Why is Menstrual Blood So Scary?
13 Nov - Written by Corinne DicpinigaitisAs October comes to a close, I have seen arrays of skeletons, jack-o-lanterns, and mummy decorations to celebrate the end of spooky season. Many, myself included, ironically find a significant amount of joy in the feeling of fear. Just think about all the horror movies that become box office smashes or the ticket prices of some haunted houses. Yet, I categorize this as a "fun" fear: a feeling that gets my adrenaline pumping without experiencing any of the truly scary stuff that fills me with dread. But, with all of the fake blood being bought and splattered over a scrub costume to make an "evil doctor," I couldn't help but wonder why menstrual blood is considered so scary. Menstrual blood is normal and healthy, and half of the world's population has to or has had to live with periods. As I started to look deeper into people's fear of menstrual blood and menstruation, I found that there is a fear of periods and menstruation. It's called Menophobia. While menophobia is not a classified diagnosis in The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the leading guide that mental health professionals look to when learning or diagnosing a patient, menophobia still falls under the phobia definition of "irrational fears of certain objects or situations."
A wide range of factors can cause menophobia. Some people may experience menophobia because of period stigma in society as a whole. Others may now fear their period because of an "embarrassing" experience related to past menstruation. Few may simply fear periods because of a cultural norm that period blood is unhygienic and gross. So, what can be done to alleviate menophobia?
Well, increasing period education for all is a great start. It is essential for everyone, not just menstruating people, to learn about periods and the reproductive cycle. The "fear" of this unknown thing of period blood is understandable, but society can mitigate this fear by normalizing periods via education. In England, "menstrual wellbeing" has been taught in primary and secondary schools since 2020. What makes English menstrual education even better is the fact that menstrual lesson plans are taught to everyone, not just the girls in class. This can not only help destigmatize periods to non-menstruating folk but can lead to improvement in necessary education for non-female identifying folks who get their periods. However, improvement is still needed within the English classroom. According to research done by Swansea University, ¼ of secondary school teachers surveyed (90% of those teachers being female) stated that they were "uncomfortable teaching about the menstrual cycle, with many drawing on their own experiences and less than half felt confident in their knowledge." Moreover, only 53% of these secondary school teachers stated that menstrual well-being education lessons were being taught in their classrooms.
While England is moving into a period of education and destigmatization, most other countries still have a long way to go. In Scotland, learning about the menstrual system is different from the standard, and the government does not legally require schools to teach about menstruation. Within my home country (The United States of America), only three out of fifty states require menstruation education in school health lesson plans. This lack of education is hazardous as many menstruating people only formally learn about their period after they start menstruating, leaving many insecure and confused about their integral healthcare. Young people must be educated on their bodily health, not just to reduce future fear of periods but to ensure physical safety as well.
Periods and menstruation are commonly linked to sexuality and being sexually active. This can create even more anxiety and fear around periods, especially for young menstruating people who haven't learned about sex yet. It is a common misconception that people get their periods when they are teenagers and have already grasped more emotionally mature concepts. A US CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) publication states, "The median age on onset of menstruation decreased from 12.1 years old in 1995 to 11.9 in 2017." To put that age into perspective, 11-12 is year 7 in U.K. schools and 6th grade for U.S. schools. Remember that 11.9 is the median age, meaning people can get their first period even younger. While menstruation is still inaccurately seen as sexual in certain parts of the world, sexual education and health differ from menstrual education and health and, thus, should be taught differently. Linking menstruation and sex becomes highly problematic in the educational world, as sexual education can either be taught too late or is non-existent, depending on the state/country. For example, within the U.S., many states don't require sexual education to be medically accurate or require it at all.
Menstrual blood is normal and should be taught as such. Through its stigmatization, only enforced through a lack of education, this normal function is so feared that some have anxiety just at the thought of periods. Medically accurate lesson plans should be given to teachers similar to other state-mandated lesson plans, and everyone should be in the classroom when menstruation wellbeing is taught. Only through the furtherance of diverse education can we as a society start to alleviate menstrual fear. So, go out and fear all the fake blood you'll see on Halloween night, but don't fear your body for doing its part in keeping you healthy.
Bibliography:
Nottingham Trent University. "Insufficient Menstrual Cycle Education Provided in UK Schools, Study Finds." Nottingham Trent University, 26 Apr. 2022.
Endometriosis UK. "Menstrual Wellbeing to Be Taught in Schools by 2020." Endometriosis UK, www.endometriosis-uk.org/menstrual-wellbeing-be-taught-schools-2020. Accessed 26 Oct. 2024.
Nigthoujam, Natalia. "Menophobia: How to Deal with Fear of Periods or Menstruation." HealthShots, www.healthshots.com/intimate-health/menstruation/menophobia-how-to-overcome-fear-of-periods-or-menstruation/. Accessed 26 Oct. 2024.
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