When I first found out we were going to be talking about periods, I was like, ugh do we have to!
Really, we’re going to be discussing this on TV, who wants to talk about periods in front of millions of people!! Not me to be honest!
But the more I thought about it, the more I started to agree, that yes, we should be talking about periods. This is an important topic of conversation. We are a women's show and we have to talk about women’s issues and what impacts on women. I think periods is something that impacts the majority of women!
I may feel uncomfortable talking about it and to be honest, I feel uncomfortable writing about it. But we have to talk about it, we have to get over this feeling that having periods is shameful and embarrassing. It’s nature, its how a women's body prepares itself each month to create a life.
Periods are one of the final taboos, one of the final topics of conversation that even women don’t really like talking about too much. For most of us, we just want to forget it even happens, and not see any evidence of it. The thought of wearing a sanitary towel now, is just disgusting to me. I don’t want to see what’s coming out of me.
But, should I…… Checking the blood from your periods is another way of checking up on your body to ensure that everything’ working correctly. I do it when I pee! I always have a quick look as I want to see if I’m hydrated or not! Your poo’s can also tell you so much about what’s going on in side you. Are they runny? Lumpy? Long and lean? Dense and dark? Or like hard pellets? Whatever’s coming out of you is a massive reflection of what’s happening in the inside and these are all signs we should be looking at.
Anyway, now I’ve talked about peeing and pooing, lets get back on topic, periods, or “surfing the crimson tide”, having “girl flu” or dealing with “Aunt Flo!” People do not like discussing them. But why is that? What’s the reason behind it?
Earlier this year, Heather Watson, made a comment about her poor performance in a tennis match and linked it to “girl things”. This did cause a bit of a media storm. But should it? Are we perpetuating this culture of shame for women, by not talking about something that’s natural for half the population?
One of the topics we discussed was the “tampon tax” and the fact that tampons are seen as a luxury product and are taxed accordingly.
Now many people have said and are probably thinking, oh come on its only 5% - but like most things it’s not just about the price. I’m going to make a jump and say this is a reflection that we don’t have equality in our society and that women are still not being treated as equals. This stems from the top; there are less women in government, less women on boards and less women in positions of power, so what happens. Everything in our society gets impacted.
Who made the decision about tampons being a luxury product?
One guess, it was a male, who is probably white and I’m going to guess privately educated. It would probably be the same white, male in his forties who also made the decision about helicopters not being a luxury product.
This is not having a go (or maybe it is a little bit!) But by having an unequal and un-diverse society at higher levels it affect and impacts every single one of us. I think, or I would hope people are starting to realise this. It’s time for diversity, it’s times for equality and its time for a change. No more, white men in their forties making every single decision. Lets mix it up!!! We need to embrace change, and differences in people and respect different opinions. So although the tampon tax may not seem like a big deal in the grand scheme of things, the reflection of what it actually represents is.
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