Why can't we talk about periods? | Jen Gunter

Translator: Susana Arrizado Gago Reviewer: Xusto Rodriguez

When I was a teen, I had terrible periods.

De moza, tiña uns menstruos horribles.

I had crippling cramps,

Tiña unhas cambras paralizantes.

I leaked blood onto my clothes and onto my bed sheets,

Deitaba sangue na roupa e nas sabas

and I had period diarrhea.

e tiña diarrea menstrual.

And I had to miss school one to two days a month,

Perdía clase un ou dous días ao mes.

and I remember sitting on the couch with my heating pads, thinking,

Lembro sentarme no sofá cos panos quentes e pensar:

"What's up with this?"

Que está a pasar aquí?

When I ate food, I didn't leak saliva from my salivary glands.

Cando comía, non producía saliva nas miñas glándulas salivares.

When I went for a walk,

Cando ía camiñar

I didn't leak fluid from my knees, "joint fluid."

non segregaba sinovia nos xeonllos, "fluído articular".

Why was menstruation so different?

Por que a menstruación era tan distinta?

Quería respostas para estas cuestións

I wanted answers to these questions

but there was no one for me to ask.

mais non tiña a quen preguntar.

My mother knew nothing about menstruation

A miña nai non sabía nada sobre a regra

except that it was dirty and shameful and I shouldn't talk about it.

agás que era sucio e vergoñento e que eu non debía falar diso.

Pregunteilles ás amigas

I asked girlfriends

and everybody spoke in euphemisms.

e todas falaban con eufemismos.

And finally, when I got the courage to go to the doctor

Cando á fin tiven a coraxe de ir ao médico

and talk about my heavy periods,

falar dos meus períodos penosos

I was told to eat liver.

dixéronme que comese fígado.

(Laughter)

(Risos)

Cando ía a drogaría comprar os meus produtos para a regra,

And when I went to the drug store to buy my menstrual products,

my 48-pack of super maxi pads,

o paquete de 48 compresas extra grandes,

back in the day when they were the size of a tissue box, each pad --

cando cada compresa medía coma unha caixa de panos.

(Laughter)

(Risos)

You know what I'm talking about.

Xa sabedes de que estou a falar.

You have no idea how far absorbent technology has come.

Nin imaxinades canto avanzou a tecnoloxía absorbente.

(Laughter)

(Risos)

I used to have to buy my menstrual products

Adoitaba comprar os meus produtos menstruais

in the feminine hygiene aisle.

no corredor de hixiene feminina.

And I remember standing there, thinking,

Lembro estar alí de pé pensando:

"Well, why don't I buy toilet paper in the anal hygiene aisle?"

"E por que o papel hixiénico non está no de hixiene anal?"

(Laughter)

(Risos)

É dicir, que sucede?

Like, what's up with that?

Why can't we talk about periods?

Por que non podemos falar dos períodos?

And it's not about the blood, as Freud would have you say,

E non é polo sangue, como diría Freud,

because if it were,

porque se así fose

there would be an ear, nose and throat surgeon up here right now,

aquí estaría un otorrinolaringólogo

falando dos tabús do sangrado de nariz, non é?

talking about the taboos of nose bleeds, right?

And it's not even about periods,

Nin sequera se trata do período en si.

because otherwise, when we got rid of our toxic, shameful periods

Daquela, ao librarnos dos tóxicos e vergoñentos períodos,

when we became menopausal,

ao chegar a menopausa,

we'd be elevated to a higher social status.

pasaríamos a un maiorstatus social.

(Laughter)

(Risos)

(Applause)

(Aplausos)

It's just a patriarchal society is invested in oppressing women,

Trátase dunha sociedade patriarcal dedicada a oprimir as mulleres

and at different points in our lives, different things are used.

e usa cousas distintas en distintos momentos da nosa vida.

And menstruation is used

A menstruación úsase

during what we in medicine call the reproductive years.

durante o que en medicina chamamos idade fértil.

