Sure, we chat about them on the internet. Now and again someone will share an artsy shot of their stained underwear. We’ll loudly proclaim that periods are natural and everyone needs to calm down, but will still skulk to the toilets with a new tampon hidden up our sleeve.
Day to day, periods are still treated as something shameful. Something we shouldn’t talk about openly. That’s why Anushka Dasgupta’s story is so important – and why it’s already been shared more than 1,000 times.
Along with a photo of her period stained clothing, Anushka shares her experience of other people’s reactions to a period leak, shouting loud and proud that she’s not ashamed.
Anushka wrote:
“There’s nothing unusual about my evening except for the fact that multiple women walked up to me on my way home and asked me to pull my tee shirt down, most men ogled, all the kids I met didn’t notice/care. I came to know why I was the centre of attention for the better of my journey when a woman (well meaning, I’m sure) offered me a sanitary napkin. I had stained my pants. So here I was, well past eight, standing alone at Esplanade with a massive red stain across my butt and a rather artistic red dot under the zipper of my pants. This post is for all the women who offered to help me hide my womanhood, I AM NOT ASHAMED. I bleed every 28-35 days, it is painful at times, I get moody at times, but I walk into the kitchen and get myself some chocolate biscuits and I’m good to go for the next eight hours come hell or high water because I AM NOT ASHAMED”.
YES.
Anushka continues:
“This post is for all the men who ogled at me today, I AM NOT ASHAMED. Check out the big red blotch on my pants all you want, check out my butt, check out the way I move, come touch me if you dare, and I will show you that I AM NOT ASHAMED. I will take out a sanitary napkin and show you how it works while you can teach me how to pee in public (because clearly you’re not ashamed, and neither am I). To all the children who didn’t give a damn, DO NOT BE ASHAMED. There will be many bloodstains on pants, on skirts, on bedsheets, on cushion covers, on chairs, on tables, against the wall, and on the battlefield where YOU fight the stigma by NOT BEING ASHAMED. Do not whisper when you utter the word “PERIODS”, do not subtly offer a woman a sanitary napkin, or a fresh change of clothes. ASK her if she needs one, TELL her she has stained her clothes, DO NOT HELP HER HIDE IT. I AM NOT ASHAMED. I AM NOT ON MY *period*. I AM ON MY PERIOD”.
Bravo to the whole thing.
Now, everyone. Let’s say it together: ‘WE ARE NOT ASHAMED.’