“I was really scared that my menstrual blood would seep out in front of all the passengers.”

—— Wang Yanan, 20-year-old.  

Wang Yanan was using the washroom on a high-speed train when she suddenly realized she had started her period. Without any sanitary pads on hand, Wang frantically searched the small toilet but couldn't find any menstrual products.

Eventually, Wang had to use the toilet tissues for simple treatment and exited the washroom cautiously, fearing that the paper might fall off.

With several couples of eyes staring at her strangely, Wang trudged down the aisle and eventually located the train attendant, who was pushing a cart of products for sale. However, the attendant told her there were no menstrual products available.

Throughout the remainder of the journey, Wang had to frequently visit the washroom to change the toilet paper and prevent any leakage.

       “I still feel stifled every time I recall this experience… I wonder why there are still no menstrual products in public facilities' toilets,” said Wang.

Out of the 18 railway bureaus in China, only a handful have made strides towards addressing the issue of menstrual hygiene. Reports available online indicate that the Chengdu, Kunming, and Shanghai Railway Bureaus have taken steps to provide menstrual products to passengers on select train lines. However, it remains unclear whether the remaining 15 railway bureaus have followed suit.

The absence of menstrual products in public facilities has been a topic of ongoing discussion in China. Unfortunately, when women spoke out about their need for menstrual products – even if they were just asking for the sale of pads rather than free provision, as in some other countries – some people responded with outrage, going to great lengths to rationalize the absence of menstrual products in public facilities. They stigmatized the period products as something “unpresentable,” criticized females’ requests as “childish adult behaviors”, and accused females of “being spoiled.”

As the voices demanding public menstrual products from females grow louder and louder, period stigma, an issue that has long been swept under the carpet in Chinese society, has finally been closer than ever to becoming a public agenda.

Menstruation is undeniably one of the most natural bodily functions. However, it inexplicably bears a certain degree of stigma. This stigma is evident in the prejudice that some individuals hold against menstruation, as well as the widespread occurrence of period shaming experienced by countless females. Period shaming refers to the negative emotions, such as shame or embarrassment, that females can endure due to their menstrual cycles.

Similar discourse can also be found in Europe. The Bible states that a woman is considered "unclean" during her menstrual impurity, and whoever touches shall be unclean and shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening”.

Time goes by, and while humans have made significant scientific progress to understand menstruation, outdated attitudes towards it persist. Globally, people use coded language to talk about menstruation, such as "Aunt Flow," "on the rag," and "Bloody Mary" in Western cultures, and "大姨妈 (Aunt Flow)," "那个 (That time)," and "亲戚 (Relative)" in China.

      “I was completely taken aback when I saw someone walking out of the convenience store with a pack of sanitary pads in hand. She didn't seem embarrassed at all, even though people were staring at her! It made me question why I felt so surprised.”

—— Beata Mo, 21-year-old.

Mo has experienced period shaming since she started menstruating. She would use code names like “Aunt Flow” to refer to her period. When she suffered period pain sometimes, she would simply say “stomachache” to avoid talking about it. This even led to her taking the wrong kind of medicine.

Moreover, Mo would avoid buying pads or tampons in shops to avoid being seen. Instead, she would purchase in bulk online.

"If I suddenly found I had my period, I would carry my backpack or ask for a non-transparent plastic bag to purchase pads," said Mo, adding that perhaps that is why she was so surprised to see the girl walking straightly out of the store with a pack of pads in plain sight.

Mo's experience led us to wonder if period shaming is a common phenomenon among youth in China. To find out, we conducted a survey targeting people aged 13 to 25, collecting a total of 138 questionnaires, 104 from females and 34 from males. The questions were tailored based on the respondents' sex.

The lack of sex education

The root cause of period shaming in China can be attributed to the lack of sex education in the country.

According to Education for Children in Rural Areas Research Report 2018 by Rural Women Development Foundation Guangdong and Peking University School of Public Health, less than 30% of students have received systematic sex education. This lack of education on menstruation and sexual health creates a barrier for adolescents and can have long-term impacts on their lives.

“We found that there was a taboo attitude towards sex among both teachers and students in rural schools, and many girls did not understand what it meant to have menstruation,” said Eve Luo Yun, Co-founder of PeriodPride and Master of Philosophy at Beijing Normal University. “We offered them some special classes to spread necessary knowledge about sex and put up posters in both the boys' and girls' toilets to reduce shame around menstruation.”

Social norms and traditional values

In China, period shaming is exacerbated by social norms and traditional values that prioritize sons over daughters. This patriarchal society has historically neglected and disrespected women's needs, contributing to the stigma surrounding menstruation.

According to Chun-yan's book Coming out of the Taboo: Menstrual Period Hygiene of Women in Modern China (1895-1949) traditional Chinese values view menstruation as an ominous filth that can result in various negative consequences. The association of menstruation with sexual organs, which is considered taboo in Chinese culture, further contributes to the stigma surrounding menstrual discourse.

In recent years, more and more females choose to speak out and take action to break free from the shackles of period shaming. In 2020, a menstrual pad revolution swept through 378 universities across China, aiming to put an end to period shaming. This movement received significant positive media coverage, making menstruation a more visible topic in the public sphere.

PeriodPride has also been actively organizing educational activities, such as a menstruation-related drama called Menstruation Human Library, to increase public understanding of menstruation and reduce period stigma and shaming.

Despite these efforts by various parties, the phenomenon of period shaming and the social incentives behind it have not been completely eliminated. China remains a patriarchal society dominated by males, which presents numerous obstacles for females trying to resist and struggle against period shaming.

The Menstrual Perceptions and Status Report 2022 reveals that most female respondents think they do not receive enough support from the society during menstruation and most hope to receive understanding from their parters. Many also hope there can be provision of sanitary products in public places.

However, a bleak future should not be a reason for females to remain silent and endure period shaming. Rather, it should be a call to action for all females to unite and work together towards a better tomorrow.

      “I believe that one day, menstruation will no longer be regarded as shameful or in need of special treatment. It will finally become a normal and accepted aspect of life, which is also our organisation's ultimate goal,” said Luo Yun.

*Survey created by Luo Yueming, Mo Chengqi and Li Jingqi. Guided by Bess Wang.
  Special thanks to Kang Yixi, Shum Chung-po.