So periods and other bodily functions are not something we talk about a lot. I don't know why, maybe it has something to do with the strict social rules set in place by Victorian era England, but who knows?
If you're still caught up in social norms and the mention of the infamous period makes you uncomfortable then please exit through the door to your left...
So I think every girl in their right mind at least keeps a mental track of their cycle, if not a physical written down one. So the other day I downloaded an app after I saw an advertisement on Facebook stating that it was a "laid back" period tracker.
The advertisement made me laugh and I figured anything that could give me a good laugh deserved my business, so I downloaded it. It's called 'Eve' and it changed my life. And probably not in the way you would most expect.
I've had period trackers before that tell you the standard "you have 5 more days before your next period." But let's be honest you wish they would just say "5 days until Mother Nature makes you wear two sports bras, sews your shorts one size too small, and forces a carton of ice cream down your throat while you're trying to figure out why you're crying over an episode of house hunters."
What's different about this app over other period trackers is that it does so much to make women feel comfortable about speaking freely about their periods and sex life. The app brings a comical relief to something that for as long as I can remember I have been taught to be almost embarrassed about.
The more I scrolled through the app the more I laughed at the funny but true period struggles that everyone on the app was pointing out. But then my attention was turned to something that brought my eyes almost immediately to hormonally-induced tears.
The purpose of the media feed on the app is for women to post questions or give information to other women involving their struggles with our 'favorite' 5-7 days. But what I saw instead shocked me.
I saw women posting prompts such as "post a picture of yourself on a day you felt the happiest and the most beautiful." Picture after picture streamed in and on each one, no matter their race, weight, appearance, or fashion choices, each woman was given nothing but encouragement and love from fellow women.
They were never slut shamed for what they were wearing, they were never criticized for their weight, and they were NEVER given anything but a compliment. I can't remember the last time I saw women supporting other women this way rather than dragging them down.
I soon realized that an atmosphere of positivity like that starts with how we talk about each other in public. And honestly it starts with how women treat each other and talk about each other in front of both men and women.
I don't understand why we slut shame each other when we know how it feels. I don't understand why we tear apart each other's physical appearance when we know they will never wear that bikini again after what you said. I don't understand why we continue to call each other the very names we despise rolling off a guy's tongue, and still wonder why he finds it acceptable.
You know what the first step is in stopping slut shaming, fat shaming, and period shaming within society? Women, for God sakes, stop doing it to each other! If you know being told your eyes are beautiful turns your bad day around, then why are you still criticizing other females and expecting anything else but criticism in return?
Moral of the story: remember, hatred fuels hatred, positivity breeds positivity, and changing social standards starts with yourself. So talk about your period in public. Strut confidently down the tampon aisle. Tell the girl you walk past in Walgreens that her brallette is hella cute, because you know you weren't courageous enough to brave the stares that a brallette would attract today. And finally, support your fellow women, because if anything you should know exactly how they feel and what they are going through.
Oh and also if you need a bomb period tracker and a restored faith in humanity go download Eve!
