Sport

Joanne O’Riordan: If talk of periods in sport freaks you out, ask yourself why

Health shouldn’t be a taboo subject, and we shouldn’t be uncomfortable hearing that women bleed

Daria Saville of Australia plays a backhand against Viktoriya Tomova of Bulgaria during Wimbledon. Photograph: Justin Setterfield/Getty
Daria Saville of Australia plays a backhand against Viktoriya Tomova of Bulgaria during Wimbledon. Photograph: Justin Setterfield/Getty
Joanne O'Riordan's picture
Joanne O'Riordan
Thu Jul 14 2022 - 06:00

We’ve all been there when it’s close to our time of the month. Tired, sore boobs, zero energy, brain fog and ready to cry at the drop of a hat. Fortunately, these things are not taboo any more. Periods and their impact had been rarely discussed, if ever. The original awkward whisper to a friend about sore boobs is now an actual discussion among peers and friends. Fortunately, sport is changing that conversation.

It started with women tennis players getting annoyed about the all-white attire at Wimbledon. If girls happen to get their period, the fear is it’ll leak through and cause embarrassment. Australian tennis player Daria Saville has revealed she was forced to “skip her period” because of the strict all-white dress code while playing at Wimbledon. It was soon very clear she wasn’t alone as multiple calls were made for Wimbledon to help women out — but this is the traditional tennis event that rarely moves from tradition.

Then the England women’s national team and the European Championship hosts spoke publicly about their all-white kit, saying the players feel awkward and uncomfortable when bleeding. Following England’s 1-0 win against Austria at Old Trafford last Thursday, goal scorer Beth Mead spoke about how the team, who are in an all-white strip designed by Nike for the tournament, had given feedback to the global sports brand over their concerns about white shorts and the fear of having your period while wearing them.

If people think this impact is highly exaggerated, PC gone mad, or nonsensical, read the dropout statistics for young girls. In a Women in Sport study, six out of 10 girls said that failing during puberty made them want to quit. Seven out of 10 girls avoid trying new things during puberty because they are too afraid to fail. Some 64 per cent of girls will have quit sports by the age of finishing puberty (16-17).

READ MORE

Effortless changes like darker shorts, opening the conversation and encouraging girls to be aware and open are significant. Bleeding once a month happens to billions of women globally, yet we refuse to talk about it or even advertise it properly on TV. Some of these don’t cost a thing to fix, so why are we still pretending it doesn’t exist.

In many period product adverts, the demonstration usually involves a blue liquid. Maybe I’m doing this whole growing up thing wrong, but my period isn’t blue. Nor is it a smooth flow as portrayed on television.

It’s ugly, it’s messy, it’s awful. Some days I’m like an Antichrist. On other days I could run a marathon. Unfortunately, I’ve yet to be the lovely actress in the advert who glides gracefully through the air like a ballerina.

Campaigners from Address The Dress Code outside the main gate at Wimbledon protest over its all white dress code while women are on their period. Photograph: Kirsty O'Connor/PA
Campaigners from Address The Dress Code outside the main gate at Wimbledon protest over its all white dress code while women are on their period. Photograph: Kirsty O'Connor/PA

The other upside to being more open is breaking down the trend of skipping your period or getting it at the right time by using contraception. If that’s recommended by your doctor to alleviate other symptoms associated with your period, great, I’m all for it.

But the danger of skipping your period is incredibly dangerous. Aside from putting your body through stress or fight or flight, there are also greater long-term risks. Bobby Clay, a former track phenomenon, missed her period regularly and thought nothing of it. But regularly skipping periods, also known as amenorrhoea, could have really dangerous side effects when done without medical supervision.

[ Why periods must no longer be a taboo subject in sport ]

RTÉ hosted a landmark conversation during the women’s Euros with Jacqui Hurley, Richie Sadlier, Megan Campbell and Lisa Fallon about the overall impact of the menstrual cycle. As well as Campbell’s honesty about how she relays information with her coaches about her cycle, Sadlier broke down the stigma that this is solely a woman’s problem.

Many coaching positions across all sports are predominantly held by men. Many in the boardroom are also men. Girls and boys grow up expecting men to lead. We can’t wait for the role reversal to occur, but we have to start encouraging male allies into the conversation. Even thinking about my last doctor’s appointment, it was primarily men that I encountered. I’ve no limbs, so obviously, I have to be pretty vocal about some things.

But having this conversation on the national broadcaster will hopefully inspire everyone to open up. Health shouldn’t be a taboo subject, and we shouldn’t be uncomfortable hearing that women bleed and shouldn’t be embarrassed to disclose medical information that could change your life if modified and rectified.

Normalising periods and using your cycle to enhance performance is a concept that is taking off, and the conversation is starting now. If it is something that freaks you out, I will encourage you to ask yourself why.

Many top teams in the world are using their cycle to peak when tournaments come around. Surely it’s high time we can respect these athletes and help them feel their best selves and perform to the highest level.

READ NEXT