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AIBU?

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Original poster

Running a marathon without a tampon. Does it 'break the stigma of periods'?

328 replies

ArmySal · 09/08/2015 10:25

www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/kiran-gandhi-ran-the-london-marathon-without-a-tampon-in-a-bid-to-break-the-stigma-surrounding-womens-periods/story-fni0cx12-1227475480183?

When I first read the story I was open mouthed through revulsion, to be honest, but after reading the story I understand (to a degree) the point she was making.

AIBU to think 'fair play' to her? As said in the article, it highlights the fact some women don't have access to sanitary products, something I hadn't really thought about before.

OP posts:
OneDayWhenIGrowUp · 09/08/2015 19:09

*menstruation

Menstruatuon sounds like some kind of feminist Transformer robot Grin

WilburIsSomePig · 09/08/2015 19:17

I wish I lived in the world that some people say they do where there is no stigma around menstruatuon! I suspect it may also be the world where feminism isn't needed any more because we're 'already equal' though

To be fair, any one of us can only comment on our own experiences. My 'world' doesn't have an issue with menstruation, its just a bodily function. I don't think its fair to assume that we all have the same experiences. And I most certainly do not believe that feminism is no longer needed.

muminhants1 · 09/08/2015 19:17

Pee/poo during a race / gradual leakage of pee etc are normal bodily functions that cannot be helped. Protection against period leakage can be helped, and easily.

Funnily enough I'd have said the opposite. Pee and poo are fluids/solids that generally we can control until we get to the loo - long races have loos around the course. Menstrual blood has to be caught in something (mooncup, ST, tampon) - we don't have control over it. And you can TRY to catch the flow, but unless you are one of those lucky women who really does only lose an egg-cup full per month, you are fairly likely to have some sort of leak at some point.

chickenfuckingpox · 09/08/2015 19:21

www.diarydoll.com/

unless you wear something like these which is what i would buy if i were a runner

drudgetrudy · 09/08/2015 20:07

My world does not involve a stigma around menstruation either. It does involve women finding it being difficult to be taken seriously and being judged solely on their appearance. Plenty of need for feminism.

OneDayWhenIGrowUp · 09/08/2015 20:28

Poor wording again clearly (theme for the day) as I can see both your points about "your world" - I guess I meant that the reality of the world we all live in is that this stigma does exist in large parts of it, even if some of us feel it doesn't affect us directly.

Sorry to repost the same link but feel like its been a bit ignored

www.femmeinternational.org/the-issue.html

drudgetrudy · 09/08/2015 20:46

Clearly in some cultures there ia a massive stigma-but I'm not aware of it in the present day UK.

GreenPetal94 · 09/08/2015 20:51

If you ever do need to wear clothes to disguise blood then black or very dark is better than pink or red.

Redshoes55 · 09/08/2015 22:12

Attention seeking stunt.

ElkeDagMeisje · 09/08/2015 22:14

In 1996, Uta Pippig won the Boston Marathon and pictures of her with menstrual blood streaming down her bare legs (she was wearing shorts) were featured in the world's media. So little stigma was there that everyone seems to have forgotten about it now, as it her race victory, not the fact that she was a menstruating woman, that stood out.

SelfLoathing · 09/08/2015 22:40

My world does not involve a stigma around menstruation either.

What is with all this "my world" stuff? Have you gone insane?

The most you can say is "on a day to day basis I don't experience stigma associated with menstruation". But honestly that is the same as Barak Obama saying "on a day to day basis I don't experience racism so my world isn't racist".

I think the blindness of these posters to this is actually comedy.

How many young girls do you think feel embarrassed buying tampons and sanitary protection? Even in the UK? And that is because there is no taboo or stigma with periods right? It's all in their head?

Besides - what "world" do you live in where women in other countries aren't allowed to touch live stock if they are menstruating? Not allowed to have sex?

Get a little bit of beyond-the-end-of-my-nose and beyond-the-end-of my-middle-class-street perspective please.

SelfLoathing · 09/08/2015 22:42

So little stigma was there that everyone seems to have forgotten about it now, as it her race victory, not the fact that she was a menstruating woman, that stood out

I know this now. Before today, it had totally passed me by. Had never heard of it or seen those images. So yes - it was forgotten in media and popular culture terms it seems.

Diane31 · 09/08/2015 23:12

Some young women have got feminism all skewed up me thinks. Defacating in public next? Just no need for it.

