Argonaut: The Menstrual Taboo

Every man in America, when the topic of female menstruation comes up, goes “nananana.” A guy friend of mine blocks his ears. He almost blushes just because I have mentioned the word “period” sitting in a public coffee shop. He could not believe I would write about the topic. That fact alone made me more adamant. Why is it not OK to talk about? Why must we, as young women, always be clean, groomed and almost totally hairless? Girls and women in many developing countries do not go to school or work when on their periods. Many of them can’t because they simply cannot afford the cost of sanitary supplies. The impact on development if females subsequently cannot attend school or are fired, which is a common happening, is massive. / Bethany Breeze , UIdaho Argonaut. More here .

Question: I’ll simply repeat Bethany’s question: “Why must … young women always  be clean, groomed, & almost totally hairless?” Do we have unfair expectations of women?