Stigmatization around menstruation remains prevalent, especially among younger women. What psychological impacts can stigmatization have on younger women?
Experiencing stigmatization can have dire consequences on one’s mental health. When we experience stigmatization, we psychologically internalize the message that something is “wrong” or not socially acceptable. Because menstruation is something that happens to all women and is not something that we can control, society still tells us that it’s “unclean”, “impure”, “keep it hidden and private”, thus, we naturally internalize these narratives.
Shame is one of the emotions that is associated to experiencing stigmatization – we begin to feel ashamed of this very normal and natural part of ourselves. This shame is associated to being a woman, but it is also associated to our bodies.
Shame coerces us to believe that we need to hide this part of ourselves, which will manifest as anxiety. Furthermore, it affects our sense of self, self-worth, confidence and forms feelings of inadequacy – all of which will have an effect on our mental health and our closest relationships.
Cultural and religious beliefs strongly influence menstrual perceptions. How can psychological interventions be adapted to address these beliefs?
We need to educate people on the fact that psychologists are trained to make space for cultural and religious beliefs within the therapy space. As a POC psychologist, I always bring the clients culture and lived realities into our sessions as this is incredibly important in who they are, what their beliefs are and what their current struggles are about. This is the only way we will be able to tackle their menstrual perceptions and the effects on their mental health.
Psychologists and other mental health practitioners cannot hold the belief that they need to completely stay away from any cultural or religious beliefs in therapy, this isn’t helpful for our population in South Africa.
There is a lack of menstrual education in schools and communities. What role can psychologists play in improving menstrual education and awareness?
Psychologists need to play a bigger role in education and awareness in schools, communities, government, public and private sectors.
I don’t believe the service of psychologists are ever the first option for many institutions due to the stigma around mental health but we are trained to understand the effects of menstrual shame and so we will be equipped to create engaging workshops and campaigns that will benefit young women but also target young men so that these unhelpful narratives are not perpetuated by boys or men, either.
The concept of ‘cycle syncing’ is unfamiliar to some women. How can understanding and implementing cycle syncing improve women’s mental and physical well-being?
The first struggle I’ve noticed many women face when it comes to their menstrual cycle, is feeling like they don’t have any control over their feelings or their cycle. By understanding and implementing cycle-syncing into their lives, women will be able to feel like they have more control over their emotions and their bodies. They can understand what emotions or bodily experiences they might feel during the different phases of their cycle and so they are able plan and pre-empt it.
This will allow them to feel more empowered but also be able to provide their partners with some insight around their cycles and what their moods might be within the various stages of their cycles. This will further allow them to live a more fulfilling life through meaningful relationships with themselves, their bodies and the people that are closest to them.
Period poverty is a significant issue affecting many women. What are the psychological effects of period poverty, and how can they be mitigated?
Period poverty refers to a lack of access to menstrual hygiene products, education and awareness, and this is something that affects many young women in South Africa. This can cause an individual to feel incredibly disempowered, stressed, anxious and depressed. It can get in the way of their ability to perform at their peak in school or at work.
To mitigate against this, psychologically, we need to address the source of the issue which is the cultural and religious stigma – we need to educate young women about this so that they’re able to move past the shame and put an end to the unhelpful beliefs that feed the stigma. Through ending the stigma, more institutions will be open to addressing the need for menstrual hygiene products and eventually, will be made available to those who struggle to access it.
