A taboo-free way to talk about periods | Aditi Gupta

譯者: Yolanda Wei 審譯者: lin quan

Periods.

月經，

Blood.

血，

Menstruation.

經血，

Gross.

噁心，

Secret.

秘密，

Hidden.

遮掩。

Why?

為什麼？

A natural biological process

這是自然的生理過程，

that every girl and woman goes through every month

每個女孩、女人每個月 都必須經歷這事，

for about half of her life.

她們的大半人生都是如此度過。

A phenomenon that is so significant

這個生理反應之重要，

that the survival and propagation of our species depends on it.

影響了人類的生存與繁衍。

Yet we consider it a taboo.

然而我們卻視其為忌諱。

We feel awkward and shameful talking about it.

一談到月經，我們就覺得 不自在，覺得羞恥。

When I got my first periods,

我初經來潮時，

I was told to keep it a secret from others --

被教導要保密——

even from my father and brother.

即使對生父及親兄弟也是如此。

Later when this chapter appeared in our textbooks,

之後我看到教科書上 有一章談到此事，

our biology teacher skipped the subject.

生物老師卻直接跳過。

(Laughter)

（大笑）

You know what I learned from it?

知道我從中學到什麼嗎？

I learned that it is really shameful to talk about it.

我學到人們以談論此事為恥。

I learned to be ashamed of my body.

我學到以自己的身體為恥。

I learned to stay unaware of periods

我學到不要正視月經

in order to stay decent.

好顯得莊重。

Research in various parts of India

印度許多的研究

shows that three out of every 10 girls are not aware of menstruation

顯示每十個女孩就有三個

at the time of their first periods.

在初經來潮時忽視月經。

And in some parts of Rajasthan

而在西印拉賈斯坦邦有些地方

this number is as high as nine out of 10 girls being unaware of it.

十個女孩中有九個不重視月經。

You'd be surprised to know

你們會對大部分跟我談過的女孩

that most of the girls that I have spoken to,

因為不知道月經，

who did not know about periods at the time of their first menstruation

而在她們初經來潮時

thought that they have got blood cancer

以為自己得了血癌

and they're going to die soon.

並很快就要死了一事感到驚訝。

Menstrual hygiene is a very important risk factor

經期衛生對於引發生殖道感染

for reproductive tract infections.

是很重要的因素。

But in India, only 12 percent of girls and women

然而在印度， 只有百分之十二的女性

have access to hygienic ways of managing their periods.

有辦法在經期保持清潔，

If you do the math,

算算看，

88 percent of girls and women use unhygienic ways to manage their periods.

有百分之八十八的女性沒辦法 在經期注意個人衛生。

I was one of them.

我也是其中之一。

I grew up in a small town called Garhwa, in Jharkhand,

我在賈坎德邦上的小鎮加瓦縣長大，

where even buying a sanitary napkin is considered shameful.

在那裡連購買衛生巾 都是很羞恥的事。

So when I started getting my periods,

所以當我開始來月經的時候，

I began with using rags.

我使用的是碎布。

After every use I would wash and reuse them.

每次用完，我都會洗乾淨重複使用，

But to store them,

但要保存這些布，

I would hide and keep it in a dark, damp place

我必須把它們藏在陰暗潮濕的地方

so that nobody finds out that I'm menstruating.

才不會有人發現我正在行經。

Due to repeated washing the rags would become coarse,

因為反覆清洗，這些布變得很粗，

and I would often get rashes and infections using them.

我常常因此長疹子或過敏。

I wore these already for five years until I moved out of that town.

在離開小鎮前， 我已經如此過了五年。

Another issue that periods brought in my life

另一件月經帶給我生活帶來的問題是，

those of the social restrictions

整個社會強壓在

that are imposed upon our girls and women when they're on their periods.

我們這些經期中的女孩和女人 身上的約束。

I think you all must be aware of it,

我想你們應該意識到這一點，

but I'll still list it for the few who don't.

但為了顧及那些不知道的人， 我再說一次，

I was not allowed to touch or eat pickles.

我不被允許觸摸或食用醃漬物。

I was not allowed to sit on the sofa or some other family member's bed.

我不被允許坐在沙發 或其他家人的床上。

I had to wash my bed sheet after every period,

每次月經完，我都必須洗床單。

even if it was not stained.

就算床單什麼也沒沾到，

I was considered impure

我被認為是不潔的

and forbidden from worshipping or touching any object of religious importance.

所以禁止敬拜或碰觸 任何宗教相關的物件。

You'll find signposts outside temples

寺廟外面有各種

denying the entry of menstruating girls and women.

禁止經期中女性進入的標誌。

Ironically,

諷刺的是，

most of the time it is the older woman

通常是年長女性

who imposes such restrictions on younger girls in a family.

強迫家族中的年輕女性 履行這些約束。

After all, they have grown up accepting such restrictions as norms.