It's been around since pretty much the beginning of time,

Éche así case desde o inicio dos tempos.

many cultures thought that women could spoil crops

Moitas culturas creron as mulleres seren quen de toller cultivos,

or milk, or wilt flowers.

estragar o leite ou murchar as flores.

And then when religion came along,

Cando apareceu a relixión,

purity myths only made that worse.

os mitos da pureza fíxérono aínda peor.

And medicine wasn't any help.

A medicina non era de grande axuda.

In the 1920s and '30s

Nas décadas de 1920 e 1930

there was the idea that women elaborated something called a menotoxin.

dicíase que as mulleres elaboraban algo chamado menotoxina.

We could wilt flowers just by walking by.

Podiamos mirrar as flores tan só pasando á súa beira.

(Laughter)

(Risos)

And that's what happens when there's no diversity, right.

Así ocorre cando non hai diversidade.

Because there was no woman to put her hand up and go,

Non había ningunha muller a levantar a man e dicir:

"Well, actually, that doesn't happen."

"O certo é que iso non sucede".

E cando non podes falar sobre o que pasa no teu corpo,

And when you can't talk about what's happening to your body,

como rompes eses mitos?

how do you break these myths?

Porque non precisas ser médico

Because you don't even need to be a doctor

to say that periods aren't toxic.

para negar a toxicidade do menstruo.

If they were, why would an embryo implant in a toxic swill?

Como se implantaría senón o embrión nun refugallo tóxico?

And if we all had this secret menotoxin,

Se todas tivésemos esa secreta menotoxina

we could be laying waste to crops and spoiling milk.

poderiamos ir devastando colleitas e derramando o leite.

(Laughter)

(Risos)

Why would we have not used our X-Women powers to get the vote sooner?

Por que non usariamos eses poderes de patrulla X para conseguir antes o voto?

(Laughter)

(Risos)

(Applause)

(Aplausos)

Even now,

Mesmo agora,

when I tweet about period diarrhea,

cando tuiteo sobre a diarrea menstrual,

as one does,

como fai calquera,

(Laughter)

(Risos)

I mention that it affects 28 percent of women.

comento que afecta a un 28 % das mulleres.

And every single time, someone approaches me and says,

A cada vez, alguén achégase e dime:

"I thought I was the only one."

"Coidaba que era a única".

That's how effective that culture of shame is,

Así de efectiva é esta cultura da vergoña,

that women can't even share their experiences.

as mulleres non poden sequera compartir as súas experiencias.

So I began to think,

De modo que comecei a cavilar:

"Well, what if everybody knew about periods like a gynecologist?

"E se todo o mundo soubese dos períodos coma un xinecólogo?

Wouldn't that be great?"

Non sería xenial?"

Then you would all know what I know,

Daquela todos saberían o que eu sei.

you'd know that menstruation

Como que a menstruación

is a pretty unique phenomenon among mammals.

é un fenómeno moi particular entre os mamíferos.

Most mammals have estrus.

A maioría dos mamíferos teñen estro.

Humans, some primates,

Menstrúan os humanos, algúns primates,

some bats,

algúns morcegos,

the elephant shrew and the spiny mouse menstruate.

a musaraña elefante e o rato espiñento.

And with menstruation what happens is the brain triggers the ovary

O que sucede coa menstruación é que o cerebro induce ao ovario

to start producing an egg.

para comezar a producir un óvulo.

Estrogen is released

Libérase o estróxeno

and it starts to build up the lining of the uterus,

e comeza a construír o revestimento do útero,

cell upon cell, like bricks.

célula sobre célula, coma os ladrillos.

And what happens if you build a brick wall too high without mortar?

Que pasa se constrúes un muro demasiado alto sen cemento?

Well, it's unstable.

É inestábel.

So what happens when you ovulate?

Que sucede cando ovulas?

You release a hormone called progesterone,

Liberas unha hormona chamada proxesterona

which is progestational, it gets the uterus ready.

que é proxestacional, prepara o útero.

