Menstruation Through Ages

Etymologically the word “menstruation” is related to “moon”. The terms “menstruation” and “menses” are derived from the Latin mensis (month), which in turn relates to the Greek mene (moon) and to the roots of the English words, month and moon.

Menstruation or periods though still tabooed in many regions of the world, the growth in awareness for the same has been increasing gradually throughout all genders and ages now. Videos, write-ups, seminars, webinars, and various kinds of content are helping us in spreading the message of menstruation being a natural bodily process which instead of being tabooed, can be handled with care, support, and love. Mothers educating their sons early on this topic can aid in making them more understanding and responsible brothers, sons, husbands, and fathers in their course of life.

Here are a few interesting facts on menstruation from the early times: –

In some theories and researches, they have found out that there are possibilities of using papyrus fibers as tampons in ancient Egypt, and lint wrapped on a wood piece being used in ancient Greece.
Sea sponges were and are still in use as tampons.
As churches made it a religious shame, women were not allowed to decrease painful cramps. But there were some herbal remedies like smearing boiled toad ashes around the vaginal region or powdered toad medicine.
It was also believed that menstrual blood can act as a cure to sagging breasts and thighs or leprosy.
To get clear skin, there is a ritual to wash your face with the first menstrual blood practiced in the Philippines.
In Chinese Daoist alchemy, menstrual blood from females who had not had sexual intercourse was used to make a substance to prolong an individual’s life, called the red lead.
Linen sanitary belts were used by women in the 1900s which were often uncomfortable.
Menstrual blood was considered a poison in 16th and 17th century Europe. As they were not aware of the hormonal changes giving rise to mood swings at that time, it was believed that the poison in the menstrual blood gave rise to “vapors” which in turn were responsible for hysteria.
Drinking drops of one’s own menstrual blood is considered a homeopathic medicine by some.

I hope these were some weird and interesting facts for you. Please do share facts like these in the comments below if you know of some.