The menstrual cycle is (still) an embarrassing topic for one in four men

Talking about the menstrual cycle is still a taboo that generates discomfort. One in three women are embarrassed to talk publicly about menstruation and one in four men is uncomfortable when discussing this topic. This is reported by the research commissioned by mUp Research from Initiala company that offers hygiene services outside the home, for the launch of Dignity, dispensers for dispensing sanitary pads in women's bathrooms. The study was carried out last November, with the administration of 1607 interviews with a sample of people between 16 and 60 years old.

Those who live in large cities – above 250 thousand inhabitants – are more likely to not experience their period as a taboo. 72% of Italians say they feel free to talk about their periodseven if this achievement is directly proportional to the increasing age of the respondents: among the youngest girls (16-18 years old) only 61% talk about it.

Embarrassment, in fact, characterizes the age of adolescenceoften the most difficult, and the one during which one can even suffer the «period shaming», a form of bullying linked to the manifestation of possible discomforts resulting from the menstrual cycle.

Among the youngest interviewees, 27% were teased about their period. In the majority of cases (65%), it was the males who ridiculed the women at this particular moment. Research, however, shows that sometimes (in 38% of cases) women are too.

66% of Italians think that men have difficulty relating to the menstrual cycle, as the research results confirm, among other things. Indeed, over 26% of Italians interviewed admit that they are not comfortable with their periods female: 17% declare that they have never addressed the topic, while 9% have even always avoided discussing it. The situation is even more critical among younger people: 54% of all those interviewed say they are embarrassed to talk about menstruation, or have never done so.