It acts like a mortar and it holds those bricks together.

Actúa coma o cemento e mantén os ladrillos pegados.

It also causes some changes

Tamén provoca algunhas mudanzas

to make the lining more hospitable for implantation.

que permiten ao revestimento ser máis hospitalario para a implantación.

If there's no pregnancy,

Se non hai embarazo,

(Whoosh)

(Zas)

lining comes out,

o revestimento marcha,

there's bleeding from the blood vessels and that's the period.

hai un sangrado desde os vasos sanguíneos e iso é o período.

And I always find this point really interesting.

Sempre atopei este punto moi interesante.

Because with estrus,

Porque co estro,

the final signaling to get the lining of the uterus ready

o sinal último para preparar o útero

actually comes from the embryo.

de feito vén do embrión.

But with menstruation,

Pero coa menstruación,

that choice comes from the ovary.

esa elección vén do ovario.

It's as if choice is coded in to our reproductive tracts.

Como se a escolla estivese codificada no noso aparato reprodutor.

(Cheering and applause)

(Aclamacións e aplausos)

OK, so now we know why the blood is there.

OK, agora sabemos por que hai sangue.

And it's a pretty significant amount.

Unha cantidade significativa.

Son de 30 a 90 mililitros de sangue,

It's 30 to 90 milliliters of blood,

which is one to three ounces,

que son entre 30 e 90 gramos.

and it can be more,

E pode ser máis,

and I know it seems like it's more a lot of the times.

sei que parece máis moitas das veces.

Eu ben o sei.

I know.

So why do we have so much blood?

Por que temos tanto sangue?

And why doesn't it just stay there till the next cycle, right?

Por que non agarda aí ata o ciclo seguinte?

Like, you didn't get pregnant, so why can't it hang around?

Non quedaches preñada, por que non pode ficar?

Well imagine if each month it got thicker and thicker and thicker, right,

Imaxina se cada mes engrosa e engrosa e engrosa,

like, imagine what tsunami period that would be.

imaxina que período tsunami ía ser.

(Laughter)

(Risos)

We can't reabsorb it, because it's too much.

Non podemos reabsorbelo porque é demasiado.

And it's too much because we need a thick uterine lining

É demasiado porque necesitamos un revestimento do útero groso

for a very specific reason.

por unha razón moi específica.

Pregnancy exerts a significant biological toll on our bodies.

O embarazo impón aos nosos corpos unha importante peaxe biolóxica.

There is maternal mortality,

Está a mortalidade materna,

there is the toll of breastfeeding

a peaxe do aleitamento,

and there is the toll of raising a child until it is independent.

e está a peaxe de criar un neno ata que é independente.

And evolution --

E a evolución...

(Laughter)

(Risos)

That goes on longer for some of us than others.

A algunhas tárdanos máis ca a outras.

(Laughter)

(Risos)

But evolution knows about risk-benefit ratio.

Pero a evolución coñece a proporción risco-beneficio.

And so evolution wants to maximize the chance of a beneficial outcome.

Pretende maximizar a oportunidade dun resultado beneficioso.

And how do you maximize the chance of a beneficial outcome?

Como se maximiza a posibilidade dun resultado beneficioso?

You try to get the highest quality embryos.

Obtendo os embrións de maior calidade.

And how do you get the highest quality embryos?

Como consegues os embrións de maior calidade?

You make them work for it.

Fas que se esforcen.

You give them an obstacle course.

Poslles unha carreira de obstáculos.

So over the millennia that we have evolved,

Durante os milenios da nosa evolución

it's been a little bit like an arms race in the uterus,

semellou haber no útero unha carreira armamentística:

the lining getting thicker and thicker and thicker,

un revestimento cada vez máis e máis e máis espeso

and the embryo getting more invasive

e o embrión volvéndose máis invasivo

until we reach this détente

ata que acadamos esta tregua

with the lining of the uterus that we have.

co endometrio do útero que temos agora.

