Period Myths Debunked

With our periods come the 101 old wives' tales that we should or should not do. I'm sure you've heard of them and probably are guilty of doing them or cringing at the thought that people believed them. Here are some of the monthly flow myths we probably might have heard and you can sigh now, because none of them are true.

She may tell you funny tales

PMS is just plain kaartehan. It's imaginary and just an excuse for girls to get what they want.

"It's real, I tell you! It's reaal!!!"

We know you don't like the mood swings, irritability, grumpiness, and the yoyo of feelings we have. But most often than not, we hate it as well. And no, inasmuch as we wished it were some sort of imaginary thing or just kaartehan because we're crazy, it's something that's real. The cause of PMS is due to the hormonal changes in the body, not because we woke up one day and decided to make everyone miserable because we have our monthly flow. The good news though is that it can be alleviated by certain medications and a few lifestyle and diet changes can help us bid PMS bye-bye in the long run.

On your first period, wash your face with your blood so you won't get pimples.

It's so funny that a male friend asked me about this myth. Here's what I found out: your flow is the body's natural detox, and what's in there are stuff our body needs to get rid of. Washing your face with the blood will not prevent you from getting pimples. In fact, aside from the thought of it being super gross, it may aggravate the situation more. What will prevent you from getting pimples is proper skin care and a good facial wash for acne prone skin, not blood your body doesn't need.

Tampons will make you lose your virginity.

This has been a long debate in conservative crowds and Catholic schools. But no, tampons will not make you lose your virginity. They may stretch the hymen but they won't. Only sexual intercourse makes a person lose his or her virginity.

Taking a bath during your period will make you crazy

If this was the case, we would have a lot of crazy people around the world. There's nothing wrong about taking a bath during your period. In fact, a nice and warm bath can actually help alleviate menstrual cramps. Just avoid any super heavily perfumed soaps that may be harsh to your delicate area.

Jumping will make your period last for only five days

Periods generally last 3-5 days, sometimes they linger on for a sixth, depending on your flow. There is no relation between jumping and the monthly period. In fact, just for fun, I did burpees, jumping jacks, squat jumps, jump to hang swing, etc.,  and what did you know, my period lasted still for 5 days, which is how long it usually lasts.


Any crazy period myth to share? Let me know in the comments below.

Picture sources:
grandma and cat photos: pexels.com