Language bloody matters.
'Sanitary'? No thanks. 'Feminine hygiene'? DEFINITELY NOT. We believe that straightforward period talk - like calling pads and tampons 'period products' - helps to break down shame and make essential information accessible, to everyone who bloody needs it.
Download our handy summary on period talk that's bloody banned, and what to say instead. With huge thanks to all the contributors to our #MindYourBloodyLanguage series - check out our blog and IGTV for thought-provoking pieces on why what we say is so bleeding important.
Design @katjaalissamueller
A note on ableist language:
As well as straightforward period talk, we also believe in using inclusive,
non-ableist language. It's important to think about how we communicate and
to acknowledge that some terminology may be negatively affecting others around us.
Bloody Banned: insane, tone-deaf, blindspot, lame, psychotic, crippled by.
Say this instead: inappropriate, overwhelming, ridiculous, unpredictable, completely stuck.
Want to find out more about how to be more inclusive with your language? This bloody brilliant article, written by Monica Torres at Huffpost is a great read.
Glossary:
Agender people identify as having no gender, being without a gender identity, or not aligning to the idea or construct of gender. Agender is sometimes described as being genderless.
Cis means ‘on the same side as’. A cisgender person identifies with and aligns with the gender identity they were assigned at birth.
Cis female (short for cisgender female) is somebody who identifies as a woman and was assigned female at birth. They may also identify as a “cisgender woman”.
Concentric refers to shapes that share the same centre. In the case of this report - silence is at the heart of it all.
Genderfluid: A genderfluid person may be somebody who feels flexible in their expression and experience of gender, either by shifting between different genders, or experiencing aspects of several genders over time. Genderfluid may also apply to a person who feels open to identifying as a different gender to the one they currently identify with.
Genderqueer is an identity label that may be used by individuals whose gender identity and/or role does not conform to a binary understanding of gender. Genderqueer is sometimes used to express a feeling of ambiguity towards gender. Genderqueer is often used as an umbrella term for people who identify as non-binary, genderfluid, gender-questioning, gender non-conforming or in any way challenging established social constructs of gender.
Intersex is a broad term which applies to people born with (or later developing) any variation in sex characteristics that do not align with a typical male or female definition or presentation of those characteristics, i.e. chromosomes, reproductive glands, genitalia. Intersex individuals are typically assigned male or female at birth; whilst some may continue to identify with this label throughout life others may align with a different gender identity.
Menstruation is when blood and tissue from your uterus comes out of your vagina. It usually happens every month. Not all women menstruate, and not all people who menstruate are women.
Non-binary: A non-binary individual indicates a person whose identity is neither male or female (though may include aspects of one or both) and exists outside the gender binary. Non-binary is often used as an umbrella term for people who identify as genderfluid, gender-questioning, gender non-conforming or in any way challenging established social constructs of gender. Non-binary is sometimes shortened to NB or “enby”
Non-binary woman: A non-binary woman could refer to any of the following: a non-binary person who was assigned female at birth and shared a socialisation process typical to others identifying as women; somebody who is perceived socially as a woman but does not feel they align wholly with a female identity; somebody who feels partially female-aligned but partially something else; somebody who exists beyond the gender binary but feels closer to “woman” than they do to “man”.
PMS, Pre-Menstrual Syndrome, is a combination of symptoms that many people who menstruate get about a week or two before their period.
Transgender can apply to any group or individual whose gender identity differs from what they were assigned at birth. Transgender can also apply to a group or individual who has transcended culturally defined categories of gender. Transgender is often shortened to “trans”.
Transgender man: A transgender man is a man who was assigned female at birth. The shorter term “trans man” may also be used to refer to a transgender man.