Myths about periods: Doctor debunks common 'old wive's tale' about the pill and menstruation
'The more information you have about your body, the healthier you'll be'
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Your support makes all the difference.Although menstruation is a fact of life, many still see the subject as taboo, which is why we end up with a circulation of myths and misinformation.
A doctor in Australia has had enough of this, after being "constantly surprised" by some of the old wive’s tales he hears at his clinic about periods and the contraceptive pill.
Speaking to news.com.au, Dr Brad McKay said that "no topic should be off limits" and that the more information you have about your body, the healthier you will be.
One of the biggest myths he said he heard on a regular basis was: “I need to have my period every month to know I’m not pregnant."
Dr McKay responded: "I’ve spoken with many women who feel uncomfortably bloated if they haven’t had their period each month. It’s better to have a monthly bleed than feel disgusting all the time, but some women choose to have a period just to they know they’re not pregnant.
"Choosing to have period pain, abdominal cramps and an irritable mood just to remind yourself that you’re not growing a fetus isn’t necessary.”
A recent study that looked into universal attitudes around menstruation found that there were over 5,000 different slang terms for the word “period”.
Conducted by Clue with The International Women’s Health Coalition, over 90,000 responses were recorded covering issues including education, taking time off from work, and how comfortable we feel about discussing the subject.
Meanwhile the recent "scandal" of Endemetriosis brought attention to the disease estimated to affect one in 10 women – but is often no diagnosed for years due to occasional dismissal as "women’s troubles", along with with societal attitudes towards women’s bodies.
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