British tennis player, Heather Watson this past week made the headlines across the world. Not because she lucked out in the Australian open but because of the reason why. Heather announced that her period had affected her ability to place tennis and the whole world went WTF? We don’t talk about such things. We talk about phantom elbow injuries or heat exhaustion for reasons of defeat but her period how bad could it be? It looks all smiles and horse riding on the sanitary pad ads.

Two questions: why is talking about your period so taboo, and why is it that unbelievable that it could affect your performance?

Through the ages the mysteries if menstruation has remained one of the great women’s secrets. Why? Because it isn’t funny. It is not all American Pie teenage humour. It is something that usually happens to all women and it affects us physically and mentally every month for a good 30-40 years. As human beings we are amazed by pregnancy and birth as well as saddened by death but this period thing; we seem to be embarrassed by. It is one of the major cycles of life. It should be respected. I don’t mean that we need to throw a rag day parade every month, but if any women says “sorry – not performing my best I have my period” a “ok no worries” whilst handing over a chocolate bar, is in order. If you had a cold and said the same thing no one would even bat an eyelid.

Even today, different cultures approach menstruation in so many different ways. In Australia we seem to smile and solider on with our stabbing pains and pain killers on board, in India most of the women are sent into sheds at the back of the house practically as sanitary items aren’t used and for superstitious reason. In African tribes there is also a hut for the women with their monthly – again so you don’t ruin crops. Some religions don’t allow access to the place of worship as a menstruating women is considered unclean. Somehow we need to make it more of a part of life and less of a mystery. Boys need to know how much it is apart of their life as well as the girls in theirs. More than the poorly done PMS jokes. They need to know how to support their mother, sisters, girlfriends, daughters and wives though this shitty part of the month.

This simple act of life can throw any women into a spin. Symptoms of having your period in an average person can range from stomach cramping, headaches, migraines, fatigue, dizziness, vagueness, anaemia at all varying degrees and uncontrolled eating of chocolate. In the elite athletes this can be heighten due to the additional stress of physical exhaustion and heighten emotional state. The support teams that monitor and track female athletes’ vital statistics keep a track of their cycles to manage when they will be at their peak performance verses to the competition schedule. In some cases athletic bodies have offered birth control to mange irritability and duration of their periods. That is how much it can affect athletes – their period is monitored along with heat rate, recovery rate and the like.

So PE teachers out there give those girls a break, journalists don’t be so shocked – and bosses allow for the occasional slow day. This is not a woman’s issue this is a people issue and should be treated that way.

Has your period ever affected your performance?