The book talks about the silence around menstruation through stories and anecdotes about thoughts and experiences by young and old alike. The stories shared by both men and women in this book set example of voicing their thoughts, that it is not a shameful topic to talk about. The book targets the ‘silence’ in three sections - Taught Silence, Hiding, Media and Silence.
The first section is about the silence that it taught to girls (and boys) by mothers since a very young age. Girls, if not trained, are discouraged from speaking about menstruation to others, specially boys. Boys, on the other hand, are exempted from any kind of menstrual education.
"The lack of attention to how and what boys learn about menstruation leads to confused understanding about reproduction and ideas related to gendered relationships." - More Than Just a Punctuation Mark: How Boys and Young Men Learn About Menstruation (http://bit.ly/2aEYtii)
The second section speaks about the silence in terms of hiding.
“Girls are introduced to menstruation along with the cultural baggage of shame and secrecy, where they must hide and control the messiness and paraphernelia that surrounds the evidence of their reality.” - More Than Just a Punctuation Mark: How Boys and Young Men Learn About Menstruation (http://bit.ly/2aEYtii)
This secrecy, along with not being vocal, extends to day-today activities - as simple as purchasing feminine hygiene products.
This secrecy, along with not being vocal, extends to day-today activities - as simple as purchasing feminine hygiene products.
Section three is about Media on Menstruation. It talks about how media in advertising specially uses menstruation in a manipulative way to stir female insecurities and fear to sell their feminine hygiene products. Advertisements, particularly the ones about feminine hygiene products, reinforce the silence around menstruation through the ways in which the menstrual process is depicted. Media in advertising not only accesses but also enhances the stigma associated with menstruation.