畢竟，她們生長的過程中 就是奉此為圭臬。

And in the absence of any intervention,

而因為無人介入，

it is the myth and misconception

這類迷信與誤解

that propagate from generation to generation.

就此代代流傳下來。

During my years of work in this field,

我多年在此領域中耕耘，

I have even come across stories

甚至聽過有的女孩們必須

where girls have to eat and wash their dishes separately.

分桌吃飯和分開洗餐具。

They're not allowed to take baths during periods,

她們在經期間不得洗盆浴，

and in some households they are even secluded from other family members.

在某些家庭中，她們甚至 與家族成員隔離。

About 85 percent of girls and women in India

在印度有百分之八十五的女性

would follow one or more restrictive customs on their periods every month.

都默認經期間有一種以上的 道德約束加諸己身。

Can you imagine what this does

你們能想像

to the self-esteem and self-confidence of a young girl?

這對年輕女孩的自尊 和自信心影響多大嗎？

The psychological trauma that this inflicts,

這些事造成的心理創傷，

affecting her personality,

對人格的影響，

her academic performance

對學業成就的影響

and every single aspect of growing up during her early formative years?

以及對早期成長過程中 各方面的影響有多大呢？

I religiously followed all these restrictive customs for 13 years,

因信仰的緣故，我服從 這些規範十三年之久，

until a discussion with my partner, Tuhin,

直到一次我跟夥伴杜辛深談，

changed my perception about menstruation forever.

才永久改變了我對月經的概念。

In 2009, Tuhin and I were pursuing our postgraduation in design.

2009年時我和杜辛正為 從設計系畢業努力。

We fell in love with each other

我們墜入愛河，

and I was at ease discussing periods with him.

我跟他談到月經時是很自在的。

Tuhin knew little about periods.

杜辛對月經所知甚少。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

He was astonished to know that girls get painful cramps

他對女性經痛症狀

and we bleed every month.

及每月出血一事感到震驚。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Yeah.

沒錯。

He was completely shocked to know

他對女人在經期時受自家人

about the restrictions that are imposed upon menstruating girls and women

及社會所設下的約束

by their own families and their society.

感到徹底的震驚。

In order to help me with my cramps,

為了舒緩我的經痛症狀，

he would go on the Internet and learn more about menstruation.

我們上網搜尋經期相關資訊。

When he shared his findings with me,

當他跟我分享他找到的訊息時，

I realized how little I knew about menstruation myself.

我才發現自己對行經一事所知甚淺。

And many of my beliefs actually turned out to be myths.

而許多我所信奉的事原來不過是迷信。

That's when we wondered:

於是我們開始懷疑：

if we, being so well educated,

如果連受過高等教育的我們，

were so ill-informed about menstruation,

都對月經一事誤解這麼大，

there would be millions of girls out there who would be ill-informed, too.

一定有數百萬的女性 也對月經不清不楚。

To study --

為了深讀、

to understand the problem better,

並更了解問題本身，

I undertook a year-long research to study the lack of awareness about menstruation

我花了整整一年來找出 人們對月經的忽視

and the root cause behind it.

及其背後的元兇。

While it is generally believed

通常我們會認為

that menstrual unawareness and misconception is a rural phenomenon,

對月經無知、誤解是鄉村現象，

during my research,

但根據我的調查，

I found that it is as much an urban phenomenon as well.

這在城市也是普遍的現象。

And it exists with the educated urban class, also.

對城市中受教育階級也是如此。

While talking to many parents and teachers,

我在訪問許多家長及師長時，

I found that many of them actually wanted to educate girls about periods

發現很多人其實很想 在女孩們初經來潮前

before they have started getting their menstrual cycle.

教育她們有關月經的知識。

And --

然而——

but they lacked the proper means themselves.

她們苦於沒有適當的渠道。

And since it is a taboo,

而因為這是個忌諱的議題，

they feel inhibition and shameful in talking about it.

她們對談及此事感到壓抑及羞恥。

Girls nowadays get their periods in classes six and seven,

現在的女孩們在六、七年級就來月經，

but our educational curriculum

但我們的學校課程

teaches girls about periods only in standard eight and nine.

卻在標準的八、九年級 課程中才談到月經。

And since it is a taboo,

而因為此事是禁忌，

teachers still skip the subject altogether.

師長們仍是不約而同地 跳過這個主題。

So school does not teach girls about periods,

所以學校不教月經，

parents don't talk about it.

家長不談月經。

Where do the girls go?

女孩們怎麼辦？

Two decades ago and now --

二十年過去了，

nothing has changed.

今天還是如此，沒有任何改變。

I shared these finding with Tuhin and we wondered:

我跟杜辛分享這些成果，我們在想：

What if we could create something

是不是能創造些

that would help girls understand about menstruation on their own --

幫助女性了解自己經期

something that would help parents and teachers

並讓家長和師長們

talk about periods comfortably to young girls?

