Within me lies a beast.

Usually it lays dormant, rarely causing trouble. 

But every once in a while, it awakens.

It consumes my mind and body whole, possessing every aspect of my being. I find myself trapped within its control, unable to fight back. I am not myself, but a being of anger and irrationality until its control fades.

At least that’s what society thinks happens.

In reality, this week of demonic possession known as menstruation does not change who I am. Aside from the annoyance stemming from being minorly inconvenienced, I cannot say I experience many changes within my life compared to other phases of my hormonal cycle. For other women, however, the side effects of periods are much worse.

The most dreaded aspect of the period lies within the unwarranted contractions within the uterus, also known as a period cramp. The pain caused by cramps ranges from moderate to so intense it physically prevents them from carrying out daily activities. This, combined with side effects, such as dizziness, headaches and fatigue, makes menstruation a period of distress for many women.

However, this does not garner empathy for women during an unpreventable natural process.

Instead, it is weaponized against them.

You would think amidst the multitude of side effects which accompany menstruation, people would focus on the more major side effects and develop a sense of understanding for their circumstances. Instead, people focus on a more minor aspect: heightened irrationality and emotional tendencies.

”Are you on your period?”

”Is it that time of month?”

Phrases along these lines only ever linger when people perceive a woman to be acting emotional or irrational, not because they appear to be expressing discomfort. These phrases end up manifesting effects that run much deeper than just a joke.

These phrases become an issue when they are used to discredit the emotions and rationality of women, causing their thoughts and feelings to not be taken seriously. Women are unable to express intense emotion without it being written off as a result of a naturally occurring process.

They can’t be angry without it being written off as an overreaction caused by their period. They can’t cry without it being written off as an overreaction caused by their period. They can’t escape being perceived as overdramatic, even if they aren’t menstruating.

This was seen on a global scale two years ago, during the 2024 presidential election. After President Joe Biden dropped out from the election and was replaced by Vice President Kamala Harris, the idea that she would start a war if she was on her period circulated on the internet. This harmful idea created doubt around Harris’s credibility.

Whether Harris would start a war during a presidency is up for debate. However, I am 100% positive that Harris would never start a war due to her period, given that her age surpasses the average age for menopause, suggesting that she lacks a period to start a war over in the first place. Regardless, menstruation is still weaponized against her even though it does not directly impact her anymore.

Stop weaponizing periods and other uncontrollable natural processes as a means to discredit someone. An uncontrollable process is never an excuse to undermine one’s contributions. Let periods garner understanding for a time which brings pain and agony rather than an opportunity to put women down.

Follow @CHSCampusNews on X.