Let’s Talk About Periods

Have you ever wondered why people seem to know so little about everyday realities like having a period? Or why people feel so uncomfortable talking about something that will affect at least half of the world’s population at some point in their life? This lack of education, coupled with stigma and shame, often has a negative impact on the mental and physical health of people who menstruate.

Most women and menstruators remember worrying about leaking through their clothes, or wishing they could skip a day of school or work because of periods cramps. In between menarche (someone's first menstrual period) and menopause, every person with a period has likely experienced the messiness, the confusion, the misinformation, the pain, and the embarrassment.

Imagine if we all had a better understanding of what a healthy menstrual cycle and flow looks like; if all people better understood what’s normal for their bodies. By empowering people to understand and talk about their periods, they will be better prepared to identify when something changes and may need to be addressed. We need to make menstruation a topic that can be discussed openly, without shame, not only in health care settings but in our day-to-day lives. 

It’s worth noting that not every person with a period is a woman, and trans people with periods do not always have the privilege of being #periodproud. Doing your part to break the period stigma in whatever ways you feel comfortable will only make it easier to have more open conversations about menstrual equity for every body. 

Coalitions to change the status quo

At Myovant, we are invested in driving change through transformative advocacy. That means we are focused on making a real impact on people's access to healthcare. We know we can't do this alone. So we launched a cross-sector coalition, Female Forward Together, to bring together partners from the advocacy, non-profit, and digital health worlds to drive meaningful change. With our partners, we are leading innovation that elevates the conversation around the health of people who menstruate and destigmatizes menstruation.

In a 2019 survey conducted with Evidation Health, we confirmed that periods are still shrouded in stigma. Out of 13,145 respondents, over two-thirds agreed that there is a stigma around menstruation in society today. 62% of people who menstruate feel uncomfortable talking about their period, with 1 in 5 not feeling comfortable talking to close family or health care providers. With this data in hand, we felt confident to move forward with a bold project to make menstruators’ voices heard: Voices of Periods. 

Changing the status quo – one story at a time

Voices of Periods is a collaboration between Myovant Sciences and HealthyWomen, focused on using the power of storytelling to destigmatize menstruation – to provide a space where menstruators could talk about their periods loudly, humorously, and openly, both inside and outside the doctor’s office.

Through a virtual workshop with MothWorks at The Moth, six women developed stories about their periods into short, personal video narratives. The videos were filmed remotely during the COVID pandemic under the direction of Mabel Nash Greenberg and edited by Emily J Drummer. The stories range from openly admitting not knowing what menstrual pads are for (apparently not Barbie beds) to finding your own voice despite being told by a doctor that not having a period is “not a big deal.”

The videos were shared on social media, launching a platform for menstruators to talk about their periods openly, without shame. To date, the project reached almost 2.5 million people across the different platforms, with individuals sharing their personal stories through comments on Instagram. Some wrote about their first menstruation and the embarrassment that followed. Others shared memories of anger or gratitude for the education they did or didn't have in their youth. Most, if not all, provided words of support to the six storytellers and each other’s comments.

We Can Do More, Together

You may ask, what can I do as an individual. Regardless of your sex, gender, and whether you menstruate or not, talking about periods can and should be easy. Talk to your children at an early age about the natural process of menstruation. Explain to your friends what the wings on a pad are for. Take periods out of the realm of stigma and taboo. 

Together, we can elevate the conversation, tackle stigma, address inequities, and change the system. That would be something truly transformative.