Temos este revestimento espeso

So we have this thick uterine lining

and now it's got to come out,

e agora ten que saír.

and how do you stop bleeding?

Como paras a hemorraxia?

Podes deter o sangue do nariz beliscándoo.

Well, you stop a nose bleed by pinching it,

if you cut your leg, you put pressure on it.

Se te cortas nunha perna, aplicas presión sobre ela.

We stop bleeding with pressure.

Paramos a hemorraxia con presión.

When we menstruate,

Cando menstruamos,

the lining of the uterus releases substances

o endometrio libera substancias

that are made into chemicals called prostaglandins

que se converten en produtosquímicos chamados prostaglandinas

and other inflammatory mediators.

e outros mediadores inflamatorios.

And they make the uterus cramp down,

Estes fan que o útero se retorza,

they make it squeeze on those blood vessels

que aperte sobre eses vasos sanguíneos

to stop the bleeding.

para deter a hemorraxia.

They might also change blood flow to the uterus

Tamén pode variar o fluxo de sangue ao útero

and also cause inflammation and that makes pain worse.

e pode causar inflamación, que intensifica a dor.

And so you say, "OK, how much pressure is generated?"

Preguntaredes: "canta presión se produce?"

And from studies where some incredible women

Hai uns estudos en que se presentaron voluntarias

have volunteered to have pressure catheters

unhas mulleres incríbeis para pór no seu útero

put in their uterus

catéteres de presión

that they wear their whole menstrual cycle --

durante todo o ciclo menstrual.

God bless them, because we wouldn't have this knowledge without,

Benditas sexan, non teriamos todo este coñecemento sen elas.

and it's very important knowledge,

Un coñecemento moi importante

because the pressure that's generated in the uterus

porque a presión que se xera no útero

during menstruation

durante a menstruación

is 120 millimeters of mercury.

é de 120 milímetros de mercurio.

"Well what's that," you say.

"Iso canto é?" preguntaredes.

Well, it's the amount of pressure that's generated

É a mesma presión que se produce

during the second stage of labor when you're pushing.

cando estás empurrando na segunda fase do parto.

(Audience gasps)

(Murmurios do público)

Right.

Logo ben.

Which, for those of you who haven't had an unmedicated delivery,

Para as que tivestes un parto medicalizado

that's what it's like when the blood pressure cuff

vén sendo coma cando o medidor de presión arterial

is not quite as tight as it was at the beginning,

xa non está tan apertado coma ao inicio

but it's still pretty tight,

pero mesmo así nótalo tenso

and you wish it would stop.

e desexas que pare.

So that kind of makes it different, right?

Convérteo en algo diferente, non si?

If you start thinking about the pain of menstruation,

Se comezas a pensar na dor da menstruación,

we wouldn't say if someone needed to miss school

non criticarías se alguén ten que perder clases

because they were in the second stage of labor and pushing,

porque está na segunda fase do parto e empurrando,

we wouldn't call them weak.

non lle chamarías feble.

We'd be like, "Oh my God, you made it that far," right?

Diríamos: "Mi madriña, que lonxe chegaches!", certo?

(Risos)

(Laughter)

And we wouldn't deny pain control

E non negariamos o control da dor

to women who have typical pain of labor, right?

a mulleres con dor típica de parto, non é?

So it's important for us to call this pain "typical" instead of "normal,"

É importante que lle chamemos "típica" a esta dor e non "normal"

because when we say it's normal, it's easier to dismiss.

porque cando dicimos normal, é doado ignorala.

As opposed to saying it's typical, and we should address it.

Por contra, ao dicir que é típica debemos abordala.

And we do have some ways to address menstrual pain.

Temos varios modos de atender a dor menstrual.

One way is with something called a TENS unit,

Un é o que chamamos unidade TENS

which you can wear under your clothes

que podes levar baixo a roupa

and it sends an electrical impulse to the nerves and muscles

e que envía impulsos eléctricos aos nervios e músculos.

and no one really knows how it works,

Ninguén sabe ben como funciona

but we think it might be the gate theory of pain,

pero cremos que se debe á teoría da comporta da dor,

which is counterirritation.

que é a revulsión.

