Menstruation, one of the most natural things ever. But in our society, it's taboo, and women get lessons about it from the so-called top experts on the female cycle.
Wondering who knows more about menstruation than women? Well, men, of course. And they'll gladly explain in the comments why people who menstruate should stay quiet about what's happening with their bodies during the cycle.
It all started with a simple, honest statement from top biathlete Dorothea Wierer. After a race, she mentioned that her weaker performance was linked to menstruation. “I have my period. I don't feel bad, but I'm just a bit tired,” Wierer said. “Why shouldn't people know you're not at 100 percent? It's the most normal thing in the world. It's just the cycle of life,” she added.
And the response from Czech men didn't take long. We think the following comments won't surprise you, but might trigger a similar rage as it did with us.
Why didn’t she take a pill? She could have sorted it out
The first very insightful suggestion was that Wierer should have shifted her period using hormones. This opinion comes from the idea that a woman’s body is a machine that can simply be reprogrammed with a pill. Reality is, of course, much more complex than the opinion of a middle-aged man who doesn't understand biology, let alone women.
Long-term or occasional manipulations with the cycle increase the risk of thromboembolic events. Encouraging women to take such risks just so a few men aren't offended by the mention of blood is laughable.
While contraception can delay bleeding, it changes the body's chemistry. For a top athlete, even a slight change in hormone levels can mean a loss of dynamics, different recovery levels, or a change in sugar and fat metabolism. And we haven't even mentioned bloating, breast tenderness, water retention, and spotting. These are conditions that definitely don't help performance.
Long-term or occasional manipulations with the cycle increase the risk of thromboembolic events. Encouraging women to take such risks just so a few men aren't offended by the mention of blood is laughable.
And claiming someone is "silly" for naming their physical condition? That's just another way to force women to suffer in silence.
Debate about menstruation, or elementary school math lesson?
A very interesting comment linked Wierer's statement to a math lesson. “She must be the only woman at the Olympics with her period... Dear God... For the less understanding: Statistically speaking, since February has 28 days, at that Olympics exactly one-quarter of the competitors are having their period. It's a bit silly for this one to complain to get attention. Every normal healthy woman menstruates and has to manage going to work, whether she’s a factory worker, doctor, or train operator,” wrote one reader.
It seems the commenter confuses statistical averages with individual reality. The fact that "one in four" is menstruating doesn't mean each experiences the same level of pain, fatigue, or cramps. For one athlete, it might be mild discomfort, for another, a condition that objectively limits her in fighting for split seconds.
Equality doesn’t mean people who menstruate should be forbidden to talk about their cycle in exchange for having the same opportunities as men.
And claiming someone is "silly" for naming their physical condition? That's just another way to force women to suffer in silence. And it’s men who benefit when women keep quiet.
Another reader advises Wierer to “man up.” “So are we equal or not? Transgender athletes aren’t complaining about squashed testicles... so, sensitive lady, man up!” It's hard to say what to take away from this, but we understand the commenter felt the need to express themselves.
Except equality is about equal opportunities and respect. Equality doesn't mean people who menstruate should be forbidden to talk about their cycle in exchange for having the same opportunities as men.
Simultaneously, comparing a regular physiological process that affects energy levels, thermoregulation, and metabolism for days, with mechanical injuries like squashed testicles, is quite misplaced. Menstruation isn't an accident; it’s a cycle.
When even women uphold the taboo
Some women also spoke out, likely uninterested in lifting the societal taboo on menstruation. “Why would anyone mention such a thing? Only feminists, wannabe feminists, and people who feel inferior care,” one reader remarked.
Menstruation isn’t an ideology or political tool for feminists; it’s a biological fact affecting half of the population.
“I’m not sure if the whole world needed to know when Dorothea has her period. First, there are ways to delay the cycle and surely she wasn't the only one on the start line,” another added.
Such stances clearly reflect the deeply rooted notion that women’s natural bodily processes are something improper, not to be talked about openly.
Wierer simply answered a question about her performance honestly. Suggesting she should rather pump herself full of hormones or stay quiet to avoid offending someone’s sensitivity is absurd. Menstruation isn’t an ideology or political tool for feminists; it’s a biological fact affecting half of the population.
