Heavy Flow

"Your menstrual cycle is your fifth vital sign - a barometer of health and wellness that is as telling as your pulse or blood pressure. Yet most of us see our periods as nothing more than a source of inconvenience, shame, and stigma. The reasons for this are vast and complex and many are rooted in misogyny. The fact is, women around the world are taught the bare minimum about menstruation, and the messages they do receive are negative: that periods are painful and gross, turn us into hormonal messes, and shouldn't be discussed. By examining the history of period shame and stigma and its…