Menstrual taboo

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Menstrual taboo is a term which refers to the way in which menstruation as a word and as a topic is avoided in Western culture and cultures all around the world. Many of the ideas which lend to this taboo stem from menstruation being perceived as "unhygienic", "dirty" and "improper." The menstrual taboo refers both to avoidance of menstruation in public: on television and in films, in advertising, among polite company; and in private: amongst friends, in the household, and especially with men.

Overcoming this menstrual taboo is a point of contention amongst feminists, but has not gained widespread attention. The primary argument behind this movement is that if menstruation is normal, there is no reason why it should be avoided. "After a while it becomes psychologically disorienting for women to look out at a world where their reality doesn't exist."

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