10 Period Myths You Didn't Know Existed

It's Menstrual Hygiene Day on 28 May - a time to remember the excitement and panic of your first period. To mark the day WaterAid has collected some of the myths from around the world that still surround girls' periods - because for girls and women living without safe water and private toilets, there's a lot more to overcome than a leak through those white jeans.

1. Bathe or shower, and you'll get sick.

(Nearly worldwide, including here in the UK in earlier generations.)

2. If you burn or bury your menstrual pads, you’ll have your period constantly, forever.

(Common in Afghanistan.)

3. Touch a plant and it will dry out.

(Common in parts of East Africa.)

4. If you look in a mirror, it will lose its brightness.

(Dating to Roman times, as written by philosopher Pliny the Elder, this persisted in Europe for centuries afterward; still found in parts of East Africa today)

5. Touch milk and it will curdle.

(Also among Pliny the Elder’s gems; still a belief in parts of Africa and India.)

6. If you touch a cow, it will become infertile.

(Still in parts of India.)

7. Cold food or drinks will make cramps worse.

(Versions of this still circulate, from Russia across the Middle East to China – traditional Chinese medicine considers menstruation a time of rejuvenation and prescribes warming ginger tea, among other things.)

8. Don’t cut your hair or nails during your period or you’ll damage them.

(Still common in many countries. In parts of India, girls won’t polish their nails either, believing it won’t take.)

9. Don’t cook or attend temple during your period as you’re considered unclean.

(Lingers in some Hindu areas; Shinto temples in Japan also had traditional limits to menstruating women though these are now rarely enforced.)

10. Your period has magical powers.

(Another one from Pliny the Elder, who said exposing period blood to lightning flashes would drive away hailstorms and whirlwinds. Today in Suriname in South America, period blood is still thought to help a woman impose her will on a man – and to make a woman more susceptible to black magic. In Sierra Leone, used napkins are thought to make others infertile.)

Here's what to do.

WaterAid/Mustafah Abdulaziz Girls learn how to care for themselves during their periods at a government high school in Mithi, Pakistan.

If you are as incredulous as we are, join us on 28 May for Menstrual Hygiene Day. And take a moment to sign our petition, to remind world leaders that safe water, a private toilet and soap and water for washing hands matter even more to girls on their periods, and everyone, everywhere deserves them.