Sonya Lennon: If men menstruated we would be in a very different situation

Despite my mum's openness around periods growing up, there was still a great sense of secrecy 

Sonya Lennon: If you don’t know what the parameters of normal are, it’s very hard to map your own menstrual health. 

I don’t remember my first period. I don’t think there was any kind of emotional endowment with it. 

There was a sense of openness in my house growing up, that was definitely unusual. There was a strong sense that nothing was taboo and my mum definitely talked to me [about my period].

But despite my mum’s openness, there was still a great sense of secrecy. And that feeds into taboos and embarrassment and shame.

There has always been openness in my house around periods, with both my son and daughter. The other great sort of salvo is humor. I know that my spatial reasoning gets a bit out of whack just before my period, things get dropped and broken, and for my daughter as well. So that’s become a kind of a comedy trope in our house. If somebody drops something, it’s ‘are you expecting your period?’, regardless of gender.

I think we’re taking the word period out of the shadows now a little bit which is very helpful. There is a greater understanding of the menstrual cycle and myself and my daughter both track our cycles on an app. Having that information is empowering. 

I think once this conversation starts, then the discomfort around it recedes a little bit. And women’s experiences are so varied.

I think the idea that there are multiple normals is really important. 

And if you don’t know what the parameters of normal are, it’s very hard to map your own menstrual health. 

A lot of women are suffering, and, the reality is, if men menstruated we would likely be in a very different situation.

• Fashion designer and activist Sonya Lennon is one of eight women who shared her period story as part of our series on Period Shame. Read the full piece here.