This post is about menstruation. Get over it.

I'm feeling rather annoyed right now. Why? Because I stumbled across this article, and it made me cringe. But not for the reasons you might think.

The article presents all the clichés about menstruation: it makes women bitchy and moody, makes them irrational (or even more irrational than usual, let's maintain those sexist stereotypes, right?), causes them to have weird cravings, stops them from doing what they usually enjoy, it's messy and gross. Some parts made me think I was given advice about some kind of disease - stay away from certain foods, have painkillers ready...

Unfortunately, this kind of view is perpetuated by feminine hygiene adverts. Menstruation is presented as dirty, smelly and messy, to the point of needing "odour absorber technology" in pads, while using a blue liquid that bears not resemblance to blood whatsoever when showing you how absorbant a pad is.

Newsflash: menstruation is not a disease. It's not a curse. It's not something to be ashamed of. It's a healthy natural process a women's body goes through every month. It means she is able to bear children. If anything, it ought to be celebrated - we women are able to give life, isn't that fantastic?

Now I'll admit that I may be biaised. I am fortunate enough that I don't get menstrual cramps - only a light tension in my lower abdomen on the day my period starts. I honestly feel sorry for women who get cramps, I'm pretty sure they're awful (the cramps, not the women). And I don't seem to get PMS either.

And that's another thing that really irks me. I am a human being. I am entitled to having emotions, whether I am on my period or not. If, when someone displays anger, they're asked "jokingly" whether they're on their period, I feel offended. Why exactly would menstruation turn us into irrational, irate monsters?

I am begining to wonder whether some (not all - I do aknowledge the reality of cramps for some women) of those symptoms may not be psychosomatic. If we're being constantly brainwashed into thinking that periods are horrible and make women cranky, of course we're going to feel rubbish about it.

Menstruation is treated as something dirty and shameful. Why is that? It's only blood, for heaven's sake. You have about 10 pints of blood in your veins, and actually, it's pretty darn useful. It delivers nutrients and oxygen to your cells and organs and transports waste back to where it can be disposed of (including carbon dioxide). White blood cells fight infections; platelet cells cover an open wound so you can stop bleeding and start healing. Blood is not just extremely useful, it's vital. So why should we be grossed out or freaked out if we lose a little bit of it each month?

OK, it stains. But it's no harder to cleanse than tomato sauce. Do you feel grossed out when you have to scrub off a tomato sauce stain? I didn't think so!

We need to stop feeling ashamed of natural bodily processes. We need to stop feeling ashamed of our bodies! Our bodies are wonderfully intricate machines that function fantastically well and have an amazing ability to self-repair within certain limits. Our bodies are beautiful - all of our bodies - yes, including vaginas and ovaries.

I don't feel I should apologize for discussing this. We need to get over ourselves and embrace our womanhood - all of it.