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(Pictures: www.vice.com)
Getting your first period can be scary and confusing. "What is happening down there?!" Even if your mom's prepared you for what's to come, you just don't know when it's going to happen. It could happen at school, or when you're at a friend's house or anywhere. So it's an anxiety-riddled time as it is, without the help of this new VICE photo series (Warning: explicit images) by photographer Emma Arvida Bystrom.
The photos are meant to take away the taboo that menstruation has in society. It's a natural occurrence, nothing to be ashamed of- then why is it so hard to talk about in public? Men shy away from the topic, maybe it's the unknown. But women also aren't too keen to just call a spade a spade. We use euphemisms like "it's that time of the month" or "I'm sick" (really?! - it's just blood). You'll see blood flying all over the place when it's an action movie or on the news but the minute it comes out of a vagina it's unacceptable? Yes, it's messy and gross. But deal with it. We do.
But also, I think if 12-year-old me were looking at these pictures, I would be freaked out! The only time I've seen that much blood come out of a person was when my little brother was run over by a car and that did not look pleasant (he lived). I have a very active imagination and these pictures would have given me nightmares and shot my anxiety level sky high.
So my point is, I'm confused about these pictures. What do you think?
Would you show these to your pre-teen or teenage daughter to prepare her for her menstrual period? Or do you think that these images will just cause more anxiety for girls still expecting their periods?
Getting your first period can be scary and confusing. "What is happening down there?!" Even if your mom's prepared you for what's to come, you just don't know when it's going to happen. It could happen at school, or when you're at a friend's house or anywhere. So it's an anxiety-riddled time as it is, without the help of this new VICE photo series (Warning: explicit images) by photographer Emma Arvida Bystrom.
The photos are meant to take away the taboo that menstruation has in society. It's a natural occurrence, nothing to be ashamed of- then why is it so hard to talk about in public? Men shy away from the topic, maybe it's the unknown. But women also aren't too keen to just call a spade a spade. We use euphemisms like "it's that time of the month" or "I'm sick" (really?! - it's just blood). You'll see blood flying all over the place when it's an action movie or on the news but the minute it comes out of a vagina it's unacceptable? Yes, it's messy and gross. But deal with it. We do.
But also, I think if 12-year-old me were looking at these pictures, I would be freaked out! The only time I've seen that much blood come out of a person was when my little brother was run over by a car and that did not look pleasant (he lived). I have a very active imagination and these pictures would have given me nightmares and shot my anxiety level sky high.
So my point is, I'm confused about these pictures. What do you think?
Would you show these to your pre-teen or teenage daughter to prepare her for her menstrual period? Or do you think that these images will just cause more anxiety for girls still expecting their periods?
