Menstrual Mayhem: We are Not Ovary-Acting
By: Ethan Manafi, Keeryth Sandhu, Sakeena Siddiq, Mylani Sonico, Erin Tabornal
Explore the hidden realities of menstrual hygiene products, the endocrine disrupting chemicals in their production, and the consequences of endocrine disruption!
The reinforcement of sociocultural stigma limits the public population’s knowledge of menstruation to a superficial level of understanding. In exchange for shame and silence, individuals who menstruate are invisibly impacted by health effects associated with endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) exposure through the use of menstrual hygienic products. Throughout this magazine, our team aims to shed light on the hidden and reactive realities associated with menstruation in order to increase general knowledge and potentially alter the course of current realities. Not only will we address the biological effects of EDCs such as BPA and parabens within menstrual products, but we will also discuss social, cultural, and legal forces that play a role in impacting health outcomes. By conveying how these forces impact one’s accessibility to menstrual products, knowledge, and education, we hope to increase our readers’ ability to think critically about how lack of accessibility and perpetuation of stigma interact to ultimately impact both human and environmental health. As we cycle through intertwining realities of menstruation and EDC exposure, we encourage readers to consider three essential questions to this story: Where are we now, how did we get here, and where do we go from here? For potential answers, read through to learn more!
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