Sex Myth Buster
George Doyle/ Love Matters

Menstruation: myths busted

Menstruation – women experience it from teenage to middle age, yet periods are still taboo to talk about. Menstruation myths are common – so let’s get started with busting some of them in this week's Sex Myth Buster series.
  • Myth 1: Menstruation is a disease

In some cultures, menstruating women are seen as carrying a contagious disease. They are treated as untouchable, sometimes even locked up in a shed outside the main house to prevent them from spreading their disease. But menstruation is NOT a disease. It is a normal body function of an ovulating woman.

  • Myth 2: Menstrual blood is unclean and toxic

Menstrual blood is not dirty or poisonous. Apart from blood cells, it contains the inner lining of the uterus and possibly an unfertilised egg. Now, there’s nothing toxic about any of that!

  • Myth 3: You can’t do any physical activity while menstruating

Unless you suffer from intense cramps or heavy bleeding, there is no need to hold yourself back from physical exercise when you have your period. You can even go swimming – if you use a tampon, it will soak up the blood you discharge. So there’s no need to fear leaving a trail of blood in the swimming pool!

  • Myth 4: You can’t have sex when you have your period

There’s nothing wrong with having sex when you’re menstruating. It won’t harm you or your partner. But do it only if both of you feel comfortable with it. And with a tampon in there are also many satisfying ways to make love. Some researchers have found out that having sex during your period could ease menstrual cramps.

  • Myth 5: If girls use tampons, they lose their virginity

Some people have the idea that using tampons will stretch your hymen, and that means you’re not a virgin any more. But to lose your virginity you need to have a penis in your vagina, not a tampon or anything else.

  • Myth 6: You won’t get pregnant if you have sex during your period

While chances are slim, it’s possible to get pregnant if you have sex during your period. It’s most likely if you have an extremely short or long menstrual cycle, which makes you ovulate very close to menstruation.

  • Myth 7: You can’t avoid menstrual cramps

If you suffer from menstrual cramps and you think it’s something you gotta live with, you’re wrong. Menstrual cramps can be treated with medication and/or by going on birth control pills. But before you do either of that, consult your gynaecologist.

  • Myth 8: You shouldn’t wash your hair when you have your period

Probably one of the most famous myths of all time. It’s an old idea that’s absolutely without any medical basis. You can wash your hair all you like when you’ve got your period and nothing will happen!

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Gayatri Parameswaran is a multi-award winning writer, director and producer of immersive media works. She was born and raised in India and is currently based in Berlin, where she co-founded NowHere Media - a storytelling studio that views contemporary issues through a critical lens. She also edited the Love Matters website in its initial years. Check out more about her here.

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