How many women feel periods are embarrassing or taboo?
A study including 1,500 women found that 58% of women have felt a sense of embarrassment simply because they were on their period. And 42% of women have experienced period-shaming.9
In another survey, 1,000 girls aged 14-21 in the UK were asked about their experiences of menstruation, nearly half (48%) were embarrassed by their periods. One in seven (14%) girls admitted that they didn’t know what was happening when they started their period, and more than a quarter (26%) reported that they didn’t know what to do when they started their period.10
Of those surveyed:11
- only one in five (22%) girls feel comfortable discussing their period with their teacher
- less than a quarter (24%) of girls feel comfortable discussing their period with their male friends
- under a third (29%) of girls feel comfortable discussing their period with their fathers
- four fifths (82%) of girls admitted they've hidden their sanitary products
- almost three quarters (71%) of girls admitted that they've felt embarrassed buying sanitary products
But we know periods are nothing to feel embarrassed or shameful about, they're a natural part of life! That's why we've created this handy cheat sheet so you can feel equipped with information about what's happening to your body or happening to your loved ones body. Because the more we talk about periods, the better!