It's the same reason why, if you hurt yourself, you rub it.

A mesma razón pola que cando te mancas, refrégaste.

Vibration travels faster to your brain than pain does.

As vibracións viaxan cara ao cerebro máis rápidas cá dor.

We also have medications

Tamén temos medicamentos,

called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications.

os antiinflamatorios non-esteroides.

And what they do is they block the release of prostaglandins.

O que fan é bloquear a liberación de prostaglandinas.

They can reduce menstrual pain for 80 percent of women.

Poden reducir a dor menstrual no 80 por cento das mulleres.

They also reduce the volume of blood by 30 to 40 percent

Tamén reducen o volume de sangue entre un 30 e un 40 por cento

and they can help with period diarrhea.

e poden axudar coa diarrea menstrual.

And we also have hormonal contraception,

Tamén temos a contracepción hormonal,

which gives us a thinner lining of the uterus,

que nos dá un endometrio máis fino

so there's less prostaglandins produced

e que por tanto produce menos prostaglandinas.

and with less blood, there's less need for cramping.

Con menos sangue, menos necesidade de cambras.

Now, if those treatments fail you --

Agora, se eses tratamentos vos fallan...

and it's important to use that word choice,

Éche moi importante a elección do termo

because we never fail the treatment,

porque nós nunca lle fallamos ao tratamento,

the treatment fails us.

o tratamento fállanos a nós.

If that treatment fails you,

Se o tratamento falla,

you could be amongst the people

podes estar entre as persoas

who have a resistance to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories.

que teñen resistencia aos antiinflamatorios non-esteroides.

We don't quite understand,

Non o comprendemos ben aínda,

but there are some complex mechanisms

xa que hai varios mecanismos complexos,

why those medications just don't work for some women.

por que esas medicacións non funcionan con algunhas mulleres.

It's also possible that you could have

Pode ser tamén que haxa

another reason for painful periods.

outros motivos para esas regras dolorosas.

You could have a condition called endometriosis,

Podes padecer o que chamamos endometriose,

where the lining of the uterus is growing in the pelvic cavity,

que fai que a capa co útero creza na cavidade pelviana,

causing inflammation and scar tissue and adhesions.

causando inflamación, cicatrices e adherencias.

And there may be other mechanisms we don't quite understand yet,

E pode haber outros mecanismos que aínda non entendemos ben,

because it's a possibility that pain thresholds could be different

porque cabe a posibilidade de que o limiar de dor sexa diferente

due to very complex biological mechanisms.

debido a complexos mecanismos biolóxicos.

But we're only going to find that out by talking about it.

Pero só poderemos descubrilo se falamos sobre isto.

It shouldn't be an act of feminism

Non debería ser un acto de feminismo

to know how your body works.

saber como funciona o noso corpo.

It shouldn't --

Non debería...

(Applause)

(Aplausos)

It shouldn't be an act of feminism

Non debería ser un acto de feminismo

to ask for help when you're suffering.

pedir axuda cando estás a sufrir.

The era of menstrual taboos is over.

A era dos tabús menstruais acabou.

(Cheers and applause)

(Aclamacións e aplausos)

The only curse here

A única maldición aquí

is the ability to convince half the population

é a capacidade de convencer a metade da poboación

that the very biological machinery that perpetuates the species,

de que a mesma maquinaria biolóxica que perpetúa a especie,

that gives everything that we have,

que nos dá todo o que temos,

is somehow dirty or toxic.

dalgunha maneira é sucia ou tóxica.

And I'm not going to stand for it.

E non o vou consentir.

(Applause)

(Aplausos)

And the way we break that curse?

Como rompemos esa maldición?

It's knowledge.

Con coñecemento.

Thank you.

Moitas grazas.

(Cheers and applause)

(Salva de aplausos)