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THREE-TIME Olympian Hannah Miley wants to banish dangerous euphemisms for periods that could leave young athletes feeling “dirty” or ashamed.
A study by a period and pregnancy tracker app and the International Women’s Health Coalition uncovered over 5,000 alternative terms for the monthly cycle across 10 different languages — yet conversations around the topic still remain taboo.
Miley finds when those rare discussions do happen, they are filled with unhelpful metaphors that recall adverts featuring blue liquid poured on pads and overjoyed women wearing all-white outfits.
“It all comes back to that simple word of just saying ‘period’,” said the swimmer, who competed at Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Rio 2016.
“A lot of people struggle to say it. It’s ‘shark week’, ‘leak week’ so many different words. The fact that we couldn’t even say ‘period products’, it was hygiene, sanitary products — that in and of itself creates that invisible barrier of being able to talk about it.”
Miley is adamant that menstrual health education and support needs to change and hopes more information and research will not just eliminate awkwardness between coaches and athletes, but actually inspire tailored training and open dialogue beyond elite level.
