Many women have periods, not all, but many. Some men even get them - for example, a pre-op trans man who is still transitioning.
And of those who do have periods, there are many different kinds, be it painful and heavy or light and a minor discomfort, or all the variations that come with polycystic ovaries or post-pregnancy.
Some people have periods like clockwork, knowing it will arrive red and gruesome on the first of a 28 day cycle, about an hour after waking up and end four days later in the form of a dark discharge. For others, it's a not-quite-monthly surprise party!
But what about our relationship with our periods? Are they a vague annoyance or a full-blown anxiety inducing flight-halting dust-cloud of a menace? Can we talk about them? Must we not talk about them?!
Unfortunately, looking at new stats released today by ActionAid, it seems a lot of us are uncomfortable talking about periods and even fewer of us fully understand them.
ActionAid commissioned a poll through YouGov of 2,140 adults in the UK aged 16 and over.
The poll, which places people in a binary male and female category (meaning there are no stats for trans women, trans men or gender non-conforming), revealed that a quarter of 16-39 year-old women in the UK do not understand their periods.
Younger women are also much less likely to track their period - 37 per cent of women aged between 40-54 have tracked their periods since it started, compared to only 19 per cent of 16-24 year olds.
Tracking your period is pretty useful for things like pregnancy scares, and white trouser wearing. But also is a handy indicator that everything's ticking along as it should be down there.
Engaging and understanding your body could also help lift a little of the shame we've sadly been burdened with since the dawning of the patriarchy.
The report revealed some depressing stats that nearly half (47%) of women surveyed say they would feel uncomfortable discussing periods with their dads, whilst one in three (37%) women said they would not feel comfortable discussing periods with male friends.
Not that everything is about men, but it was interesting to see that these 'fears' were largely unfounded, since only 9% of men admitted that they would feel uncomfortable discussing periods with their daughters and only 17% of men would find discussing periods with female friends uncomfortable.
There is still a significant wedge of us who won't even talk about it with other women who are pretty likely to have, be having or have had a period in their lives. The study also showed one in five women (20%) under forty years old say they would feel uncomfortable discussing their periods with their female friends, their mums (21%) and their partners (21%).
This discomfort and shame even extended to the products that are essential in dealing with period; sanitary products.
Despite (or maybe even because of) the recent public debate surrounding the taxation of such products, we would apparently be embarrassed to ask our male friends and partners to grab some tampons whilst they are already out getting milk. The reasons ranged from saying it was too personal, to not wanting the man to feel embarrassed.
Though these opinions are totally human, it's not great. Perpetuating ideas of shame and shrouding periods in secrecy can have devastating effects to people's self-esteem, when something they are going through is not only natural, but totally healthy and useful.
Girish Menon of ActionAid Chief Executive said:
This research was commissioned to ignite a conversation about periods ahead of World Menstrual Hygiene day, which was established to raise awareness of the challenges women and girls worldwide face due to menstruation Millions of girls living in some of the world's poorest places grow up knowing nothing about menstruation before their first period, or dreading its arrival. Poverty, a wide range of cultural taboos attached to menstruation or being trapped in a humanitarian disaster can mean many women and girls are unable to access affordable sanitary products which can have a devastating and irreversible impact on their lives.
ActionAid have created a set of 'Sanitary Superheroes' to help promote the day called things like the Crimson Avenger and Rosy Rebel.
Illustrated by Daisy Bernard, the pictures prove that a girl plus a sanitary pad is a superhero.
For a long time in developing countries girls have been missing school due to their periods, be it because of their inability to access sanitary products, or from the shame surrounding them, however, recent news of girls in the UK doing the same shook the nation.
Not talking about periods is what got us into this mess, since a culture of silence can hide a multitude of wrongs, so talking is the only way we're going to get out of it.
It's World Menstrual Hygiene day on the 28th May, so celebrate it by making some noise about periods. Be it how much you enjoy having a bit of period sex or how much it annoys you how much tampons cost, tell a friend, send a tweet, say something. Period.
Donate to ActionAid to help women and girls access clean and safe sanitary products, improve toilet facilities and build safe rooms. www.actionaid.org.uk/donate/sanitary-towels-women-humanitarian-crisis
Daisy Murray is the Digital Fashion Editor at ELLE UK, spotlighting emerging designers, sustainable shopping, and celebrity style. Since joining in 2016 as an editorial intern, Daisy has run the gamut of fashion journalism - interviewing Molly Goddard backstage at London Fashion Week, investigating the power of androgynous dressing and celebrating the joys of vintage shopping.
