Midol Encourages Menstruators to Embrace Honesty
There has never been a more pressing time for people with periods to lean into the power of their voices than today. While the period positivity movement has made strides in normalizing topics historically deemed taboo and improved menstrual literacy, many still feel social discomfort and a sense of ostracization talking about periods. In fact, a recent survey found:
- Only about half of people with periods feel it is socially acceptable to cancel or reschedule social (54%) obligations because of period symptoms.*
- When changing plans due to their period symptoms, 90% of people with periods have given an excuse instead of saying the real reason.*
- Only 2 in 5 people with periods suggest they may know how to have an open conversation about their menstrual cycle.*
*Based on a survey of 730 people with periods who have canceled or rescheduled plans due to their period. Survey conducted 4/23-4/25, 2022 by Morning Consult on behalf of Bayer Consumer Health.
The inability to be open and honest about one of life’s most natural experiences is a burden people with periods have been carrying for generations. Midol® is saying enough is enough and is spearheading the end-of-period silence. Only by having real conversations about personal experiences and prioritizing education can we ignite change and disrupt socially constructed stigmas.
Midol partnered with Dr. Charis Chambers, OB/GYN, to help communicate the importance of period education and the power of speaking out. Dr. Chambers has dedicated her career to eliminating period stigmas through her medical practice and social media platform, The Period Doctor, which launched after she recognized the unmet need for medically backed women’s health education and candid period dialogue within the digital space. Through her platform and work as an adolescent gynecologist, she provides guidance on creating a safe space for open and honest conversations around menstruation, to empower people with periods to practice greater self-awareness, self-esteem, and self-advocacy.
“As menstruators, we feel pressure to hide or make excuses for our periods. For anyone who has experienced the debilitating and annoying period symptoms, they are not something you can just easily push through and ignore. I’m honored to support Midol in creating a world where menstruators aren’t embarrassed of their bodies and feel the need to minimize period symptoms.”
To help continue to break down the stigmas that surround period symptoms, Dr. Chambers has some tips on how to be an ally to those sharing the real reason:
- Just listen: Period talk can remain a source of individual discomfort, and for many, it takes courage to have an open and honest discussion. It’s important to listen carefully and with an open mind to those sharing their truth.
- Go with the flow: Suffering through debilitating period symptoms can make people feel like they are a burden to those around them. Offer to reschedule plans or plan a cozy night in to encourage their comfort.
- Ask what you can do to help: Whether it’s offering a shoulder to lean on or picking up a box of tampons and Midol, asking how you can help reminds the person that they’re not alone in their struggle, and you’re here to support them physically and emotionally.
- Do your research: Not all PMS symptoms are visible, so it’s important to understand the physical and mental toll they take. Do your best to educate yourself on symptoms so you can better support and sympathize.
- Be an advocate: The period positivity movement encourages education and the breakdown of period taboos that lead to negative consequences like period poverty, social exclusion, and health issues. Encourage open conversations and educate yourself about the movement, because the real shift begins when the world starts to embrace periods by speaking openly and honestly about experiences.
Midol is continuing to encourage people with periods to reach for relief and openly recognize their period symptoms as a real reason for taking time to themselves. Through the launch of The Real Reason: A Social Experiment, Midol wants to reinforce to people with periods and those who support them that period symptoms are not something to push through. The Real Reason captures reactions from friends, family, school and work colleagues to real menstruators “calling out” of different social or work commitments due to period symptoms instead of using a fake or more “acceptable” reason. The result was an overwhelming response of understanding and support, empowering the honest individuals to do what’s necessary to take care of their bodies and achieve the comfort they need.
To watch The Real Reason: A Social Experiment and learn more information visit www.midol.com/therealreason and @Midol on Instagram. To follow the conversation and help spread this message, share the video using #TheRealReason, and follow Midol on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for more content.
