Vibrators, Menstrual Cups, and Reusable Pads:
No longer just for the “adventurous” woman
Throughout history to the present day, we have struggled as a society to embrace natural and biological concepts such as menstruation and pleasure. Periods have always been seen as dirty and unhygienic when in fact it is not only a system of egg removal but also a natural flushing system which as a result makes for a cleaner body. Unfortunately, many women today are uncomfortable discovering their own bodies, even though there are so many benefits of having an orgasm as a woman. It stimulates higher levels of dopamine meaning that it boosts your creative levels, your energy, it helps with mental health, your immune system, improves sleep and the list goes on. Naomi Wolf wrote in her book “Vagina” that if a woman has had great sex she feels more empowered to do what she loves.
In history, there has always been a strong juxtaposition when discussing female blood. It was either a sign of power and was seen as having magical capabilities or implied as a sin. At its core, a taboo is historically used in society as a way to prevent danger. This worked as a preventative measure put in place to ensure protection from those who were deemed as dangerous in society… For example, Freud and Theodor Reik both suggested reasons why society organized itself in this way. They believed it was due to hygienic reasons and the fact that in earlier times people claimed that women had a type of odor or heat which they would connote as a sort of sexual signal. Men who believed this thought that menstruating women would unconsciously attract them with their “heat” and impose their power, restraining them. This is one of the many theories on how menstruation is such a large taboo in today’s society.
Adding to the taboo is the movie industry. As some of you may know, there is a famous scene that was cut out of the famed erotic novel turned into movie, Fifty Shade of Grey. In the book, there is a scene where Christian Grey pulls Anastasia Steele’s tampon out of her body. This was the most talked-about part of the book and it was not included in the movie. The director of the movie in an interview had said that he didn’t want the movie to get an NC-17 rating. Although in the final cut there was: nudity, sex, bondage, and violence… but of course no periods. In an article called “Why Do Americans Refuse to Give Up Tampons?”, the author writes: “as Lauren Rosewarne demonstrated in her 2012 book Periods in Pop Culture, [periods are] often treated as a source of embarrassment and shame, whether for comedic or dramatic purposes; sometimes it’s even a source of evil, as in the 1976 horror film Carrie. These depictions mirror, and likely influence, how Americans feel about menstruation”.
I believe that still today there is a lack of discussion regarding menstruation and female pleasure. These subjects have fallen into the category of feminist talk. Vibrators and other female pleasure toys are objects that have been categorized for “adventurous” women. I find it unsettling that still, today's society prohibits women from discovering their own sexuality. When talking about female pleasure with friends, some have brought up that they have been too “uncomfortable” with doing anything to themselves. They feel that these actions are too dirty or for “more experienced women” even though they would let a sexual partner do all of the above and more to them. This constraint we have allowed to put on ourselves disgusts me. We have authorized others, consciously and or subconsciously, to determine what we do with our bodies.
As we have evolved, new tools and products have been created to make a woman’s life much easier but we still don’t take advantage of these new opportunities because they are still in the realm of the unknown. Unless one is curious, it is hard to gain knowledge of them. For example, menstrual products like the period cup have become not only a sustainable way of caring for periods but also a much cleaner way of doing so. More than 75 percent of American women use a menstrual cup but society has continued to look the other way. We constantly see Tampax commercials or advertisements but unfortunately, society hasn’t made all these other brands such Thinx and Diva Cup mainstream. All sorts of women should feel comfortable with these products and the same goes for men. If men find these products normal then it removes another large layer from the taboo.
My hope is that we become less held back from societal constraints and we begin to really focus on ourselves. In order for topics such as menstruation and female pleasure to be everyday conversations, we must first understand our bodies. How do we feel comfortable with ourselves in order to then share and connect with others? Chella Quint a participant in the “gender respect education project” suggests different ways to promote conversation revolving around the reproductive systems. She urges us to “think about it — how did you first learn about menstruation? Was it confidently explained? And what about the person who taught you? How did they feel about menstruation? Were the resources branded? Did you get freebies?”. These questions can lead us to further decode our personal restraints and move the conversation forward. Although most might feel more reserved on discussing these issues with family members, I feel if we share our period horror stories or our first trip to buying a vibrator, then others who might have thought they were alone will join in solidarity and eliminate these notions as taboos. My call to action is for everyone to step outside their comfort zone, go buy a vibrator, a menstrual cup, or a reusable pad, it’s not only good for you but it’s also good for the planet. It’s time to force change upon society in order to accept these natural aspects of life. Lets begin to work on ourselves and grow individually to finally defeat these destructive taboos.
