Zara and Michelle Period Shame Interview

Teenagers Would Rather Be Bullied than Talk about Periods

New research launched from leading Australian made feminine care brand, Libra, reveals that periods are a topic hushed up and hidden at every level of society – on a scale that transcends any other topic, let alone something that affects 50% of the population.

Alarmingly, 3 in 4 Australian women say there is a stigma attached to having a period, with periods listed as more of a taboo than drugs, sex, STDs and mental health problems.

The survey went on to uncover how period taboos are having a concerning effect on behaviour. A staggering 8 in 10 women will go to great lengths to hide their periods, with women avoiding swimming (58%) and light-coloured clothes (60%), hiding feminine care products in their pocket, sleeve or bra (56%) or checking for leaks after sitting down when on their period (58%).

For young Australian girls, their shame of menstruation is so bad that almost 70% would rather fail a subject at class than have their peers know they are on their period. A further 25% would rather be bullied than have their peers know. A quarter of women aged 18–24 are even embarrassed to purchase female care products.

This lack of confidence about menstruation is driving women to do all they can to avoid conversations about their periods. In fact, the knock-on effect is continuing into our relationships; 71% of women would rather discuss the direction of their relationship with their partner than their period.

Dr Lauren Rosewarne, Senior Lecturer in the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Melbourne said: "While our society is becoming increasingly open and tolerant around topics such as transgenderism, homosexuality and mental illness, female menstruation is still something that's seen as unacceptable for public discourse.

"Perhaps that's because periods aren't something we commonly see on TV, in movies or on Instagram – if young girls are brought up to hide their period, then they will continue to feel and believe it's something shameful, embarrassing and needing to be hidden."

The good news is that women want to see change. Almost 50% of women aged 25–39 agree society's attitude towards periods is old-fashioned, while men and women both agree that girls' confidence is at risk if periods aren't discussed openly.

It's ironic that despite the lack of conversation about blood, the word 'bloody' is one of the most overused word in the Australian vernacular. With the launch of a T-shirt bearing the slogan "Bloody Awesome" and a manifesto, Libra has given the word 'bloody' an empowering double meaning.

Shameless hosts Zara McDonald and Michelle Andrews, who regularly address women's issues on their popular podcast, have partnered with Libra to launch the T-shirt and squash the shame around periods. Zara McDonald said: "I was always so embarrassed about periods when I was younger – it's taken me until now to realise that there's absolutely nothing to be ashamed of."

Michelle Andrews agreed: "We only hope that young girls growing up don't go through the same humiliation that we felt, having to feel guilty for their own bodies."

Caitlin Patterson, Executive General Manager of the Asaleo Care Retail Business said: "As the only Australian manufacturer of feminine care products, Libra has played a leading role in helping to destigamtise menstruation for over forty years. This new research shows just how far we have to go as less than 1 in 10 Australian women feel empowered when they have their period.

"Periods are such a normal and healthy part of life, but aren't discussed in public discourse and they aren't shown in pop culture. That's why in our latest TV commercial, we've made a point of showing blood, not blue liquid.

"We know that through our #bloodnormal campaign and by offering T-shirts for Aussie women to purchase, we can help them feel awesome about themselves and, ultimately, move the dial when it comes to normalising menstruation."

The limited edition "Bloody Awesome" T-shirts are available for sale on the Libra Website for $35, with all profits going to Share the Dignity, a local charity that gives sanitary products to homeless women and fights for domestic violence victims.

"Periods affect everybody - if you don't get them you come from someone who did," said Rochelle Courtenay, Founder Share the Dignity.

To purchase a T-shirt visit: bloodnormal.com.au

Interview with Zara McDonald and Michelle Andrews

Question: Were you surprised that Australian women and girls are dealing with enormous shame around their period?

Zara McDonald and Michelle Andrews: Our honest answer is not at all, which is incredibly deflating. We've grown up with that same shame ourselves, which has been internalised and probably reinforced without even realising. Hiding our tampons on the way to the bathroom or refusing to use the word period in front of the men in our lives just perpetuated the idea that having a period should be something we are embarrassed about. There's nothing sexy or shocking about a period. For that reason we never spent much time talking about them, and if we don't do that the inference is we should be ashamed of having them. We believe it's time to change that.


Question: Why do you think teenagers feel this way?

Zara McDonald and Michelle Andrews: Young women are constantly told they should be dignified and delicate, and anything contrary to that makes them unruly or unlikeable. We think it starts there, with our tendency to stifle women and stop them from speaking out about the things they want to talk about for fear of being considered too loud or too annoying or too shrill. If we don't encourage young women to talk about these things - hell, if teenagers never see women older than them talking about these things - they are only going to internalise the shame they see everywhere around them.


Question: Can you share your own experiences of shame surrounding your period?

Zara McDonald and Michelle Andrews: Our experiences of shame around our period are subtle and unremarkable and common, and we think that's what makes them so important to talk about. We can't think of a time we would ask loudly a room full of people whether someone had a tampon. We have spent our whole lives hiding our pads or our tampons and have refused to use the word 'period' when we're actually going through it: it's always been that bit more palatable to refer to it as 'that time of the month'.


Question: How are you using your platform to break the taboo surrounding periods?

Zara McDonald and Michelle Andrews: Shameless and uncomfortable conversations are in the blueprint of what we do at Shameless Media. We're bringing the private conversations we are having with our girlfriends to a public level. We want to be honest, nothing more, nothing less. We simply want to talk about the reality of periods without fluff or exaggeration, without over-simplification or unnecessary decorum, and most importantly, without shame.


Question: What advice do you have for all Australians to help break this taboo?

Zara McDonald and Michelle Andrews: Breaking the period taboo isn't actually a difficult thing to do. All we have to do is present each other with the reality of periods, which means showing red dye, not blue, in period advertising. It's using the word 'period' rather than a euphemism. It's encouraging men to be part of the conversation so they can understand exactly what a period entails, and why we have felt such shame for such a long time. In the simplest of terms, it's talking to each other.


Question: What message would you like to share to teenage girls who have shame of menstruation?

Zara McDonald and Michelle Andrews: Menstruation is a normal part of life that should never make anyone feel embarrassed or ashamed. It happens or has happened to half of the population! Talk about your periods with your friends. Talk about the symptoms and the way they make you feel. Talk about your pain and your moods. By starting the conversation we are moving towards normalising periods and removing the unnecessary stigma that comes with it.


Interview by Brooke Hunter