written by Katricia Lum
Being a girl is tough,
It’s even tougher when you bleed out of your vagina every month.
Yes, we’re talking about the P-word: Period.
Period Experiences in Malaysia
In a way, despite Malaysians knowing about women’s anatomy and how blood flows out of us each month (Hello Form 3 Science), I still feel like menstruation, period or whatever you wanna call it is still a taboo subject in Malaysia.Here are my personal experiences where period menstruation is seen as taboo:
- In high school, my friends who lend me pads always covered them with a tissue or quickly stuff them into my pockets so “the boys won’t see it”. As if pads were kryptonite and boys were Superman; doomed when faced with each other.
- Even up to university, girls still give me something to cover lended pads. It’s not like I’m waving my bloody used pads around.
- Some girlfriends complaining about how their boyfriends won’t buy them sanitary pads because it’s “gross”. Uhh… Okay, want something else served alongside that toxic masculinity?
- Having guys exclaim “you are so disgusting” for saying you’re on your period. Diarrhoea is gross but I don’t go around shaming people for having it on sick days.
At least we’ll learn something new that hopefully won’t trigger any period-shaming Malaysians out there.
Period Fun Facts
Fun Fact #1: You’re Still Fertile
Unfortunately, even while your vagina is gushing out blood, your ovaries are still working. So that means: don’t have unprotected sex while on your period or you’re gonna end up with a baby.
Blood’s not a guaranteed contraception.
Fun Fact #2: No Period? It Doesn’t Mean You’re Pregnant
Already peed on your 12th pregnancy test and it still shows negative? But you haven’t gotten your period in months?
Don’t worry, you ain’t The Virgin Mary carrying the second coming of Jesus. Most probably it’s:
- Stress
- Weight loss
- Unhealthy eating habits
- New medication that affects hormones
Fun Fact #3: Think You Sound or Smell Funny? It Might Be Your Period
Research done by vocalization researchers shows that our voices change slightly during our period. This is because of reproductive hormones affecting our vocal cords.
If you’ve had your period or even been near someone on their period, you know that distinct smell I’m talking about. Reproductive hormones also cause a woman’s natural scent to change and be less attractive.
It’s all due to the cavemen era where men relied on smell senses to ensure their partners were primed for reproduction; cavewomen ovulating and NOT menstruating.
Fun Fact #4: You Don’t Lose as Much Blood as You Think You Are
I know, I know this fact seems false particularly on heavy-flow days but it’s true, your body only actually loses around three tablespoons of blood during your period; the average woman can lose anywhere from one tablespoon to a small cup of blood during a normal period length.
HOWEVER, if you think you’re losing much more blood than that, do seek a doctor. Losing too much blood can cause dizziness and make you more susceptible to sicknesses.
Now that you know some period fun facts, let’s get to know some local Malaysia Sanitary Pad Brands, catered specifically for Malaysian women.
6 Local Sanitary Pads Malaysia
1. Enya
We’ve talked a lot about organic skincare, even organic pet food.
All things that we place in and outside our body. So it makes perfect sense why our sanitary pads should be free of toxic chemicals that can harm our skin too.
Here’s where Enya comes in with their organically grown cotton sanitary pads that will surely leave your skin itch-free & rash-free!
We even did an exclusive interview with Enya’s co-founder, Elaine Hong.
Enya Premium Pack (RM18 for 12 Night Pads)
Organic products are usually pricey but if you subscribe to Enya’s Basics Pack, the first pack is free!
Enya Subscription Basics (Free for the first pack)
What else are you waiting for?! It’s free! It’s good for you! It’s Enya!
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