Bambambini · 09/08/2015 23:21

Well obvioudly there still is a stigma or it wouldn't be causing such a hoo haar with everyone being so disgusted,

Twinkie1 · 09/08/2015 23:25

Body hell. Attention seeking bollocks.

You can even roller blade using sanitary protection these days!

Bambambini · 10/08/2015 06:51

Yes, because running a Marathon Is just like going for a rollerblade glide. Last period i had was very heavy for me. If i had been running a marathon - i'd either have to have pulled out to spare the shame and disgust for everyone involved or just carried on, probably pop my mooncup in and hope for the best but with with a flow and exertion of 4-6 hours of marsthon running. - i' d probably have ended up like her.

I'm not sure she planned it with the intention it to get attention or raise awareness.

fourtothedozen · 10/08/2015 07:07

Women who have no access to commercial sanitary protection are usually not "free bleeders".
Since ancient times women have been using natural materials to absorb menstrual flow, even ancient Egyptian women made tampons from soft fibres.
I lived in rural Asia and I have been shown how women there use a soft absorbent piece of bark pounded to make a sanitary towel. Blood can carry disease in a way that sweat doesn't.

IKnowIAmButWhatAreYou · 10/08/2015 08:09

If you had the galloping D&V you (hopefully) wouldn't run a marathon knowing you were going to shit yourself.

Isn't it just a case of people having to accept that, due to their body, there may be times that it's simply not possible to do exactly what they want, when they want?

MidniteScribbler · 10/08/2015 08:45

If she had been doing it to raise awareness she would have had said so at the time, and would have been wearing a shirt/logo/etc on her clothing to promote the cause. I think she started getting flack for the photo and decided that she was suddenly going to be running for a 'cause'.

Whilst I have no doubt that the issue of women in third world countries not having access to sanitary protection may be a worthy one, there are other ways of raising awareness and convincing people to support that.

Bambambini · 10/08/2015 08:47

For many folk running a Marathon Is an ultimate challenge or goal. They might have been training for years with this in mind, raised lots of sponsorship money or travelled a big distance and spent lots of money. It's not comparable to thinking, "oh - i'll give he pool or my yoga class a miss this week. She wasn't ill and it probably was a huge thing for her to run that Marathon - i know it would be for me.

ElkeDagMeisje · 10/08/2015 09:02

Bambambini Last period i had was very heavy for me. If i had been running a marathon - i'd either have to have pulled out to spare the shame and disgust for everyone involved or just carried on, probably pop my mooncup in and hope for the best but with with a flow and exertion of 4-6 hours of marsthon running. - i' d probably have ended up like her.

There are plenty of toilets on route, because toilet stops for many reasons, including period leakage are pretty par for the course during marathons. So what every other female runner I know does is take a spare tampon or two, stick it in your shorts or tights running pocket and stop and change when you feel it necessary. I also know plenty of other female runners who are not troubled in the least by their periods and never have to change their plans because of them, myself included. Many marathon runners also often set out feeling fine and then get the trots mid-race, and deal with it.

This whole fuss she is making is actually one of the silliest things I've ever heard!

EBearhug · 10/08/2015 09:14

Isn't it the build up of lactic acid and adrenalin that upsets the bowels during marathons etc?

I don't think she is making that much fuss - it's mostly everyone else on the internet doing that. I think in most cases, the point about women and girls in developing countries losing out because of lack of sanpro is being lost, though.

sparechange · 10/08/2015 09:28

Isn't it the build up of lactic acid and adrenalin that upsets the bowels during marathons etc?

No, it is because blood and energy are prioritised to keep powering legs, so the body slows down the digestive system to allow this. In some people, this leads to 'runners trots'.

XIIILC · 10/08/2015 14:11

Seems a little pointless to me. More like attention seeking than for any real purpose. From reading peoples comments it sounds like she's adapted the story to suit herself.

But whatever. Each to their own I guess.

Also, before it started plastering all over the internet recently I don't ever remember there being any sort of "stigma" over periods =S

CuppaTeaAndAJammieDodger · 10/08/2015 14:36

A hell of a lot of people are talking about how dirty and disgusting it is - whilst on the same thread(s) (on Facebook/Twitter/here etc.) people are also discussing the issues and stigma surrounding menstruation across the globe. So not only has it sparked discussion between people who are already aware of the issue, but is bringing it into the domain of those who are not.

Job....done!