British Athlete Shares Photo Of Herself With Period Stains, Encourages Normalising Periods

British athlete Emma Pallant-Browne shared a photo of herself where she was seen with a tiny blood stain while running. She explained that she posted the picture in order for society to normalise periods. She was recently competing in the PTO European Open triathlon in Ibiza, Spain when she was photographed with a small blood stain on her swimsuit.

Sharing the picture on her Instagram handle, Pallant-Browne thanked people for their support and for celebrating women in sports. She explained that she was racing in a swimsuit because she overheats and passes out in hot races as her body temperature raises during periods. She said that it wasn’t visible in a lot of photos, as pouring water on herself at aid stations did the trick, but this one photo happened.

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Athlete Posts Period Stain Photo

She went on to share that she didn't want to edit it because that would mean there was something wrong with it. She added that she’s sharing this picture to normalise menstruation so that the majority of women will stop being mortified by it because there is nothing really wrong. She encouraged women to like this photo, save it, cherish it, and remember how they performed well even on a tough day because one day they might be able to inspire someone else.

Gone are the days when periods stopped women from doing things; we continue to go about our day-to-day activities, which sometimes might include making a grand public appearance or performing extensive physical activities. But don’t a lot of us experience a tad bit of anxiety when we are out and about on our feet during our periods? Haven’t most of us chosen to wear darker shades of clothing on those days? Can we deny that we've never asked a friend to check our dress for stains?

But why do we feel the need to hide something as natural as menstruation? If sweat stains are okay, why are period stains disgusting and shameful? All of us are equipped during periods; we have a stash of sanitary napkins, tampons, or menstrual cups. However, escaping from stains is a herculean job, especially when we are physically active. So a tiny drop of stain is sometimes unavoidable. If it happens, we could always wash it off, but there's no need to panic or feel embarrassed.

Traditionally, menstruation was connected to a lot of superstitious beliefs and myths.  We’ve been ingrained to keep the fact that we are menstruating to ourselves. We are taught to hide this fact, even from the male members of the family. However, the narrative is changing today and we’ve come a long way from hiding pads from men's view, not touching our partner, and being evasive when our sons ask about periods or menstrual products.

While our society has not completely eradicated it, we’ve relatively progressed in terms of awareness. The majority of us have basic knowledge about periods, but we are just not ready to talk about it openly at the dinner table. Only if we talk can we completely eradicate the stigma and ensure that period education reaches every corner of society. Only then can we ensure that women are aware of period hygiene and menstrual health.

But what can we going to do to help normalise periods? Let's just be candid about the fact that we are menstruating. There’s no need for us to disguise our period-related sickness with a white lie or quickly cover up that tiny red stain on our dress. Let's talk about it, share the knowledge that we have, and make it simple. Why complicate something that's so natural? After all, menstruation is a part of womanhood, so why do we have to feel embarrassed about it?

Views expressed by the author are their own

Feature Image Credit: Emma Pallant-Browne via Instagram