5 things to know about periods. What you need to know about your period

Period. End of Sentence', a 25-minute documentary that fights stigmas surrounding menstruation in rural India, has won an Oscar for Best Documentary Short at the 91st Academy Awards on Monday. Directed by the Iranian-American director Rayka Zehtabchi, the film has been co-produced by Indian film producer Guneet Monga, who is also the producer of Masaan, Lunchbox.

Period was created by Oakwood High School students, who had also founded ‘The Pad Project, a non-profit organization, which aims to fight the stigma of menstruation, starting in a rural village outside of Delhi, India. The other nominations in the category for Best Documentary Short at the 2019 Academy Awards were Black Sheep, End Game, Lifeboat and A Night at the Garden.

“I’m not crying because I’m on my period, or anything,” said director Rayka Zehtabchi. “I can’t believe a film about menstruation just won an Oscar,” director Zehtabchi said in her acceptance speech. “I can’t believe a film about menstruation just won an Oscar,” the 25-year-old continued.


The short film Period follows a group of women in Hapur, Uttar Pradesh, while they learn to use a machine that produces low-cost biodegradable sanitary pads, which they sell to other women under the brand name FLY. Through the short documentary, the makers of Period attempt to make menstruation a taboo-free subject, which will help improve female hygiene and health as a whole.

What you need to know about your period
Basically, a period is the part of the menstrual cycle when a woman bleeds from her vagina for a few days. Basically, the menstrual cycle is part of your body’s way of preparing for a possible pregnancy each month. It also ensures that you have a period if you’re not pregnant. It is said that women experience about 450 periods during their lifetime.
Usually, a period happens every 28 days or so, but it’s common to start sooner or later than this, ranging from day 21 to day 40.
It’s common for girls to get periods, beginning at around the age of 12, although some girls will start them later. As per NHS, most girls will have regular periods from age 16 to 18.
The main types of sanitary products that absorb or collect the blood released during your period are sanitary pads, tampons, menstrual cups.
Changes in your periods can happen, ranging from getting lighter to lasting longer. While this doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a problem, you should get it checked by a doctor.
Your periods should continue until you reach the menopause, the process through which a woman ceases to be fertile or menstruate. Menopause usually occurs when you are in your late 40s to mid-50s.