THIS IS THE NEW LIQUID GOLD
Why is discussing period blood so taboo? And not just in one culture or in one religion, but across many cultures and time. The English word “taboo” traces its roots to the Polynesian word “tapua”, a word associated with menstrual flow.
So, the very word we use for something forbidden somehow became linked to periods. And for centuries, that association shaped not just culture, but science itself.
Ancient physicians claimed menstruation caused hysteria, which is Ancient Greek and Latin for womb by the way. Roman scholars insisted period blood could wither crops, rust iron, and kill bees. Even in the 20th century, respected scientists published papers arguing menstruating women released an invisible toxin capable of wilting flowers.
It sounds absurd today. But these beliefs had consequences. For generations, menstrual blood was treated as something dirty or disgusting and certainly unworthy of serious scientific attention.
Which raises an uncomfortable question: What happens when prejudice decides what science gets to study? Because while researchers were busy trying to prove period blood was toxic, they missed something extraordinary hiding in plain sight.
The full story is far stranger and far more fascinating than you probably imagine. Watch the video to see how centuries of stigma may have delayed one of medicine’s most surprising discoveries.