Pinkishe Foundation
31/10/2026
For most of history, people did not know why women bleed every month. So they filled the gap with stories. Period blood was called poisonous, magical or impure.
Greek doctors believed health depended on a balance of body fluids. They thought women bled to get rid of "extra" blood. This idea lasted for many centuries.
The Roman writer Pliny the Elder, in his book Natural History, wrote that a menstruating woman could sour wine, dull a steel blade and drive insects away from crops. None of this is true, but such ideas spread widely.
Many faiths set rules for the days of a period. In Jewish law, this time is called niddah, and it ends with a ritual bath. Rules for the days of a period are also found in some Hindu, Muslim, Christian and tribal communities. These rules grew from ideas about purity, not from medicine. Practice varies widely today, and every family decides for itself what it follows.
In some communities in Africa, Asia and among Indigenous peoples, women spent their periods in huts outside the village. In western Nepal this practice is called chhaupadi. Nepal banned chhaupadi in 2017 after women died in these huts, yet it still continues in places.
Many Indian families still follow rules during periods. Do not enter the kitchen. Do not touch the pickle. Do not go to the temple. Sleep separately. For many girls, these rules feel like shame.
But India also has old traditions that see menstruation as sacred and full of life.
Both sides show how deeply periods are woven into Indian life. Today many families keep the joy of these traditions and leave behind the rules that hurt a girl's health or schooling.
Here is what science showed. Each month, hormones build up the lining of the womb to get ready for a possible pregnancy. When there is no pregnancy, the hormones fall and the lining is shed as a period. It is a normal, healthy process. Period blood is not dirty or impure.
On 30 January 2026, in Dr Jaya Thakur v Government of India, the Supreme Court held that menstrual health is part of the right to life under Article 21. It gave directions for classes 6 to 12 on free products, vending machines, safe disposal, education, teacher training and annual inspection. In an order of 1 September 2026, the Court set the standard as compostable products meeting ISO 17088 read with IS 5405, and directed states towards reusable cups, period panties and reusable napkins.
Many girls and women now keep a note of their cycle, on paper or on a phone. It helps them plan, and it helps a doctor if something seems wrong. You can try our period and ovulation calculator.
Every myth about periods came from not knowing. When people learn how the body works, shame gives way to care. That is why simple, kind education for girls, boys, mothers and fathers still matters as much as products do.
Want to check what you know? Read our menstrual myths and facts, or how to bust period myths for good.
Last reviewed: October 2026.
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Prefer to work out your dates now? Open the free ovulation calculatorBecause people did not understand why women bled. Bleeding without an injury seemed mysterious, and many cultures explained it as impurity. Science has shown it is a normal, healthy process.
No. Period blood is the lining of the womb along with some blood. It is not dirty or impure, and a girl does not need to stay away from anyone or anything during her period for health reasons.
Yes. Ambubachi Mela at the Kamakhya temple in Assam, Raja Parba in Odisha, and first-period ceremonies in parts of South India.
Disposable pads were first sold at the end of the 19th century. They became common in India much later. Government schemes and low-cost local machines helped from the 2010s.
On 30 January 2026, in Dr Jaya Thakur v Government of India, the Supreme Court held that menstrual health is part of the right to life under Article 21. It gave directions for classes 6 to 12 on free products, vending machines, safe disposal, education, teacher training and annual inspection.
For centuries, people did not understand periods and explained them with myths. Science has shown that a period is a normal, healthy process, and India now treats menstrual health as a right. What is left is to replace shame with simple, kind education in every home and school.
Pinkishe Foundation is a specialist implementation organisation for menstrual health. We deliver, reliably, in schools and communities across India. Support our work with a donation.
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