Menstruation Myth Debunked: Common Misconceptions About Periods

The misconception about menstruation in women ranges from silly myths to negative issues circulating around, to the point that there are cultures across the globe that thinks of menstruation — a biological circumstance in women— is an unclean, impure, and potentially evil existence making women suffer and ostracized on that society.

However, since the civilization, the punitive views of menstruation in women have faded away in most cultures. What’s left now is the misunderstanding or myths about menstruation that may be or may not bring harm to the ladies. With this said, we will be debunking the common myths about menstruation.

You Can’t Get Pregnant While Having Menstruation: False

Ever heard of this thought that you cannot get pregnant while having menstruation? The myth ends here: it’s a lie. This myth has spread out because most people believe that you cannot get pregnant on your period because your uterus is currently shedding its inner lining which can be decoded as your body’s way of saying that you do not have a baby inside your belly.

However, the average length of a menstrual cycle is 28 days, starting from the first you have your period. But many women also have cycles that last between 21 and 35 days, in which you can conclude that with this, the ovulation of women varies. With this said, whether you have a long or short cycle, the egg you release during ovulation can live up to 12 to 24 hours, while sperm cells can live for about three days. In a nutshell, the closer you are to the end of your period, the more likely it is that you might get pregnant.

You Lose A Lot of Blood: False

This myth is especially scary to the young girls who have their first period. But here’s to ease your minds: this is pure fiction. If your blood discharge is normal, then you do not have to worry since the average woman only loses 2 to 3 tablespoons of blood during menstruation.

Even if you are someone that has the condition of menorrhagia or heavy bleeding in layman’s term, your uterus will only release about four tablespoons of blood. The only time that you should worry about the loss of blood is when you are losing too much that it’s starting to affect your daily activities like going through more than seven tampons or pads a day, becoming anemic, or bleeding for more than seven days. These symptoms are signs of complications thus requires immediate attention from your doctor.

Tampon Can Get Lost Inside Your Vagina: False

If you are not educated enough about your body, then you can get easily scared of the unknown. So, here’s the truth: tampons won’t get lost inside your vagina. Why? Well to start off, your vagina is not nearly as deep as you might actually think it is, it can get stuck, but it cannot get lost, okay?

The vagina only opens more if a woman is aroused, which is for the penis to enter, even so, it still cannot go anywhere since your cervix (the base of your uterus) prevents anything you put up there from going too far in your body.

If you found yourself in a situation wherein you cannot find your tampon, then insert your fingers into your vagina and search for the string. While it may be uncomfortable to do so, know that you aren’t the first woman that it has happened to. Moreover, you may want to try out some menstrual DIVA cup alternative as a substitute for tampons to cater to your needs during your blood discharge.