A woman called out her local leisure centre over a “misogynistic” sign telling women not to go in the pool while on their period.
Sophie Tabatadze, from Georgia, spotted the “offensive” sign at Vake Swimming Pool And Fitness Club, in the capital city of Tbilisi.
She immediately took to Facebook to complain about it and asked: “Since, according to your rules, we are not allowed to use a swimming pool 5-6 days each month, do we get a preferential price compared with men?”
The fitness club has since responded to Tabatadze to say they put the sign up as a preventative measure, because of a previous incident involving the water getting “contaminated”.
Using a pool is, for the record, completely safe and hygienic when you’re on your period - as long as you are wearing a tampon or menstrual cup.
“Tampons will collect the menstrual fluid before it leaves your body — so you don’t have to worry about signs of your period showing in the water,” reads the Tampax website.
In response to Tabatadze’s post, a spokesperson for Vake Swimming Pool And Fitness Club said its sign wasn’t “sexist”, but was more of a “preventive objective”.
“We had a case, when the water was contaminated due to which the we had suffered damage,” they said.
“We try to follow norms of hygiene and we ask our members to do the same.”
But Tabatadze said that menstruation has “nothing to do with hygiene”.
She added: “When you go into a public swimming pool you should accept certain level of germs. And since when are men exemplary clean creatures?”
In response to Tabatadze’s post, Melissa Eker questioned why they didn’t have a sign asking people not to urinate in the pool. “Because that happens MUCH more often, as well as diarrhoea, and is much more concerning,” she wrote.
“There are chemicals they put in pools regularly to deal with unknown fluids.
“There are Olympic swimmers that swim while on their periods. Leaks are uncommon.”
Another person, Therése Svensson, suggested that the “misogynistic” view might extend to other areas of the club too.
“When I wanted to sign up for a membership at the same pool a couple of years ago their doctor asked me detailed questions about possible pregnancies, abortions and sex life,” she wrote. “They are thus already on my black list.”
11 Questions Women Have About Their Periods
Why Is My Period Heavy?(01 of11)
Open Image ModalWhy Is My Period Too Light?(02 of11)
Open Image ModalUnlike extremely heavy periods, which can signal other health issues, light periods aren't as much of a concern. "The normal amount of bleeding is variable and ranges from light to heavy depending on the woman," Wong explains. As long as your periods are regularly occurring (every 23 to 35 days) there should be no concern. "If the amount of flow changes to become lighter it may represent a slight hormonal shift that is probably of no significance," Wong says. (credit:Piotr Marcinski via Getty Images)
Why Is My Period Late?(03 of11)
Open Image ModalWhy Is My Period Early?(04 of11)
Open Image ModalJust like late periods, early periods usually have a hormonal cause including stress, polycystic ovarian disease or thyroid hormone abnormality, says Wong.
And abnormal spotting or bleeding can also be mistaken for an earlier period — if you are concerned, check with your doctor. (credit:LuminaStock via Getty Images)
Why Is My Period Brownish In Colour?(05 of11)
Open Image ModalBrown coloured blood is common during the final days of your period. According to Wong, this is a result of the blood that has been settled in the uterus being expelled. (credit:gpointstudio via Getty Images)
Why Did I Miss My Period?(06 of11)
Open Image Modal"Missing a solitary period is likely from a temporary hormonal imbalance, usually caused by stress," says Wong. But birth control methods like the pill, patch, ring and IUD can also cause very light or non-existent bleeding.
If your periods become regular again after a missed period, then there should be no cause for alarm. However, if you regularly miss periods or have an irregular bleeding pattern, you could be experiencing hormonal issues caused by stress, abnormal thyroid levels, or polycystic disease.
As a reminder, if your period is irregular you should consult your doctor.
(credit:Marjan_Apostolovic via Getty Images)
Why Is My Period Lasting More Than Seven Days?(07 of11)
Open Image ModalPeriods can last anywhere between two and seven days, but anything more than this is considered a prolonged period.
"If you have periods lasting more than seven days on a regular basis, you should contact your doctor," says Wong.
Prolonged periods are often associated with heavy periods, and can lead to iron deficiency anemia that will affect your overall health.
(credit:gldburger via Getty Images)
Why Am I Getting My Period Twice, While On The Pill?(08 of11)
Open Image ModalAccording to Wong, this is actually a normal side effect of starting a new birth control pill, especially on that is low dose and is referred to as "break through bleeding."
If this is happening in the middle of the cycle, then it is likely hormonal and of no concern. But if it persists more than three months, Wong recommends seeing a doctor to adjust your medication and rule out other causes such as uterine/cervical polyps, and infection.
It is also advised to get an updated pap smear and cervical cancer screening in this scenario. (credit:SCIENCE SOURCE via Getty Images)
Why Did I Start Spotting Early?(09 of11)
Open Image ModalSpotting can be a side effect of being on a birth control pill, or using a copper IUD, Wong explains.
Spotting can be due to infections (STDs) and, or more concern, a sign of cervical cancer.
Harmless causes of vaginal spotting between periods can also include polyps on the cervix or a condition called "cervical ectropion," which are sensitive cells that protrude on the exposed surface of the cervix and are prone to infection and abrasions, Wong explains.
Your doctor should be able to detect both of these conditions during a pap smear.
(credit:Dorling Kindersley via Getty Images)
Why Am I Clotting?(10 of11)
Open Image Modal"Clotting can be a sign that your periods are very heavy," says Wong. (Check out the heavy periods section for more information). (credit:PhotoAlto/Odilon Dimier via Getty Images)
Why Am I Pooping A Lot More?(11 of11)
Open Image ModalDuring your period, the lining of your uterus produces a natural chemical called prostaglandins, Wong says. Prostaglandins causes small contractions of the uterus to help shed the lining during your period which can cause cramping. It also affects the intestines and can increase movement of the bowel, which results in more frequent bowel movements and sometimes, diarrhea. (credit:Vast Photography via Getty Images)