What if Men Menstruated?

When I was a first-year student in college, I took a Gender and Women’s Studies course where we read literature regarding patriarchy, feminism, and female liberation. Upon reading countless books written by male authors from a men’s point of view, my class stumbled upon Gloria Steinem’s “What if Men Menstruated” and it instantly altered my perspective on what our world would be like if periods were a bodily function of men. It then inspired me to curate my own piece, imagining how our society would treat men who got their periods once a month. Would it suddenly become manly and cool? Would all pad/tampon brands be the color black to represent masculinity? So many thoughts came rushing to my head as I began typing the following words. As I laughed here and there, the irony is that these hypothetical scenarios would probably be true.

If men menstruated, period products would sell like cigarettes. They would be cheap, at little to no cost, and completely and utterly normalized. “I have cramps” would turn into the biggest one-up fest, and anything period related would immediately turn into a masculine macho competition. Men would boast about how long their period is, and how much they’re bleeding. Sanitary products would be so easily accessible, they would be sold under the emphasis of menstruation. Taking days off because your period is making you feel sick? Don’t worry, you’ll get paid for that anyway. Don’t have pads/tampons on you? Don’t worry, they’re everywhere. Commercials would say, “Only real men bleed!” and convince other men to fight for their country. We would have sporting events, car shows, and barbershops that would center around periods for men. Any kind of medicinal remedy meant to cure cramps, mood swings, or hormone imbalance, would be so incredibly accessible at every pharmacy. Shit, we’d even have period stores just catered to having periods. But for men, of course. The shame, embarrassment, and isolation that women go through monthly, would not be the same case for men. Periods would be so normalized that the whole world would know if a man was bleeding. They'd receive even more benefits than they already do, and would probably be congratulated for their resiliency while doing so.

Interning at Casa de la Luna has caused me to do a lot of self-reflection when it came to the way we as a society view menstruation, and women’s hygiene. With hopes to have our own store that specifically sells period products, it forced me to come to the realization that a space like that does not exist yet. Women do not have the option to venture out to a company or store that solely focuses on selling feminine hygiene products to its consumers. And the question I ask all of you reading this, is, "Why does that not exist yet?" Why is it that over half of the population on earth bleeds once a month, in a normal bodily function that has dated back since the beginning of our kind, yet there is no specific space that caters to our needs? Instead of feeling open and free with our bodies, we’ve been taught to hold shame, disgust, and mystery in something so utterly normal. There’s no reason why women all over the globe still feel the need to whisper around the topic of menstruation. This is why I believe a company like Casa de la Luna is crucial to invest in. People need the space to feel comfortable in their bodies, especially young girls and women coming of age. Please help us break barriers as we become a woman's go-to needs for their feminine hygiene, intimacy care, and period products. With your involvement and engagement, a little can go a long way. Let's be the generation that eliminates the menstruation taboo, and instead welcomes the journey with open arms.