Oftentimes in polite society, we’re supposed to pretend like we don’t have bodies. We’re embarrassed if our stomaches grumble in a quiet classroom because we’re hungry for lunch. In the states, we look down on saying the word «toilet,» in favor of gentler words like «restroom» «water closet» or even «little girls/boys room.» If our bodies make any sort of involuntary noise, we’re supposed to say «excuse me,» as if our bodies are unruly children we would really rather get rid of. Like it or not, this is the way things run. And sure, we don’t need to go around burping in each other’s faces, but there has to be some middle ground where we can be humans with bodies and not feel so awkward about it. 

Menstruation is a hot-button topic when it comes to this subject. We’ve made a lot of progress about demystifying periods, and hopefully younger generations will be more evolved than us. But does that extend to the workplace? And where do we draw the line?