Tackling Menstruation Stigma
Charlie Berridge
Photography
On my virtual GP placement last term I met a patient suffering from debilitating heavy periods which drastically impacted her life. This patient had experienced previous trauma which ruled out certain options and wished to remain celibate until marriage. This conversation was sensitive and discussion around a treatment plan was not easy. I found this particularly moving and sad case. The patient’s seemingly numb and reticent take on their situation was very hard to hear and emphasised to me the struggles everyday life can bring and the strength shown by such patients in life.
I chose to use photography as my medium for this piece as I believed the realism and accuracy a photo provides would be able to express the emotions I wanted to explore effectively. The double exposure gives a unique appearance to the piece and provides two subjects which express different emotions. I wanted a strong dichotomy between the two figures in the piece and I tried to maintain the togetherness as well, blending them together. Religion is also a theme I have carried through this piece. I mentioned earlier that the patient was practicing celibacy and I took this to be for religious reasons. The upright figure expresses more sadness and appears as if she wants to escape this situation, looking into the distance out of frame. The darker figure lying down appears less sad but still numb, and looks straight at the viewer. This contrast is further emphasised by the halo of the upright figure invoking angelic ideas compared to the shadows on the other.
From this encounter, I learned that patients may appear to be coping but under the surface there are many struggles which may be repressed and harder to deal with. I also learned that patients find it particularly difficult to come forward when they have a problem with something that lots of other people are fine with – such as periods. This patient potentially found it harder to come forward as she believed she wouldn’t be validated or deemed weaker if she sought help. I think this issue and stigma when it comes to situations such as periods must be addressed, and all ideas that this is a taboo topic abolished.
This experience of making this creative piece allowed me to try and put myself in this patient’s shoes and to understand just one of the struggles women may face when coming to the doctor and the resilience shown by these patients.
Effective Consulting, Year One, 2012
This was a very moving piece with such strong emotions conveyed through the imagery. I thought that it was also very effective for the photo to be in black and white to portray negative emotions like immense sadness. I think the double exposure allows to show the back and forth/ changing of positions whilst sitting in the bath, almost like you can see she was sat in there for hours fully clothed.
I think that many women who do get heavy painful periods can relate to this art piece, there is help available, but it is not as spoken about as other medical conditions and it is true that there is a giant stigma around menstruation.
This is a very powerful inspirational piece of art.
I thought that this piece was an effective way of demonstrating the impact that the stigmatisation of periods can have on those who menstruate. The woman is depicted alone, indicating her isolation related to the taboo of periods – this can leave people scared to seek help for fear of judgement. I also took the setting of the bath to be related to the ‘dirtiness’ which is often associated with periods, despite them being a normal bodily function. The lack of colour is indicative of cold and gloom. The facial expressions vary, but portray overall depression. The body language of the individual and her position in the corner of the room indicates that she feels trapped and isolated.
Overall, I think that this image represents well the emotions that heavy periods can leave someone with – physical pain leaves people looking shrivelled while the stigma surrounding menstruation makes them feel trapped and alone.
This piece is incredibly moving. The setting provides perfect context as a bathroom is seen as a private place and this imitates the personal nature of the illness, and a mundane setting also reminds us of how a common action can be unimaginable for some people. The feeling of her having locked herself in the room also links to the feeling of being trapped the patient probably felt being unable to get away from her pain. The use of photography as a medium works well as the realism within the piece is the underlying factor that allows us to connect with the individual and empathise with her pain.
The double exposure gives the feeling of time passing and portrays the long suffering the patient felt and how her pervious trauma limited the options for treatment, prolonging her suffering. The two figures represent the different emotional states felt by the patient and move from sadness and pain to one of numbness. However the blending of the two figures gives a grounded feel and instead of appearing as two people shows the emotional change within individuals throughout the journey of illness. However the use of a monochrome palate of colours suggests only negative feeling are present.
I really enjoy how this piece also links with religion and encompasses and important aspect of the patient’s personality into the photo. The contrast between the haloed figure and the crouched figure could also be representative of the patients view of herself before and after trauma.
Overall this piece captures the worry, shame and sadness that some women have no control over and are unable to cope with. It really allows the sensitive aspect of the illness to become apparent but challenges us to face what we may avoid.
The patient is right, menstrual pain is not taken seriously enough. The patient’s concerns were legitimate. The use of the two poses in the photo well-depicted how many people who experience periods feel. Spending hours and hours in the bath often with not much relief. Trauma can often prevent people from feeling able to have certain treatments/procedures that could help them.
This piece is very emotive and I found it caught my eye due to the black and white contrast, and the different positions the woman is in. In both she looks melancholy but in the sitting up position she looks more tired and slightly angry. I think this is a good representation of how women with menstrual problems or conditions such as PCOS or endometriosis often feel that their problems are being ignored or invalidated because having bad period cramps is ‘normal’. This can lead to feelings of resent or mistrust toward the medical profession. The second figure is resting on the side of the bath tub and looks more numb to the situation, as after years of struggling with no improvement or treatment it may be easier to detach yourself from the situation and numb yourself to it.
I think the photograph is a good reflection of how patients with chronic conditions can feel hopeless and isolated at times, and it also reflects the shame and detachment felt by patients who suffer from issues that are stigmatised or not well recognised as a problem. The setting of the bath can be interpreted as the woman trying to ‘cleanse’ herself, as periods are sometimes treated as being shameful or dirty. This piece is thought provoking and represents many struggles that perhaps aren’t talked about as much as they should be.
The photographer immediately grabs your attention through the stark black and white filter used. It allows you to immediately understand the difficulties of the patient. The subject staring off into space effectively conveys the detachment and numbness that Charlie mentions. By overlaying two figures of the same individual we perphaps glean an insight into the conflicting emotions that the patient is battling. The subject’s stained makeup and being fully clothed shows a sense of despair and the impact on her every life that her ‘debilitating’ periods have. I think the topic that Charlie chose is potent although can be easily dismissed which is why I think this piece is particularly important and well presented.
I was particularly drawn to this art piece due to the double exposure and black and white nature.
The former creates a jarring impression that powerfully conveys the message of the piece – of numbness and melancholy that can be hidden. I think this is particularly important to consider in the clinical context. When dealing with menstrual health, people with periods can often feel uncomfortable or that this is a taboo subject, displaying the necessity to consider these situations with care and empathy. I believe the black and white photography further reinforces this feeling of discomfort and isolation; I think Charlie shows the isolation that one can feel when dealing with taboo subjects very effectively.