Menstruation Through Time: A Fascinating Journey

I’m delighted to greet you in the latest edition of Lali’s Newsletter! This time, I’ll take you on a mesmerizing journey of menstruation through time. We will explore its evolution and the cultural significance this natural process has held throughout the centuries.

Ancient Beliefs and Superstitions

Menstruation has always been a bit of a mystery. Back in the day, people had some wild ideas about it. Some thought it was a sacred, life-giving force, while others saw it as something impure or even dangerous.

And some of history’s greatest minds? Well… let’s just say they had some interesting takes:

• Plato (yes, that Plato) believed the womb had a mind of its own and could wander around a woman’s body looking for a baby. If it didn’t find one, it would get angry and lonely—sometimes even traveling all the way up to the throat.
• Hippocrates, the so-called father of medicine, thought that the womb was the source of women’s emotions and moods. If it wasn’t happy, it could cause a condition called “hysteria.” (Spoiler: this nonsense stuck around for centuries.)
• And then there’s Ptolemy, the guy who basically invented maps. He believed that the ultimate goal in life was immortality, and the way to achieve it? Drinking menstrual blood. Yeah… let’s just be glad that trend didn’t catch on.

Medicine, Science, and Some Pretty Bad Ideas

Over time, people started to understand menstruation a bit better… but not fast enough. In the Middle Ages, menstruation got tied to the idea of “female hysteria,” which led to some truly bizarre medical treatments.

It wasn’t until the 19th and 20th centuries that scientists finally started looking at hormones and physiology instead of just blaming the womb for everything.

The 20th Century: Breaking the Silence

Things really started changing in the 20th century, thanks to feminist movements. For the first time, people actually started talking about periods openly—which led to better menstrual products, more awareness, and less shame.

What About Today?

Now, there’s a real push to normalize menstruation. More and more people are speaking up, breaking taboos, and saying, “Hey, this is just a natural part of life.”

But even with all this progress, there’s still work to do. We’re getting there, though!

So here’s to open conversations, breaking outdated myths, and embracing our bodies without shame.

And hey, thanks for being part of this journey! Let’s keep changing the conversation together.