Eagrán 3: Míostrú - Rud 'Taboo'? (Scribhínn/Transcript)

Focail úsáideacha ón eagrán/Useful words from the episode:

míostrú - menstruation

gnéasoideachas - sex education

aineolas - ignorance

mallacht - curse

buafa - toads

sofhriotal - euphemism

tionchar - influence

trasinscneach - transgender

neamh-dhénartha - non-binary

táirgí sláintíochta - sanitary products

anás míosta - period poverty

dul chun cinn - progress

faraor - unfortunately

go hoscailte - openly

de réir - according to

cumhacht - power

taithí - experience

le cúnamh Dé - hopefully

fiosrach - curious

cheana féin - already

pillín - pill

súitín - tampon

am den mhí - time of the month (period)

an fhuil mhíosta - period

Scríbhinn As Gaeilge

Haigh a chara! Fáilte ar ais go “Imperfect Irish” nó fáilte má tá tú anseo den chéad uair! Aon scéal? Inniu don tríú eagrán beimid ag caint faoi rud éigin saghas difriúil. Bíonn ábhar an eagráin seo sa nuacht go minic faoi láthair. Chomh maith leis sin, spreagadh an t-eagrán seo nuair a thosaigh mé ag smaoineamh siar ar phostáil a chur mé ar mo chuntas ar Instagram i rith an tsamhraidh. Bhain an postáil le míostrú agus thug mé faoi deara go luath nach raibh an chuid is mó den stór focal ar eolas ag daoine, mé féin san áireamh. Tháinig ionadh orm nuair a chuala mé daoine a d’fhreastail ar ghaelscoileanna agus ar ghaelcholáistí ag rá nach raibh an foclóir i nGaeilge ar eolas acu ach an oiread. Agus ansin chuir mé ceist orm féin – cén fáth? Cén fáth nach bhfuil na focail againn? Cén fáth nach mbíonn daoine ag caint faoi mhíostrú (i gcibé teanga) níos minice? Cén fáth go mothaímid saghas náireach nó amscaí faoi fiú amháin?

Caithfidh mé a admháil nach féidir liom na ceisteanna sin a fhreagairt. B’fhéidir go mbaineann sé lenár gcuid staire nó an gnéasoideachas in Éirinn nó aineolas ar an eolaíocht atá taobh thiar de mhíostrú. Ní féidir liom a rá go cinnte ach an t-aon rud atá ar eolas agam ná go bhfuil orainn an dearcadh ginearálta faoi mhíostrú a athrú. B’éigeann dúinn dul i ngleic leis an náire a bhaineann le míostrú.

Go stairiúil ní raibh daoine ar aon fhocal maidir le míostrú ach an oiread. Dar leis na Rómhánaigh, ba mallacht é míostrú. Cheap siad go raibh fuil mhíosta in ann barra a scriosadh agus fíon a ghéarú. Ar an taobh eile den scéal san Eoraip i ré na meánaoise bhreathnaigh roinnt daoine ar mhíostrú mar leigheas ar réimse leathan tinneas, lobhra san áireamh. Bhí daoine na Sean-Éigipte den tuairim céanna. B’fhéidir go bhfuil tú ag smaoineamh duit féin, ‘a Sophie cén fáth go bhfuil tú á insint seo domsa?’. Ar dtús ba mhaith liom a rá nach bhfuilim ag moladh go leanfaimis na nósanna stairiúla go háirithe toisc gur, ag pointe amháin, dhóití buafa agus d’úsáidtí iad chun crampaí a laghdú! Ach mar sin féin, sílim go dtaispeánann na tuairimí difriúla leis na céadta bliain go bhfuil meonta in ann athrú. Athraíonn dearcthaí agus mar sin tá an chumhacht againn agus an freagracht orainn an stiogma, chomh maith leis an gcaolaigeantacht, a ruaigeadh.

Agus anois, téarma an eagráin. Is é ‘sofhriotal’ an téarma a bheidh á phlé againn inniu. Maidir le Teanglann.ie (áis den chéad scoth mura bhfuil sé íoslóidáilte agat cheana féin – dean é) is focal firinscneach é sofhriotal a chiallaíonn ‘focal deas ar rud atá míthaitneamhach.’ Mar shampla, ag baint úsáide as ‘tá sé ar shlí an fhírinne’ in ionad ‘tá sé marbh’. Roghnaigh mé ‘sofhriotal’ mar théarma an eagráin seo mar is minic a úsáidtear iad nuair atá daoine ag caint faoi mhíostrú. I nGaeilge úsáidimid na sofhriotail ‘am den mhí’, ‘cúrsaí’ agus ‘cnúthacha’ - rud an-chosúil le céard a tharlaíonn sa Bhéarla. Luann sé seo an cumhacht a bhaineann le friotal agus an tionchar atá ag na focail a úsáidtear sa sochaí ar ár meon.

