{"id":195925,"date":"2026-02-04T13:45:38","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T12:45:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=195925"},"modified":"2026-02-05T10:56:54","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T09:56:54","slug":"humour-and-provocation-caused-cracks-in-the-menstruation-taboo-maria-carmen-punzi-discovered","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2026\/02\/04\/humour-and-provocation-caused-cracks-in-the-menstruation-taboo-maria-carmen-punzi-discovered\/","title":{"rendered":"Humour and provocation caused cracks in the menstruation taboo, Maria Carmen Punzi discovered"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-intro-font-size\">Now that menstruation is more visible than ever, the taboo has largely been broken, concludes researcher Maria Carmen Punzi. At the end of January, she obtained her PhD on the role of social enterprises in that process. In the meantime, she took up the gauntlet herself with her Instagram account <em>Periods with Maria Carmen<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1067\" src=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Maria-Carmen-Punzi_promotie_Senaatszaal_23012026_-Pien-Duthmann_16-1600x1067.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-195639\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Maria-Carmen-Punzi_promotie_Senaatszaal_23012026_-Pien-Duthmann_16-1600x1067.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1769433208 1600w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Maria-Carmen-Punzi_promotie_Senaatszaal_23012026_-Pien-Duthmann_16-875x583.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1769433208 875w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Maria-Carmen-Punzi_promotie_Senaatszaal_23012026_-Pien-Duthmann_16-300x200.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1769433208 300w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Maria-Carmen-Punzi_promotie_Senaatszaal_23012026_-Pien-Duthmann_16-1280x854.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1769433208 1280w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Maria-Carmen-Punzi_promotie_Senaatszaal_23012026_-Pien-Duthmann_16-1536x1024.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1769433208 1536w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Maria-Carmen-Punzi_promotie_Senaatszaal_23012026_-Pien-Duthmann_16-2048x1366.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1769433208 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><p>At the end of January, Maria Carmen Punzi obtained her PhD for her research on menstruation taboos and social enterprises.<\/p> <p data-component=\"image-credits\" class=\"flex flex-wrap gap-2 items-center text-base\">\n\t<span aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n<path d=\"M19.5 5.25H16.9012L15.6234 3.33375C15.555 3.23114 15.4623 3.147 15.3535 3.08879C15.2448 3.03057 15.1233 3.00007 15 3H9C8.87665 3.00007 8.75522 3.03057 8.64648 3.08879C8.53773 3.147 8.44502 3.23114 8.37656 3.33375L7.09781 5.25H4.5C3.90326 5.25 3.33097 5.48705 2.90901 5.90901C2.48705 6.33097 2.25 6.90326 2.25 7.5V18C2.25 18.5967 2.48705 19.169 2.90901 19.591C3.33097 20.0129 3.90326 20.25 4.5 20.25H19.5C20.0967 20.25 20.669 20.0129 21.091 19.591C21.5129 19.169 21.75 18.5967 21.75 18V7.5C21.75 6.90326 21.5129 6.33097 21.091 5.90901C20.669 5.48705 20.0967 5.25 19.5 5.25ZM15.375 12.375C15.375 13.0425 15.1771 13.695 14.8062 14.25C14.4354 14.8051 13.9083 15.2376 13.2916 15.4931C12.6749 15.7485 11.9963 15.8154 11.3416 15.6852C10.6869 15.5549 10.0855 15.2335 9.61351 14.7615C9.14151 14.2895 8.82007 13.6881 8.68985 13.0334C8.55962 12.3787 8.62646 11.7001 8.88191 11.0834C9.13735 10.4667 9.56993 9.93964 10.125 9.56879C10.68 9.19794 11.3325 9 12 9C12.8951 9 13.7535 9.35558 14.3865 9.98851C15.0194 10.6214 15.375 11.4799 15.375 12.375Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\t<span class=\"sr-only\">Image by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t<span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/persons\/pien-duthmann\/\" class=\"underline hocus:no-underline decoration-1 underline-offset-2\">Pien D\u00fcthmann<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Friends, acquaintances, even complete strangers share intimate details about their menstruation with Maria Carmen Punzi. \u201cThat&#8217;s how little we know\u201d, she concludes from that. \u201cThat you&#8217;d rather ask a stranger than your doctor or a loved one.\u201d She believes everyone should learn about menstruation. \u201cBecause we all have to deal with it. If you don&#8217;t menstruate yourself, then your mother, a good friend or colleagues do.