自在地和年輕女性談到月經的事呢？

During my research,

在我調查的過程中，

I was collecting a lot of stories.

我收集了很多故事。

These were stories of experiences of girls during their periods.

是關於女孩們月經期間的經歷。

These stories would make girls curious and interested

這些故事能激起女孩們 在她們的專屬社交圈裡

in talking about menstruation in their close circle.

談論經期的好奇心和興趣。

That's what we wanted.

這就是我們所要的。

We wanted something that would make the girls curious

我們希望激起女性的好奇心

and drive them to learn about it.

並讓她們有學習的動機。

We wanted to use these stories to teach girls about periods.

我們想用這些故事 來教女孩們認識月經。

So we decided to create a comic book,

因此我們著手畫漫畫，

where the cartoon characters would enact these stories

漫畫角色會敘述這些故事

and educate girls about menstruation in a fun and engaging way.

並用有趣且引人入勝的方式 教導關於月經的知識。

To represent girls in their different phases of puberty,

為了代表女孩在青春期的不同階段，

we have three characters.

我們創造了三個角色。

Pinki, who has not gotten her period yet,

還沒來初經的女孩彬琪，

Jiya who gets her period during the narrative of the book

在散文朗讀時來月經的女孩吉雅

and Mira who has already been getting her period.

以及穩定來月經的女孩米拉。

There is a fourth character, Priya Didi.

另外還有第四個角色毗拉蒂蒂。

Through her, girls come to know about the various aspects of growing up

藉著蒂蒂，女孩們學到成長中 不同方面的知識

and menstrual hygiene management.

以及經期衛生知識。

While making the book, we took great care

書本繪製期間，我們相當留心

that none of the illustrations were objectionable in any way

漫畫中沒有出現任何會引起反感

and that it is culturally sensitive.

和文化敏感的圖像。

During our prototype testing, we found that the girls loved the book.

初試水溫時，我們發現 女孩們都愛死了這本書。

They were keen on reading it

她們讀得很開心

and knowing more and more about periods on their own.

並學到越來越多關於 自身月經的知識。

Parents and teachers were comfortable in talking about periods

家長和師長們在使用此書

to young girls using the book,

來談月經一事時，都感到自在，

and sometimes even boys were interested in reading it.

有時候連男生都想讀這本書。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

(Applause)

（掌聲）

The comic book helped in creating an environment

這本漫畫書有助製造一個

where menstruation ceased to be a taboo.

不再將月經視為忌諱的環境。

Many of the volunteers took this prototype themselves to educate girls

很多志工用這本書來教導女孩

and take menstrual awareness workshops in five different states in India.

並在印度五個不同省份 開設教導經期意識的工作坊。

And one of the volunteers took this prototype to educate young monks

一位志工用這本書來教育年輕女僧

and took it to this monastery in Ladakh.

並將書帶到拉達克的修道院去。

We made the final version of the book, called "Menstrupedia Comic"

我們最終將書名訂為「經期百科」

and launched in September last year.

並在去年九月上市。

And so far,

至今，

more than 4,000 girls have been educated by using the book in India and --

有超過四千名女孩因此書受教

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Thank you.

謝謝你們。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

And 10 different countries.

分別在印度和十個不同國家。

We are constantly translating the book into different languages

我們不斷將此書翻譯為其他語言

and collaborating with local organizations

並與當地機關合作

to make this book available in different countries.

好提高此書在其他國家的知名度。

15 schools in different parts of India

十五個在印度不同地方的學校

have made this book a part of their school curriculum

已經將此書列入學校課程中

to teach girls about menstruation.

用以教導女性月經的知識。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

I am amazed to see how volunteers,

我對志工、個人、家長

individuals, parents, teachers, school principals,

師長、校長

have come together

能夠團結一心感到不可思議，

and taken this menstrual awareness drive to their own communities,

他們將月經意識帶到自己的社群中，

have made sure that the girls learn about periods at the right age

確保女孩們在對的年紀受教

and helped in breaking this taboo.

並協助破除經期忌諱。

I dream of a future where menstruation is not a curse,

我夢想在未來， 女性月經不再是詛咒，

not a disease,

不再是疾病，

but a welcoming change in a girl's life.

而是女性生命中值得欣喜的改變。

And I would --

我想－－

(Applause)

（掌聲）

And I would like to end this

我想用一個

with a small request to all the parents here.

對在座家長的小小請求來結束演講。

Dear parents,

親愛的家長們，

if you would be ashamed of periods,

如果你們對月經感到羞恥，

your daughters would be, too.

你們的女兒們同樣也會如此，

So please be period positive.

所以請積極面對月經。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Thank you.

謝謝你們。

(Applause)

（掌聲）