Amy Schumer Discusses Stigma Around Menstruation, Why She 'Didn't Have Period Shame' Growing Up




As for how she handled her own cycle as an adolescent, Schumer says she "didn't have period shame," explaining that is what the Tampax campaign "is about," at the end of the day: "Women have periods — that's how we're all alive, is that we get our periods. And then we don't. We have to continue the human race, but we don't talk about it."

"I didn't even know to be ashamed of it, so I would raise my hand and say, 'Can I go to the bathroom?' And if my teacher said no, I would say, 'I have to change my tampon or my pad. I have my period.' " she recalls. "Then everyone would giggle and the teacher would be so embarrassed, and that's kind of how I learned, 'Oh, you're supposed to be ashamed of this.' But I would say, 'I have my period' like I would ask someone what time it is; it was very normalized to me. And I hope that's what we're working toward."

Schumer also reveals that she chose to be honest about her bodily changes after giving birth to son Gene David in May 2019 for transparency's sake, saying it was "just as much for me as the idea that it can help anyone."

"For me to post a picture in my postpartum underwear and have an overwhelming number of women say, 'Oh my God, I remember those' — it's such a specific time and memory. It really connects us and is this thing I think people haven't spoken about very much," she says. "Maybe we haven't been in this position both with social media and a time where women are learning to stop apologizing for things they shouldn't apologize for."

"My friends will even text me after seeing posts, just like, 'Oh, I remember it was so hard,' " Schumer adds. "It's just really helpful to connect with other people on there."

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