What is menstrual health?

May 28 is Menstrual Health Day, and yes, I mean health, not hygiene.

While “hygiene” might sound harmless, it carries a long history of framing periods as something dirty or shameful. When we focus only on “hygiene,” we reduce menstruation to a cleanliness issue, ignoring the bigger picture. Menstruation is a health issue, with real social, economic, and emotional impacts. And it deserves to be talked about openly, honestly, and with dignity. It’s physical, mental, and social wellbeing, from your first bleed to your last hot flash (and everything in between).

So let’s break it down:

🩸 Physical well-being
Your menstrual cycle is a vital sign,  a reflection of what's happening in your body. Menstrual health includes:
— Cycles that are manageable and understood
— Access to care for pain, heavy bleeding, and conditions like PCOS, endometriosis and adenomyosis
— Understanding hormonal changes across life stages, from menarche to menopause
— Support after birth and through perimenopause and postmenopause
— Gender-affirming care for all bodies that bleed or once did

🧠 Mental and emotional well-being
Hormones deeply influence mood, energy, memory, and identity, yet we’re rarely taught how to navigate those shifts. Menstrual health means:
— Care that acknowledges the emotional toll of cycle-related conditions like PMDD
— Support for mental health through pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause
— Holding space for dysphoria, discomfort, or disconnection in gender-diverse experiences
— Emotional support and education during perimenopause, a phase often ignored

🤝 Social and cultural well-being
Menstrual health is also about how we’re seen, treated, and supported by our communities and systems. That includes:
— Shame-free access to products and care
— Education that includes all genders and bodies

 — Ability to engage with cultural rituals around menstruation that feel right for the individual
— Workplace policies that support time off and real compassion
— Conversations that make space for menopausal people, not just menstruating ones
— Ending stigma, from first bleed to final hot flash and beyond

Menstrual health doesn’t end with your last period.
It’s a life-long relationship with your body — and you deserve support at every stage.

Whether you’re bleeding, trying to conceive, recovering postpartum, starting HRT, or moving through menopause — your experience matters. Your body deserves care, dignity, and affirmation.