– Absolutely sick – VG

Just updated

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– We believe it is high time that Norway sets a good example and puts women’s health on the agenda, he says Susanne Lende.

She is the head of communication and politics at Care. They work most to help women all over the world.

A recent survey from Care shows that half of women and girls in Norway felt embarrassed to tell when they first got their period.

And the embarrassment does not go away. It follows through life and over 40 percent feel more dirty when they have their period.

– We think these are disturbing figures for the most natural thing in the world, says Lende.

At the same time, the survey asked Norwegian men what they think about menstruation.

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– Surprised

Care has asked a number of questions about menstruation to men all over Norway. If they think it’s embarrassing to talk about menstruation and what they know about the female body.

The findings came as a surprise to Susanne Lende.

– They have a much more natural relationship with menstruation. Only 9 percent think it is embarrassing to talk about, says Susanne Lende and continues:

– It surprised us. We may have thought that the attitudes among men were different from what they actually are. That girls experience the greatest embarrassment is surprising.

At the same time, around a third of men believe that the taboo around menstruation in Norway is too great.

– We must talk about menstruation and make it natural. Parents must take responsibility for breaking down prejudiced attitudes, and then we must deal with our own attitudes, says Susanne Lende in Care.

But even though men have a more natural relationship with menstruation, not many people know how the cycle works.

– Sick

According to the survey from Care, only 37 percent of Norwegian men know how women’s bodies work when they are menstruating.

– Sick.

Gunhild Gjøsund Kleppen (17) says this when VG tells her about the new report.

She is a youth counselor at the Youth Rights Body in Plan International Norway (URO).

There she works especially with girls’ and women’s rights.

– I think it is still a long way to go, it is taboo to talk about it. Many people think it is disgusting and that menstruation is disgusting, says Gjøsund Kleppen.

She notices that there is more openness and that it is moving forward, but there is still a lot of work left.

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Among other things, she believes that sex education in schools can be improved.

– It is very typical that the teachers are not comfortable talking about it themselves, and it affects the kids. That’s incredibly stupid. And that it is such a small part of the curriculum is also stupid, she says.

Saturday is International Menstruation Day. Then Gjøsund Kleppen and the gang in URO will have a tampon march in Karl Johans gate in Oslo.

– We will inform about these problems, what people do not know they do not know, she says.

Gjøstad Kleppen also believes that Norway should lead by example, as Lende in Care believes.

In countries further south in the world, the situation is completely different.

Will keep your period a secret

A recent report from Plan International shows that more than half of men in the countries of the Netherlands, Brazil, Indonesia and Uganda think their period is dirty.

1 in 3 thinks menstruation should be kept secret.

– It is serious because it has a number of consequences. One thing is that women may find it difficult, but it also leads to a lot of girls losing school due to menstruation, says Kari Helene Partapuoli.

She is Secretary General of Plan International Norway.

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The joint survey shows that 40 percent of men in these countries think menstruation is disgusting.

Only 22 percent answer that they are well informed about menstruation and what it entails.

– It is important to hear what men think about this. It shows that there is still a lot of stigma and taboo around menstruation, says Partapuoli.

But it is not completely dark. Many want to learn more and understand.

– The majority say that they want to normalize it and they want to know more through, for example, better sexuality education in school, says Partapuoli.

She concludes by saying that taboos around menstruation must be worked on everywhere.

– I do not think there is any place we have reached the finish line, she says.

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