The New York Times has posted a new video about periods in which women — including a trans-identifying female — discuss in graphic detail what they like and dislike about their menstruation habits. The idea behind this is to address a social taboo.
Or, in other words: Let’s gross you out so you can feel bad about being grossed out.
At no point in the video does anyone explain what a period is, that it relates to a woman’s fertility (and how that works), or what is normal and what isn’t.
For instance, one woman says that she must “take a lot of Tylenol and Advil, sometimes eight to ten of them a day, just to manage the pain at work.” Another woman says her “cramps were so bad where I actually passed out from the pain and then woke up because of the pain.”
Extreme period pain may be relatively common, but it is not normal. In some cases, the pain is caused by an underlying condition called endometriosis, which affects roughly one in ten women. It occurs when cells that usually grow on the inside of the uterus grow outside it as well. This can cause inflammation, scar tissue, pain, and infertility.
Unfortunately, a lot of women have no idea that they have endometriosis because their symptoms are masked by the pill — or they might not know because they are repeatedly misinformed that debilitating period pain is just part of being a “person who menstruates.”
Drawing attention to underreported reproductive disorders is a worthwhile journalistic pursuit. For instance, our Abigail Anthony wrote an excellent report for The Free Press on endometriosis and how difficult it can be for women to find proper treatment.
By contrast, the New York Times video is at best frivolous, and, at worst, adds to the ignorance surrounding women’s health.