Break the Taboo on Menstruation

"Period Matters" (Pan Macmillan), edited by human rights lawyer and writer Farah Ahamed, carries this important endeavor forward by bringing together a breadth of perspectives from well-known figures as well as those whose voices are missing from the mainstream.

A worldwide effort to bring conversations about menstruation and menstrual health into the open is now firmly underway.

Menstrual Cycle - Phases, Mechanism, Causes, Prevention and Myths
Menstrual cycle occurs every month during a woman’s reproductive age. Tracking menstrual cycle helps understand ovulation time and irregularities.

‘Menstruation, despite being a healthy and fundamental bodily process, is a topic often buried in fear and shame, and its discussion is even taboo in many societies.’

Tweet it Now

Essays, artwork, stories, and poems from policymakers, entrepreneurs, artists, academics, and activists, as well as interviews with those at the margins, such as the homeless and those living with disabilities, explore myriad aspects of how menstruation is experienced in South Asia.

Menstruation and the Works of Famous Persons Concerning it

While activist Granaz Baloch narrates how she defied traditional notions of tribal honor and conducted the first-ever menstrual health workshop in Balochistan, Radha Paudel writes about her mission to have menstrual dignity acknowledged as a human right in Nepal. Shashi Tharoor relays his radical Menstrual Rights Bill which was tabled in the Lok Sabha.

We hear from Erum about the challenges of getting one’s period when incarcerated, as Farzana and Chandan relate how mimicking the rituals of menstruation helps them feel more feminine as transwomen.

Tishani Doshibreaks new ground with a poem about her uterus. Ayra Indrias Patras describes how some poor women in Pakistan managed their period during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Menstrual Disorders — Types, Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment
What causes irregular periods and heavy periods? Menstrual disorders involve physiological and emotional symptoms centering around menstruation (period cycle).

Aditi Gupta reflects on promoting menstrual literacy among young children across India through the Menstrupedia comic books. In a personal essay, Lisa Ray reveals how her illness triggered an early onset of menopause.

The book also showcases menstrala, or art inspired by menstruation, ranging from Rupi Kaur’s iconic photo essay, Anish Kapoor’s oil paintings, Shahzia Sikander’s neo-miniaturist art, photographs of wall murals made by young people in Jharkhand, to Sarah Naqvi’s embroidery. Amna Mawaz Khan offers a perspective through the choreography of her menstrual dance.

Primary Amenorrhea - Overview and History
Amenorrhea is a menstrual disorder in women indicating absence of menses. Menstruation signals womanhood, the gift of procreation, re-creation, and regeneration.

The cover, designed by Sukruti Anah Staneley, contains menstrala artwork by Lyla FreeChild, who harvested her own menstrual blood for the painting. The complete painting forms a part of the book’s art section.

A collection of breathtaking scope and significance, "Period Matters" illustrates with power, purpose, and creativity both the variances and commonalities of menstruation.

Ten Most Common Gynecological Problems Every Woman Must Know
Gynecological problems affect the female reproductive system. Here is a brief description of the ten most common gynecological disorders.

Farah Ahamed’s essays and short fiction have been published in anthologies and journals including The White Review, Ploughshares, The Massachusetts’ Review, and The Mechanics’ Institute Review. Her short story "Hot Mango Chutney Sauce" was shortlisted for the 2022 Commonwealth Short Story Prize.

Source-IANS