why:
overall importance


Menstruation is a natural and recurring process affecting nearly half the world's population.


Despite its universality, there is a significant lack of knowledge and understanding regarding menstruation. This knowledge gap can profoundly affect women's health, well-being, and empowerment. It is imperative to address this issue by providing comprehensive education and fostering open conversations to empower women and enable informed decisions about their bodies and lifestyles¹.


Understanding the menstrual cycle is essential for women for several important reasons:

  • Health Awareness: Knowing how the menstrual cycle works enables women to monitor their reproductive health effectively. Changes in the menstrual cycle can signal potential health issues, such as hormonal imbalances, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), or thyroid problems, among others. Early detection of irregularities can lead to timely intervention and improved overall health.

  • Personal Empowerment: Knowledge about the menstrual cycle empowers women to take charge of their bodies and make informed decisions about their health and reproductive choices. It reduces anxiety and uncertainty surrounding menstruation, fostering a positive attitude towards their bodies and natural processes, consequently increasing personal empowerment².

  • Menstrual Health Management: Understanding the menstrual cycle helps women manage their periods better. They can anticipate when their periods are due, prepare for them, and address any symptoms or discomfort that may arise during different phases of the cycle.

  • Overall Well-being: Hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle can impact mood, energy levels, and emotional well-being. By recognizing patterns in their cycle, women can prepare for mood changes and take self-care measures during more sensitive times.

  • Menstrual Hygiene: Understanding the menstrual cycle can be helpful in adopting better menstrual hygiene practices. They can anticipate when their period is about to start, maintain proper hygiene during menstruation, and ensure they have access to necessary menstrual products.

  • Tracking Reproductive Health: Understanding the menstrual cycle allows them to keep track of ovulation and identify potential reasons for fertility issues. Furthermore, information can be shared with healthcare professionals to aid in diagnosis and treatment.

  • Fertility Awareness: Understanding the menstrual cycle is crucial for women who want to plan or prevent pregnancy. By tracking the cycle, women can identify their fertile window, the period when conception is most likely to occur. This knowledge can assist in family planning, either to conceive or to use natural contraceptive methods.

  • Menopause Readiness: As women approach menopause, it becomes crucial to understand the menstrual cycle and recognize the signs and symptoms associated with this transitional phase of life³.

In conclusion, understanding the menstrual cycle is not only beneficial for women's reproductive health and family planning but also for their overall well-being and empowerment. It allows them to make informed decisions,
improve self-care, and communicate more effectively with healthcare practitioners,
friends and family about their reproductive health.

Even in modern times, the menstrual cycle/menstruation is still a societal taboo and highly stigmatized (women still hide period products, feel ashamed when having to buy them and don't feel comfortable talking openly about it with other women or partners). This lack of open dialogue perpetuates misinformation and prevents women from accessing accurate information about their menstrual health. Challenging these cultural norms and creating a safe space for open discussions is essential to eliminate the stigma associated with menstruation.

Furthermore, the available materials in the market that should aid women in understanding their bodies are usually set following standard conceptions of the cycle, overlooking that it, in reality, impacts each woman uniquely. There is no "one cycle fits all" rule. For those not "fitting in the box", it is usually demotivating to rely on the existing tools. Thus, they end up not doing it all. It is essential to change how we look at the matter and develop tools that encourage and inspire women in listening and synching to their bodies⁴.

Closing the knowledge gap regarding menstruation is vital to women's empowerment and overall well-being. By challenging societal taboos, implementing comprehensive education, and fostering open conversations, we can enable women to make informed decisions about their menstrual health.

Empowering women (and all genders) with knowledge benefits their well-being and contributes to a more equitable and inclusive society. It is time to break the silence, end the stigma, and create an environment where menstruating women can confidently embrace and manage their menstrual health, improve their lifestyles, and open the conversation. By giving a new perspective and providing the proper tools,
we can transform and normalise the subject with time.

This project was thus created with the intent of combining the three pillars of art, education and health, a 360° deliverable comprised of a photographic exhibition, a working book that menstruating women will be able to use to understand one's bodies and cycles better, and a website with additional information that one might need to make informed decisions, including tips, knowledge sharing, education on the hormonal journey of a cycle, stories of other menstruators, how to properly nourish one's body with adequate nutrition and exercise during each phase and other sources of information to educate and support women in their unique journeys of unboxing their cycles.

The three complimentary results will be launched in March 2025 after being developed in the one year of 21.12.2023 - 21.12.2024. The exhibition will act as the visual stimulator to impact and open the conversation. The journal will be a physical working tool to support women in their journey, and the website as a knowledge database and an e-commerce page to have the fine-art prints and the journals available for purchase. A percentage of all sales will be donated to an organisation of choice, and the project will be not-for-profit (an association was created for this purpose).


Sources

¹ Critchley et al. (2018). Menstruation: science and society. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 223 (5), 624-664.

² Heyen, N. (2019). From self-tracking to self-expertise: The production of self-related knowledge by doing personal science. Sage Journals, 29 (2). https://doi.org/10.1177/0963662519888757

³ Santoro, N., Roeca, C., Peters, B. & Neal-Perry, G. (2021). The Menopause Transition: Signs, Symptoms, and Management Options. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 106 (1), 1–15, https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgaa764

⁴ McHugh, M. (2020). Menstrual Shame: Exploring the Role of ‘Menstrual Moaning’. The Palgrave Handbook of Critical Menstruation Studies.

Bull, J.R., Rowland, S.P., Scherwitzl, E.B. et al. Real-world menstrual cycle characteristics of more than 600,000 menstrual cycles. npj Digit. Med. 2, 83 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-019-0152-7

Golub, S. (1985). Lifting the Curse of Menstruation: A Feminist Appraisal of the Influence of Menstruation on Women's Lives. Harrington Park Press, Inc.

Liu, Y., Gold, E., Lasley, B. & Johnson, W. (2004). Factors Affecting Menstrual Cycle Characteristics. American Journal of Epidemiology, 160(2), 131–140, https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwh188

Schmalenberger, K. et al. (2020). How to study the menstrual cycle: Practical tools and recommendations. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104895

van Lonkhuijzen, R., Garcia, F. & Wagemakers, A.(2022).The Stigma Surrounding Menstruation: Attitudes and Practices Regarding Menstruation and Sexual Activity During Menstruation. Women's Reproductive Health, 10(3), 364-384.

World Health Organization (2022). WHO statement on menstrual health and rights: 50th session of the Human Rights Council Panel discussion on menstrual hygiene management, human rights and gender equality. https://www.who.int/news/item/22-06-2022-who-statement-on-menstrual-health-and-rights