenstrual Syndrome or Endometriosis. Exercising or doing any physical activity is always beneficial for the body. At any time in life.

Myth 5: A menstrual cup will get stuck in the vagina

The vagina is not a black hole. It is a canal whose origin or base is the cervix, which can change in height and position at different times in life. It is therefore essential to know the height of your cervix to understand which size is appropriate for your body.
It is impossible for a menstrual cup (tampon or sponge) to get lost in the vagina. If it gets stuck, it is advisable to calm down and ask for help so that a professional can gently remove it.

Myth 6: All menstrual periods are the same for all menstruating people

In reality, the experience of menstruation is a subjective phenomenon. Nobody experiences it in the same way. So making generalizations about it can be quite imprecise and perhaps even sexist. Each menstruating person has her way of menstruating: there are different periods of cycles, blood loss, symptoms, flux colors, consistencies throughout each of the menstruations of a lifetime.

It is recommended that one be able to know his body to identify what is normal in herself and, easily notice when abnormal symptoms develop, so one can turn to a doctor with experience and enough empathy to face the case.

Important reminder: all periods are unique and that’s okay.

Live the freest and revolutionary menstruation with the Eureka! Cup menstrual cup and ecological pad with Sensual Intim kit.

Written By: @maria.jose.ca

Translated by: @thaispascual