\u201d On her Instagram account <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/periodswithmariacarmen\/\">Periods with Maria Carmen<\/a>, she shares a lot of information, for example about exercising during your period and menstrual products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t<div data-name=\"acf\/posts-list\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"sr-only\">Een lijst met artikelen<\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"space-y-6 md:space-y-8\">\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<ul class=\"grid items-strecth grid-cols-1 gap-2 md:gap-4 lg:gap-8\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"@container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<div data-component=\"teaser-post-small\" class=\"block-theme-sand  relative flex h-full bg-sand-300\n\tblock-theme-violet:bg-white block-theme-violet:text-purple block-theme-mocha:bg-sand-500 block-theme-mocha:text-brown\n\tblock-theme-sand:bg-sand-300 block-theme-sand:text-neutral-900\n\tblock-theme-violet:outline-purple-100 block-theme-violet:outline-1 block-theme-violet:outline-t-0\n\ttheme-mocha:bg-white! theme-violet:bg-white! theme-sand:bg-white!\n\tflex-row gap-4 @md:gap-8 p-4 @md:p-6\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"image:w-full image:aspect-square image:object-cover shrink-0 size-17.5 @sm:size-21.25 @md:size-30 @lg:size-40\">\n\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"460\" height=\"307\" src=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/07\/27160802\/Maria-Carmen-Punzi-foto-Amber-Leijen.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139251\" class=\"attachment-square_lg size-square_lg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/07\/27160802\/Maria-Carmen-Punzi-foto-Amber-Leijen.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139251 2000w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/07\/27160802\/Maria-Carmen-Punzi-foto-Amber-Leijen-300x200.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139251 300w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/07\/27160802\/Maria-Carmen-Punzi-foto-Amber-Leijen-875x583.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139251 875w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/07\/27160802\/Maria-Carmen-Punzi-foto-Amber-Leijen-1280x853.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139251 1280w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/07\/27160802\/Maria-Carmen-Punzi-foto-Amber-Leijen-1600x1066.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139251 1600w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/07\/27160802\/Maria-Carmen-Punzi-foto-Amber-Leijen-150x100.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139251 150w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/07\/27160802\/Maria-Carmen-Punzi-foto-Amber-Leijen-225x150.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139251 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 460px) 100vw, 460px\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div class=\"flex flex-col gap-2 md:gap-4 \">\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"text-md @lg:text-lg\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2021\/07\/28\/there-are-so-many-barriers-on-the-road-to-equity-menstruation-should-not-be-one-of-them\/\" class=\"absolute-link text-current hocus:underline inline-block\">\n\t\t\t\t\u2018There are so many barriers on the road to equity, menstruation should not be one of them&#8217;\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\n\t\t<div class=\"flex flex-wrap gap-4 items-center\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"sr-only\">Gepubliceerd op:<\/span>\n\t\t\t<time class=\"text-sm font-soehne text-neutral-900\" datetime=\"2021-07-28\">28 July 2021<\/time>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t<ul data-component=\"list-badges\" class=\"flex items-center gap-2 flex-wrap\" aria-label=\"Geplaatst in categorie\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div data-component=\"badge\" class=\"block-theme-violet:bg-purple font-soehne font-bold text-sm bg-brown-600 block-theme-violet:bg-purple text-white py-[2px] px-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\tScience\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Punzi, one of the reasons people are reluctant to talk about menstruation is that it is rarely portrayed accurately. For years, adverts for menstrual pads and tampons featured happy women doing cartwheels. There was never a drop of blood to be seen, just a blue liquid. &#8220;You never see people on their period in films or series either. In books? Hardly ever\u201d, says Punzi. \u201cI have faith in the next generation of creators; they will change this \u2013 they are already doing so.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For years, major suppliers of menstrual products played a major role in perpetuating the stigma surrounding menstruation, Punzi concludes <a href=\"https:\/\/pure.eur.nl\/en\/publications\/the-business-of-breaking-taboos-social-entrepreneurs-as-catalysts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">in her doctoral research<\/a>. It was something that had to remain hidden and unspoken. The research shows that smaller, social enterprises helped break that taboo. In addition to menstruation, these companies also talk about hormones, cycles, vaginal health and other aspects of the health of menstruating people, thereby contributing to more public knowledge, according to Punzi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Slow change<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The social enterprises that Punzi researched use humour and provocation to make menstruation discussable. \u201cThat combination proved crucial\u201d, she says. \u201cIt broke the ice of the taboo.