Stock Images Shame Women On Their Periods, So Here Are 18 Pics That Show What It’s Really Like

What do you look like on your period? Just like your regular self? A sweaty mess? Wearing baggy black clothes head to toe?

Well if you believe what the stock images and period adverts show you, women are either doubled up crying in pain in pyjamas, or abseiling down a rock face with a group of gal pals wearing a floaty pink dress.

New research by period subscription box service Pink Parcel found that the way periods are illustrated online impact how we feel about our periods, according to The Independent.

Pink Parcel looked at stories and informational materials about periods on 100 websites and found that 91% of the images showed women looking like they were in pain, weak or upset – basically a crying blubbering mess.

Sites included Google, the NHS website and Bing.

Researchers then asked women about the way these images made them feel, and found that 40% felt the images were the reason they felt embarrassed about their periods, and less likely to speak openly about them.

The reality is that we all look different on our periods – obviously.

Of course some people do have crippling pains and cramps, and others find exercise really helps with the discomfort of a period, and some others just want to lie down and watch Netflix for the whole duration.

Some women feel more comfortable wearing all black in case their pad or tampon lets them down, and others are happy wearing lighter colours and dresses – all women are different.

To celebrate that difference, here are 18 pictures that show what women REALLY look like on their periods (spoiler: kind of similar to how they look the rest of the time).

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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.