Agus ar ais anois go níos mó eolais faoi ábhar an lae. De réir suirbhé, déanta i 2018, bíonn náire ar 60 faoin gcéad de chailíní faoi mhíostrú. Agus b’fhéidir go gceapfá ‘ah, cén dochar?’. Nuair atá náire bainte le rud nádúrtha, le rud a tharlaíonn do na billiúin daoine, tá an damáiste soiléir i mo thuairimse. Cé gur rud nádúrtha é, ní rud éasca é do na daoine atá ar a gcúrsaí (agus úsáidim an focal ‘daoine’ mar ní hé mná amháin a bhíonn ar a gcúrsaí – is féidir leis an bhfuil mhíosúil teacht ar dhaoine trasinscneacha agus ar dhaoine neamh-dhénartha freisin). Bíonn taithí difriúil ag gach duine air. Is féidir le daoine fulaingt de bharr guagacht giúmair, bruth goirníní, crampaí, bolg ata agus tuirse méadaithe. Mar sin níl ionadh orm a fhoghlaim go gcailleann 61 faoin gcéad de dhaltaí amach ar scoil nuair atá siad ar a gcúrsaí. Ní rud éasca é an fhuil mhíosta do roinnt dhaoine ach go háirithe do dhaoine nach bhfuil an t-airgead acu chun na táirgí sláintíochta cearta a cheannach. Is fíor-fhadhb í anás míosta sa lá atá inniu ann anseo in Éirinn. Is féidir le táirgí sláintíochta, pillíní agus súitíní mar shampla, a bheith costasach. Mar gheall air sin, bíonn ar dhaoine rudaí mí-oiriúnacha cosúil le stocaí, páipéar leithris agus éadach a úsáid in ionad táirgí sláintíochta. A bhuí leis an stiogma a bhaineann le míostrú, fágtar daoine gan an cabhair agus an tacaíocht atá uathu. Caithfimid fáil réidh leis an náire. I mo thuairim ba cheart go mbeadh táirgí sláintíochta ar fáil saor in aisce i ngach foirgneamh poiblí. Le cúnamh Dé tarlóidh athrú ón mbarr anuas a bhuí le billí agus polasaithe nua mar chun dul i ngleic leis an stiogma, tá orainn an reachtaíocht a athrú freisin.

Tá súil agam go mbeidh normalú iomlán déanta ar mhíostrú lá amháin. Is muidne na ceannródaithe. Tá orainn ár ndícheall a dhéanamh chun a bheith ag caint go hoscailte faoi mhíostrú agus faoi anás míosta. Cé go bhfuil a lán fós le déanamh againn, táimid ar an mbealach ceart. Níl náire orm a rá go bhfuil an fhuil mhíosta orm agus mé ag caint leatsa faoi láthair. Ba cheart go labhrófaí faoi na rudaí seo i ngach teanga, i ngach áit ar fud an domhain. Tá dul chun cinn déanta againn cheana féin ach tá cuid mhór fós le déanamh againn.

Má tá tú i do chónaí i dtír eile taobh amuigh d’Éirinn, an bhfuil an dearcadh céanna ag daoine i dtaca le míostrú? An síleann tú go bhfuil daoine san áit ina bhfuil tú níos oscailte ag labhairt faoi? An bhfuil táirgí sláintíochta saor in aisce cheana féin i do thír/bhaile/cheantar? Táim saghas fiosrach faoi na dearcthaí éagsúla timpeall an domhain mar faraor is rud ‘taboo’ nó tá geis ar mhíostrú (mar a deirtear i nGaeilge) in Éirinn go fóill.

Míle buíochas as a bheith ag éisteacht leis an eagrán seo a chara. Agus go raibh maith agat as do chuid tacaíochta go ginearálta. Cuirfidh mé naisc sa bhio don eagrán seo do thuilleadh eolais faoi mhíostrú agus anás míosta agus conas is féidir leat cabhrú. Téigh i dteagmháil liom ar Instagram nó ar ríomhphost más maith leat. Má tá aon téama ann gur mhaith leat a chloisteáil ar an bpodchraoladh seo, inis dom agus déanfaidh mé mo dhícheall é a chur san áireamh. Go dtí an chéad eagrán eile, fan slán, labhair Gaeilge agus lean ar aghaidh ag déanamh botúin.

