We'll talk openly about sex - but why are periods still a taboo subject?
Monthlies. The curse. On the rag. Having the painters in. Surfing the crimson wave. Auntie Flo. Usually, the ruder the word, the more plentiful the euphemisms available. But the terms mentioned here are not alternative terms for some deviant sexual practice. They refer to menstruation, a natural occurrence for billions of women around the world, and one that still dare not speak its name. It is a topic rarely spoken of in public, and certainly not one that features regularly in the media.
So, when British tennis player Heather Watson recently crashed out of the Australian Open in the first round, blaming a poor performance on court on “girl’s things”, it created a bit of a stir. Former tennis number one Martina Navratilova came out in support of Watson, saying women “don’t want to use periods as an excuse”, but that they had “certainly affected” her own performance on court.
