Periods have always been a shy topic for a lot of girls, probably because since childhood, it’s been a hush subject.

In my JHS, whenever we were studying a topic about menstruation, they would call the girls aside and ask the guys to excuse us.

Now that I think about it, it doesn’t make any sense. It isn’t a shameful thing to hide. It’s a normal thing that happens. Guys need to know as much about it as we do because it helps them understand women better and helps them get to understand other complications that occur when it comes to periods.

In recent times, ladies have taken to social media especially twitter to talk about the period struggles and some of the comments that guys pass underneath the tweets show that they genuinely have no idea about the things ladies go through 3-7 days every single month.

Here are 5 period myths that need to be addressed

1. You cannot get pregnant when you have unprotected sex on your period

This idea is entirely false. While it is true that, in many individuals, menstruation is the period when they are least fertile, it really depends on the length of their monthly cycles.

While most menstrual cycles last about 28 days, some cycles can be as short as 21 days, which also impacts when ovulation takes place. Moreover, sperm can live inside the genital tract for up to 5 days or, according to some sources, even 7 days.

Thus, having unprotected vaginal sex during your period could mean that the sperm gets to linger for just long enough to coincide with ovulation and fertilize an egg, resulting in pregnancy. (Source: medicalnewstoday.com)

2. Period blood stops flowing when in water

Your uterine lining does not stop shedding while you’re in water, but period blood may temporarily slow down significantly or not flow out of the vaginal opening because the water stops it and the gravitational pull isn’t as strong as when you’re not in water. (Source: huffpost.com)

3. Women exaggerate about cramps

The pain we get during a period is real. We’re not talking about headaches or bumping into sharp corners. Some of us have to take off work and curl up in bed, hoping the pinching cramps will subside because it’s that bad.

This condition even has a medical name: dysmenorrhea.

In fact, around 20 percent of women have dysmenorrhea that’s severe enough to interfere with their daily activities. This condition affects our ability to concentrate, makes us more anxious, and can make us downright unpleasant. It’s also not anything you’ve experienced before so you shouldn’t be forming opinions on whether or not we are exaggerating. (Source: healthline.com)/

4. Skipping your periods is unsafe

Recent guidelines from the National Women’s Health Network indicate that it is just fine to suppress menstruation through birth control pills, and most gynaecologists agree that this approach is typically safe.

Some people even argue that, outside of their role in reproduction, periods are unnecessary, and can be more trouble than they are worth.

For instance, James Segars, from the department of gynaecology and obstetrics at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD, told The Atlantic that, “Having a monthly period is reassuring, but it is certainly not necessary.” (Source: medicalnewstoday.com).

5. Periods sync up with your female friends

Some women swear that spending time with a female friend or roommate can cause this to occur. A 1971 study saw evidence of menstrual synchrony, however, a recent and more thorough study deemed cycle synching “very unlikely.”

Nadine Lyseight-Moodie, an OB-GYN with Dignity Health chalks hopping on the same cycle as your friends as “coincidence, happenstance, or plain old misery loves company.” Sorry, pals. (Source: huff post.com)