| By Shruti Menon | “Half the month I was extroverted, firing on all cylinders. Then I would hit ovulation. And at that time I became dysfunctional, shy, and withdrawn. It’s like I woke up one day and became a completely different person. And from then until I started menstruating I became utterly dysfunctional. ThenContinue reading “What is Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)?”
Category Archives: Myth Busters
Pubic Hair: To Be or Not To Be?
| By Shruti Menon | Have you ever wondered whether to keep your vagina hairy or bald? Well, you are not alone! A lot of us go through the ritual ordeal of grooming our pubic hair: waxing comes along with an excruciating pain for many, and shaving may come with red-itchy bumps and cuts. ThereContinue reading “Pubic Hair: To Be or Not To Be?”
A Dive Into Period Positive Cultures From Around The World
| By Juliee Kamble | Disclaimer: This article deals with menstruation in binaries because these communities treat menstruation as a women’s issue. Paddling foundation does not endorse this opinion. The way communities threat their menstruators tells us a lot about their socio-cultural make up. By understanding how menstruation is treated in different cultures, we getContinue reading “A Dive Into Period Positive Cultures From Around The World”
Queer Periods: A Case of Identity Crisis
| By Ria Sewlani | “Men do have periods. Trans men, trans masculine people, agender, genderqueer, and non-binary people have periods. Because of the way we talk about periods, some of us feel broken when we bleed. I feel broken when I bleed.” — Quinn Rhodes, a genderfluid blogger. All of us dread those daysContinue reading “Queer Periods: A Case of Identity Crisis”
Still Not Switched To a Menstrual cup? Here’s Why You Need To!
By Shruti Menon People have been trying to be sustainable in various realms of their life with the realisation of the impending consequences of climate change. Concomitantly, people have been trying to be sustainable in their menstrual practices as well. When I became aware of the sheer amount of waste that I would create everyContinue reading “Still Not Switched To a Menstrual cup? Here’s Why You Need To!”
Menstruation beyond one gender.
Written by Shruti Menon Image Credits: Clue Cass Clemmer is a transgender artist and educator. They created Toni The Tampon, a colouring book and Instagram account that breaks period taboos and helps parents teach children about menstruation. This excerpt from a powerful poem written by them documents the plight of being a queer menstruator. “SeeContinue reading “Menstruation beyond one gender.”
Period Blood is not Bad Blood. 4 ways to use your period blood.
You can’t touch a jar of pickles. You cannot take a head bath. You must not partake in any religious activity. Heard these and more of the same kind? These are a few of the many taboos associated with menstruation. Even in this year 2020, different communities, around the world, observe different menstrual beliefs. ThereContinue reading “Period Blood is not Bad Blood. 4 ways to use your period blood.”
BLEEDING IN WATER: MYTHS DEBUNKED.
The myths surrounding menstruation are bizarre and uncountable. In Israel, you get slapped on your face when you get your first period, so you’ll have “beautiful” red cheeks all your life. Ouch! Malaysians believe you must wash your pads before you throw them out or you’ll be haunted by ghosts (boo!) and the Filipinos areContinue reading “BLEEDING IN WATER: MYTHS DEBUNKED.”
MYTH #7 PMS IS ALL ABOUT MOOD SWINGS.
Do not let some people with half-baked knowledge tell you that your mood ‘swings’ during your period because “you’re just PMSing”. Instead, tell them they’re misinformed and that PMS stands for – Premenstrual Syndrome – which means, as the name suggests, that PMS occurs before one gets their period. PMS is all about mood swingsContinue reading “MYTH #7 PMS IS ALL ABOUT MOOD SWINGS.”
MYTH #6 PERIODS ARE SHAMEFUL.
As a person who was born and raised in India, conversations about menstruation have always been hushed, and a sanitary napkin is stuffed into a multi-layered package by the chemist – so that no one knows that a teenage girl is menstruating. Over time, I’ve realised that this silence pertaining to menstruation is found inContinue reading “MYTH #6 PERIODS ARE SHAMEFUL.”
PADDLING FOUNDATION 