Boys, I’m going to be bold for a second and call you out here.

Insisting that periods are the worst thing that has happened to humanity is worth an eye roll from the entire female population. And all the “that time of the month” jokes are not funny and they never will be.

Yes we may be a little moody every once in awhile but most of the time the reason isn’t associated with menstruation. It might be due to excessive amounts of math homework.

So please, for the love of all things good, stop making jabs at us girls about something we can’t control.

Guys, I promise you that if we had a choice we wouldn’t tolerate the three to seven days of pure misery from cramps, bad moods, acne breakouts and cravings for foods that will make all the previous symptoms even worse.

I’m sorry if our monthly gift from Mother Nature proves to be a little inconvenient for you, but we don’t want to hear about it. We hate periods more than you do because we actually have to suffer through them.

Periods don’t only affect our bodies, but also our wallets.

There are only five states in America that don’t place a tax on tampons, and Texas unfortunately is not one of those lucky few.

Feminine hygiene products are a necessity to every woman’s life but yet the government doesn’t see this necessity on the same level as other untaxed necessities such as groceries and medicine. Basically we are being taxed for being normal, healthy women.

And it’s not just the pads and tampons that we’re spending money on. Advil, Midol, heating pads and chocolate add to the expenses of being female.

Women on average have 450 periods during their lifetime, so we can’t simply not buy the products and go on our little merry ways.

And transporting these products, now that’s a whole other story.

We hide tampons literally anywhere we can. In sleeves, socks, Patagonia pockets, boots, shoes and secret backpack compartments. They’re so concealed you would think tampons are the secret government files of the JFK assassination.

Having to make every trip to the bathroom a covert operation is honestly so exhausting since periods are a natural part of every female’s life. It’s a sign of health, not one of doom that sparks World War III.

And it’s not just peers that discourage mentioning menstruation, companies advertise hygiene products on the basis of being “discreet” and “comfortable”, but maybe some of us aren’t comfortable with being discreet.

I don’t understand why I have to figure out a way to utilize my outfit as a means to hide a tampon. It’s just a piece of cotton.

I’m mainly writing this because I am sick and tired of having to be silent and apologetic about natural occurrences in my body. I am very aware that not all boys are squeamish and immature on this subject, but I have run into far too many that are.

Women should have the right to discuss their bodies and cycles in any capacity they want without the fear of being judged.

So let’s start the reversal of the taboo by not having to find bizarre places to hide tampons and teaching boys that it’s okay to say the word “tampon.” Periods are a natural part of every girl’s life, they shouldn’t be shameful.