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Scríbhinn As Béarla

Hey friend! Welcome back to "Imperfect Irish" or welcome if you are here for the first time! How's it going? Today for the third episode we will talk about something kind of different. The content of this episode is often in the news now. Also, this edition was inspired when I started thinking back on a post that I put on my Instagram account during the summer. The post related to menstruation and I soon noticed that most of the vocabulary was not known to people, including myself. I became shocked when I heard people who attended Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí said they did not know the vocabulary in Irish either. And then I asked myself – why? Why don't we have the words? Why don't people talk about menstruation (in whichever language) more often? Why do we feel sort of shameful or even awkward about it?

I have to admit that I can't answer those questions. Perhaps it is to do with our history or sex education in Ireland or ignorance of the science behind menstruation. I can't say for sure the only thing I know is that we have to change the general view of menstruation. We have to tackle the embarrassment associated with menstruation.

Historically people were not of one mind regarding menstruation either. According to the Romans, menstruation was a curse. They believed menstrual blood could destroy crops and sour wine. On the other hand, some people during the Middle Ages viewed menstruation as a cure for a wide range of illnesses, including leprosy. The people of Ancient Egypt were of the same opinion. Maybe you’re thinking to yourself, 'Sophie why are you telling me this?'. Firstly I would like to say that I am not recommending we follow historical habits especially because, at one point, toads were burnt and used to reduce cramps! But anyway, I think the different views over the centuries show that attitudes can change. Attitudes change therefore we have the power and responsibility to banish the stigma, as well as the narrow mindedness.

And now the term of the episode. The term we will be discussing today is ‘sofhriotal’. According to Teanglann.ie (an amazing resource - if you haven't download it – do it right now) sofhriotal (euphemism i mBéarla) is a masculine word meaning 'a nice word for something that is unpleasant.' For example, using 'he’s on the way of truth' instead of 'he's dead’. I chose ‘sofhriotal' as the term of this episode because they are often used when people are talking about menstruation. In Irish we use the euphemisms 'time of the month', 'courses' and 'menses' - which is very similar to what happens in English. This highlights the power of wording and the influence of the words used in society on our mindset.

And back now to more information about the subject of the day. According to a survey, conducted in 2018, 60 percent of girls are ashamed by periods. And maybe you'd think 'ah, what harm?'. When something there is embarrassment associated with something natural, with something that happens to billions of people, the damage is clear, I think. Although it's natural, it's not an easy thing for the people on their periods (and I use the word 'people' because not only women get periods – they can also affect transgender and non-binary people). Everyone experiences it differently. People can suffer from moody swings, breakouts, cramps, bloating and increased fatigue. So, I'm not surprised to learn that 61 per cent of pupils miss out on school when they are on their period. Menstruation is not an easy thing for some people but especially for people who don't have the money to buy the appropriate sanitary products. Period poverty is a real problem here in Ireland today. Sanitary products, pads and tampons for example, can be expensive. Due to this, some people are forced to use unsuitable alternatives like socks, toilet paper and cloth instead of sanitary products. The stigma of menstruation means people are left without the help and support they need. We have to put an end to the shame. In my opinion, sanitary products should be available free of charge in all public buildings. Hopefully change will occur from the top down thanks to new bills and policy, because in order to tackle the stigma we must change legislation too.

I hope menstruation will be completely normalised one day. We are the trailblazers. We have to do our best to talk openly about menstruation and period poverty. While we still have a lot to do, we are headed in the right direction. For example, I am not ashamed to say that I am on my period as we speak. These things should be spoken about in every language. everywhere in the world. We have already made progress, but we still have a good bit to do.

If you are living in another country, outside of Ireland, do people have the same view in relation to menstruation? Do you think people where you are talk more openly about it? Are sanitary products already free in your country/town/area? I am sort of curious about the different views around the world because it is still 'taboo' (or ‘tá geis ar mhíostrú’ in Irish) in Ireland.

Many thanks for listening to this episode. And thank you for your support in general. I will include links in this episode’s bio for more information on menstruation and period poverty and what you can do to help. Contact me on Instagram or email if you like. If there is any theme that you want to hear on this podcast, let me know and I will do my best to include it. Until the next episode, stay safe, speak Irish and continue to make mistakes.