Let’s just call it Periods. Girls I don’t understand why we have to call it by names. It is as normal as getting cold, fever or head ache. But still instead of simply calling our Monthly Menstrual cycle as periods, we call it with 100 different names – Chums, I am down, stomach ache, dadis call it mahine se ho gyi, lota ulta in some language and going by the ad world ‘mahine ke woh char din’.
I somehow just don’t like it. I feel more comfortable saying it periods than calling it with any other name. I agree this could be a matter of personal choice, but I feel the whole world knows about it. I mean first your father & brother at home and later your male friends at college and colleagues at office; as far as I know these mostly these are the only categories of people in front of whom we can feel uncomfortable talking about it. That is completely all right, we don’t need to discuss about it but we don’t have to be manipulative about our pain either. When you whisper something in your girlfriend’s ears and turn around and she stares your back and you exchange assuring looks, why do you think the guy crossing your path, or standing beside you doesn’t notice? Believe me, he does. All of them do. They know and they also understand. Let’s just come over that taboo.
And the other taboos, I disapprove of all of them. Religious restrictions. Kitchen restrictions. Thank god my family is not all that into those. But I have seen a lot of my close relatives or friend’s family being over finicky about the whole issue. Some of us do not even know the trauma girls in small cities or village face every day, as if it is the girl’s mistake. But that shall come in some later post. I feel it’s us who have to start it somewhere and that somewhere starts with being open about your periods, at least calling it by name. PERIOD.
Just curious to know:
1. What do you call it? Anything different from the above mentioned names.
2. The guys reading this, would you mind if someday we just say, got my periods – not feeling okay, not in a mood to eat out; or what is your take on this, am I right when I say, guys do know about it?
Some Honest Writing 
Funny enough, I’m only period right now and its not the most exciting thing. But I call it Chums, thats what we used to call it in school. No idea where the name came from!
Chum actually mean a close friend, I can’t relate it to periods though 😛
I always liked the old euphemisms “lady days” and “being a lady.” I personally tend to use the Hebrew word niddah, which roughly means “menstruous woman.” When talking with other people, I’ll probably just say period or menstruating.
I like this niddah word 🙂
🙂 I sometimes call it period and sometimes i say, ‘I got my date’. Yepp, it is a bit confusing/wierd, but we go by the terms, ‘Date of the period/cycle’ and then from there it goes on like, ‘when’s my date?’ kind off thing.
Thank god, my mum never really had any restrictions for us on those days. But there was this one rule. Whenever my Dadi(granny) is around, she would want us to stay away from the puja ghar. That’s not difficult, who does puja everyday anyways?, definitely not me!. 🙂
Yes, religious taboos around periods is another whole topic to be explored.
Strangely enough, with girls I call it ‘I am down’, while with guys its always ‘period’. Even in front of many people, my MIL wont hesitate to call it a period so I think the men in my family are very used to it 😀
Yes, that is actually true. We (females) only use alternatives, Men don’t need to !!!
I prefer to call it Periods, im comfy with it rather than calling it with any other name. I heard some gals calling it Aunty ji too 😉 funny! Thankfully, no severe restrictions other than going to temples, also U’ll find some ladies not touching pickles during periods :O they say it will get spolied!
I call it YAMDOOT:)