Blog
It’s a Period, Period
Marsa Sexual Health Center has released a video about menstruation titled “Leila The Spy,” and we love it.
The video has gone viral on social media sites due to the adorable and relatable nature of it; a young girl poses as a detective trying to figure out her friend’s “big secret” until one day, she figures it out when she gets her period, which was the big secret all along. The girl in the video decides to ignore the many female relatives offering her a medley of folksy advice about how to deal with her period, and instead claims that “el 3adi, 3adi” – which translates into “menstruation is normal.”
For any woman who grew up in Lebanon or in a similar society, this hits very close to home. Though better than many neighboring countries, Lebanese society still has a problem addressing sexual health issues, menstruation included. Girls are taught at a young age that getting your period is a big deal, beginning with celebrations and congratulations that are quickly followed by a set of rules on how to conceal your period. Just like the girl in the video, many young Lebanese women are embarrassed to be seen buying sanitary pads and will use a dark bag to conceal their purchase. Additionally, girls are taught to be hyper-aware of their periods, restricting them from many activities and signaling to them that what they’re going through is unordinary. Clearly, we still have miles to go in sexually educating the youth.
Marsa aims at creating a positive sexual attitude in our society that will hopefully bring an end to stigmas and stereotypes that are often related to sexuality and sexual issues, but their work does not end here. In addition to raising awareness, they provide comprehensive sexual healthcare in complete confidentiality and anonymity. Their services include but are not limited to: free testing and counseling for Sexually Transmitted Infections and HIV, offering psychological, dietetic, and social counseling to those dealing with HIV, and conducting PAP smears for women for the detection of cervical cancers.
With the absence of governmental agencies to provide free sexual counseling and healthcare and the absence of sexual education classes in most schools, we rely on centers like Marsa to take the lead and offer people some much needed guidance and care.
Now, if we could only have a video to help everyone understand that tampons don’t make you lose your virginity…
The video has gone viral on social media sites due to the adorable and relatable nature of it; a young girl poses as a detective trying to figure out her friend’s “big secret” until one day, she figures it out when she gets her period, which was the big secret all along. The girl in the video decides to ignore the many female relatives offering her a medley of folksy advice about how to deal with her period, and instead claims that “el 3adi, 3adi” – which translates into “menstruation is normal.”
For any woman who grew up in Lebanon or in a similar society, this hits very close to home. Though better than many neighboring countries, Lebanese society still has a problem addressing sexual health issues, menstruation included. Girls are taught at a young age that getting your period is a big deal, beginning with celebrations and congratulations that are quickly followed by a set of rules on how to conceal your period. Just like the girl in the video, many young Lebanese women are embarrassed to be seen buying sanitary pads and will use a dark bag to conceal their purchase. Additionally, girls are taught to be hyper-aware of their periods, restricting them from many activities and signaling to them that what they’re going through is unordinary. Clearly, we still have miles to go in sexually educating the youth.
Marsa aims at creating a positive sexual attitude in our society that will hopefully bring an end to stigmas and stereotypes that are often related to sexuality and sexual issues, but their work does not end here. In addition to raising awareness, they provide comprehensive sexual healthcare in complete confidentiality and anonymity. Their services include but are not limited to: free testing and counseling for Sexually Transmitted Infections and HIV, offering psychological, dietetic, and social counseling to those dealing with HIV, and conducting PAP smears for women for the detection of cervical cancers.
With the absence of governmental agencies to provide free sexual counseling and healthcare and the absence of sexual education classes in most schools, we rely on centers like Marsa to take the lead and offer people some much needed guidance and care.
Now, if we could only have a video to help everyone understand that tampons don’t make you lose your virginity…