Shark Week: The week that every woman dreads, and every man fears.  It is the week that each person knows of, but does not like to speak of; the week that everybody is willing to watch play out on a screen, but would never like to come face to face with in person.  This probably sounds a lot like your favorite week on the Discovery Channel.  The week where women are dreading the work they will be doing while their husbands stare at a television screen for hours and reprimanding the children for talking during his favorite episode, all while claiming that he would love to do it when everybody knows he would piss in his pants in these situations.  However, this is something totally different.  That said, you probably know what I am implying.  You guessed it.  Periods.

The menstrual cycle is definitely dreaded by women, and feared by men.  This cycle of raging hormones, mood swings, pain and sickness strike once every 28 or so days, and it seems to take its toll on everybody in some form or fashion.  I will not go into great detail about the biological aspects of the menstruation cycle, but I hope to inform you of the cultural aspects of this event, and what differences women share around the world.

Menarche is the first topic of interest, as it is the term used for a woman’s first period.  This first period can occur any time between the ages of 10 to 16, and in some cases, even older.  The average menarche occurs in women around age 11.  “Well why does this first period have such a cool name when the rest just suck?” Well little Johnny, lets just say it’s cultural.  In every young girls eyes, she looks up to her mother, her grandmothers, her aunts and older friends to see the way a woman carries herself.  At this young age, girls will begin to understand the menstrual cycle in preparation for many years of dealing with them for theirselves.  As they get closer and closer to that age, they begin to wonder when it will occur, for they associate the menstrual cycle with the age of becoming a woman.  This is true in most cases.  Girls await their period with a great lack of patience, and in some cases will fake their period so as to not feel outcast from their peers who have begun theirs already.  In a girls mind, it feels like a test of strength, and girls who have not met their menarche feel weak or like a child.  In America, this step up in the social category is important to a girl, but what about in other cultures?

In other regions around the world, menarche is much more important.  As opposed to a simple step up in social standing, it moves girls into a whole new category; womanhood.  The rituals and celebrations can be extraordinary, where in many cases, the young women are dressed in celebratory clothing, danced around, and praised by the local people for a length of sometimes several days.  This step from being a child to a woman is a great honor, and an even greater responsibility.  In some cases, women are tested to ensure they are prepared to face the world of being a women.  In others, they are married off right away, for with menarche comes fertility.  “So does that mean every girl has a period every month?”  Well Little Johnny, that just depends.

At the time of menarche, the menstrual cycle is getting off to a rough start.  Periods can be heavy or light, and in some cases may only come once every few months.  This stage occurs world wide, and is generally normalized with maturity.  Other things can influence the menstrual cycle, however, to include hormone changes, birth control and chemical contraceptives, and even pregnancy.  With these factors, some women may not be on that “perfect cycle” that occurs naturally.  Although each woman faces menarche and years of the menstrual cycle, is it different for each woman aside from the aspect of regularity?  Yes.

Hygiene is one of the most crucial aspects of the menstrual cycle.  A period is a great thing, as it is almost a “clean-sweep” of the vagina and uterus.  It is healthy for a women to get a period.  The issue, however, is in the way women take care of them around the world.  During the time of the period, women discharge blood and small amounts of tissue that are products of the unfertilized egg and the uterine revitalization.  If practicing good hygiene, women use pads, tampons and cups to prevent bleeding through their clothing, and to keep themselves protects from outside diseases and infections.  In some countries, however, women do not have access to such hygienic items, and they are left using other sources of cleansing and protection.  Rags are sometimes used to keep the period contained, just like a tampon would, or worn to absorb the discharged matter.  The issues with these methods are the susceptibility to infection due to non-sterile materials.  The vulva is a very sensitive powerhouse, and infection can strike easily if not practicing good hygiene.

In conclusion, the menstrual cycle is something that is far more complex than many understand, to include women.  Most do not understand the level of hormone changes in women on a monthly basis, or the care that must be taken hygienically in order to stay healthy.  So everyone, next time “Shark Week” comes around, be sure to stay alert and sympathetic.  Bring chocolate to the event.  Listen, and keep your mouth shut.  Bring more chocolate.  And most importantly, always remember that it will be back around.  Same time; same place; in about 28 days.