Discreetly Exchanging Pads Like A Drug Dealer, A Teenage Girl’s Rite of Passage?
A rite of passage is a ceremony or ritual of the passage which occurs when an individual leaves one group to enter another
By Alexis Nicole Ortaliz/EMZ
Menstruation usually begins around high school. When that happens, there are some rituals or superstitious beliefs expected to be performed, which includes: jumping at least three steps up the stairs so your period won’t last for more than three days, taking a bath during your period is not allowed, or washing your face with your period blood to prevent pimples from growing (which I consider it the ultimate ritual).
Ugh, I don’t want to look like Carrie drenched in blood on the first day of school!
Menstruation is still — in 2021 — a taboo topic. Oftentimes, having a period stain on a skirt is embarrassing enough to look at, worse, you get laughed at! It could be a girl’s nightmare. With this factor, letting anyone know you’re on your period is a risk. Women go into defensive mode whenever you confront them about having a period (have you experienced this too?).
Asking for a pad or any menstrual products in the middle of the day in public is something that women are considerably ashamed of. That perception and pressure show that women exchange pads like it’s some sort of an illegal drug, especially when boys in the class know about it. A question popped into mind, why do girls go to such lengths to conceal their menstrual cycles?
The first thing that I could think of is how men are incapable of dealing with bloody issues (no pun intended) despite this being a completely normal topic. The stigma surrounding periods still persists even in the modern-day. However, I say to anyone who thinks menstruation is funny and mocks every girl out there, you don’t know what it feels like. As Rachel Green from the famous sitcom Friends says, “No uterus, no opinion!”
Society has taught us that women should act and talk decently when referring to menstruation. Most women have resorted to using code names such as code red, red sea, time of the month, ‘meron’, and etc. It may be because having a period hinders the ability to work productively.
Overall, women have been innovative in ‘smuggling’ and hiding the natural occurrence that women are experiencing, menstruation. Smuggling pads into private rooms and places proves that women are still ashamed and that should stop. Menstruation may sound icky or yucky but it is what it is. The struggles are real! The flow might be light or heavy, painful or painless. There is nothing to be ashamed of especially in tackling content like these. It should be discussed openly as this journey is part of life that one should pay attention to.
Alexis Nicole Ortaliz claims to be a hot couch potato: steamingly hot, perfect for a cold winter’s night, and a softie. She is also a member of the unnamed official food tasting committee.
