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How ‘Period TikTok’ is normalising menstruation

More and more young people are claiming TikTok – which is rife with tips, tricks, product recommendations, and relatable content about that time of the month – provides better period education than schools.

Though the average woman menstruates for 2,535 days of her life (that’s seven years total of pads, tampons, ruined underwear, cramps, and red rivets of womb lining), stigma surrounding our menstrual cycles prevails.

This is most evident in our education systems where, from the moment we’re first visited by Aunt Flow, we’re taught to understand the science behind our periods, but not the reality of having them.

To successfully label reproductive organs in our biology notebooks, but to shy away from discussing our time of the month with our peers and to feel embarrassed at the sight of our own blood.

Thankfully, Gen Z’s app du jour is on its way to changing that.

@monicageldart AD Maisie’s Mum gives top tips for when it comes to choosing the right size Tampax. Also, not flush it – bin it instead #Tampax ♬ original sound – Monica Geldart

No stranger to making us reassess our perceptions of what’s worth worrying about and what isn’t, TikTok has been emerging as a space for shame-free learning for a while now.

In fact, when it comes to periods in particular, more and more young people are claiming that it provides better education than schools.

‘I’ve actually got most of my information from TikTok because in school, you just get told “oh, by the way at some point you’re going to be bleeding for three-eight days once a month”,’ 18-year-old Efa Angharad tells the BBC.

‘It’s just the basics. There’s no deeper explanation about why, or symptoms, or hormone changes. I had to figure that out as I went along which can lead to problems later on.’

@period.tips.n.talk ⚠️FAKE BL00D⚠️ All of these are normal 🙂 #period #onmyperiod #menstruation #period_tipsntalk ♬ But I love u so – Marti &lt3

On TikTok, however, tips, tricks, product recommendations, and relatable content about what it’s really like and why we need to be discussing it in order to reduce stigma is rife.

Leading the charge in this sphere is Nadya Okamoto, a social entrepreneur who’s using her account to break taboos and reimagine periods as being inherently powerful.

Her content is an assortment of demonstrations on how to use pads, tampons, and re-usable cups; insights into the side effects she personally experiences such as breast growth and bloating; as well as what to do if your shark week catches you by surprise.

Trust me, it’s all on there.

@nadyaokamoto @itsaugustco lol she wanted a regular for day one. Also she’s a harsh critic so her liking these tampons means a lot…!!! #periodtips #periods #firstperiod ♬ Music For a Sushi Restaurant – Harry Styles

And anything that isn’t can be found on one of the many other pages dedicated to the cause, such as Period tips n’ talk which regularly shares essential information such as debunking what each colour of period blood means with its almost 120K followers.

With period poverty an ever more pressing issue across the globe, here’s hoping that TikTok continues championing this move towards normalising menstruation so that things can move in a more positive and open direction going forward.

One that supports free period speech and ultimately commits to ensuring everyone who cannot afford the products they need feels about to talk about the issues they face without fear of shame.

After all, as Always UK stated in their #RethinkYourReaction campaign (which found 61% of young people to be feeling shame for having a period): ‘periods happen, period shaming shouldn’t.’

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