Written by Sunaina
Edited by Nishtha
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When we think of puberty, the awkward stage of growing up comes to mind, the stage that was sudden bursts of height, the realization that there's more hair on you than yesterday, not to mention the change in voice. But what we don’t talk about is discharge. Or 'morning wood'. In fact, we don't talk about the change in sizes of features that people show after puberty. The size of breasts, penises, or even thighs. These topics are never talked about. They are never discussed, creating a world of stigma and stereotypes.
There is a need to know about these things, and to understand why they happen. What we need is for schools and colleges to spread awareness about these things. To remove the stigma. To lessen the amount of murders, rapes or assaults committed by those who misunderstand what is truly happening.
‘Vaginal discharge is a clear, white or off-white fluid that comes out of your vagina. Your uterus,
cervix and vagina produce vaginal discharge, which is mainly made up of cells and bacteria. It
helps clean and lubricate your vagina, and helps fight off bad bacteria and infection. Discharge
from your vagina is a natural and normal process, but changes to your discharge can be a sign
of infection or disease.’
Meaning? It could be life-threatening. Considering how censored of a topic this is, how many people would have had different reactions to discovering this? How many people would have lived another day if someone had just educated them about this?
Similarly, another unspoken issue is that of sperm cramps. Even those who go through it refuse to talk about it. Which begs the question, how many people would probably be better off if this was talked about? Is it possible to quantify? Is it possible to go ask?
'Sperm cramps, primarily refers to a discomfort or pain that men experience in their lower abdominal region or testicles.'
Some of these cramps could potentially land a person in surgery, if neglected. Years ago, our sexual health and body was praised, adored and put on a pedestal. No one ‘compared sizes’, nor created stigma about the same. Our ancestors wrote books about our bodies. Several medical practices had specific sections dedicated to properly understanding the reproductive organs. Thighs, breasts and the different body types in women were adored. Almost worshiped, one can say. Temples and epigraphy indicate how much they were adored. So why not now? Why not remove stigma and educate? Who creates such inhibitions for us to suffer from? It is us, who not only feed into such misconceptions, but also create them. It is time for us to break the cycle. If our ancestors could do so way back then, why can’t we do so now?
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