\u201d A well-known campaign is the one from 2014 by the Dutch company Yoni, a manufacturer of menstrual products such as organic cotton pads and tampons and menstrual cups. The slogan \u2018chemicals are not for pussies\u2019 sparked a conversation about vaginal health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1067\" src=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Maria-Carmen-Punzi_promotie_Senaatszaal_23012026_Pien-Duthmann_12-1600x1067.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-195635\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Maria-Carmen-Punzi_promotie_Senaatszaal_23012026_Pien-Duthmann_12-1600x1067.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1769433023 1600w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Maria-Carmen-Punzi_promotie_Senaatszaal_23012026_Pien-Duthmann_12-875x583.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1769433023 875w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Maria-Carmen-Punzi_promotie_Senaatszaal_23012026_Pien-Duthmann_12-300x200.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1769433023 300w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Maria-Carmen-Punzi_promotie_Senaatszaal_23012026_Pien-Duthmann_12-1280x854.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1769433023 1280w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Maria-Carmen-Punzi_promotie_Senaatszaal_23012026_Pien-Duthmann_12-1536x1024.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1769433023 1536w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Maria-Carmen-Punzi_promotie_Senaatszaal_23012026_Pien-Duthmann_12-2048x1366.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1769433023 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><p>After obtaining her doctorate, Punzi is congratulated by her paranymphs.<\/p> <p data-component=\"image-credits\" class=\"flex flex-wrap gap-2 items-center text-base\">\n\t<span aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n<path d=\"M19.5 5.25H16.9012L15.6234 3.33375C15.555 3.23114 15.4623 3.147 15.3535 3.08879C15.2448 3.03057 15.1233 3.00007 15 3H9C8.87665 3.00007 8.75522 3.03057 8.64648 3.08879C8.53773 3.147 8.44502 3.23114 8.37656 3.33375L7.09781 5.25H4.5C3.90326 5.25 3.33097 5.48705 2.90901 5.90901C2.48705 6.33097 2.25 6.90326 2.25 7.5V18C2.25 18.5967 2.48705 19.169 2.90901 19.591C3.33097 20.0129 3.90326 20.25 4.5 20.25H19.5C20.0967 20.25 20.669 20.0129 21.091 19.591C21.5129 19.169 21.75 18.5967 21.75 18V7.5C21.75 6.90326 21.5129 6.33097 21.091 5.90901C20.669 5.48705 20.0967 5.25 19.5 5.25ZM15.375 12.375C15.375 13.0425 15.1771 13.695 14.8062 14.25C14.4354 14.8051 13.9083 15.2376 13.2916 15.4931C12.6749 15.7485 11.9963 15.8154 11.3416 15.6852C10.6869 15.5549 10.0855 15.2335 9.61351 14.7615C9.14151 14.2895 8.82007 13.6881 8.68985 13.0334C8.55962 12.3787 8.62646 11.7001 8.88191 11.0834C9.13735 10.4667 9.56993 9.93964 10.125 9.56879C10.68 9.19794 11.3325 9 12 9C12.8951 9 13.7535 9.35558 14.3865 9.98851C15.0194 10.6214 15.375 11.4799 15.375 12.375Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\t<span class=\"sr-only\">Image by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t<span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/persons\/pien-duthmann\/\" class=\"underline hocus:no-underline decoration-1 underline-offset-2\">Pien D\u00fcthmann<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Since the beginning of this century, there has been an increase in social enterprises, as Punzi describes them. She is referring to companies that put the social mission at the core of their business, for example donating one product to someone experiencing period poverty for every product sold, or donating money to organisations that support women\u2019s financial and social wellbeing. &#8220;They build on menstruation activism that is much older. A slow change that started fifty to thirty years ago and has been accelerating since 2015. 2015 is also known as the year of menstruation, because the drummer and activist Madame Gandhi \u2018free-bled\u2019 while running the London marathon, meaning that she did not wear any menstrual product, to raise awareness about period poverty. The images of her crossing the line with blood on her clothes sparked a lot of discussion.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Punzi says that social enterprises have sprung up all over the world. \u201cThey participate in the market, but their core mission revolves around social change. For example, they are committed to making high quality menstrual products accessible and affordable, which is not yet the case everywhere.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>It&#8217;s about your health<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It is now important to continue to make this topic more discussable, says Punzi. She is also committed to this herself through her Instagram channel. \u201cDuring the past decade of working on this topic, I have become somewhat of a social entrepreneur myself\u201d, she says, describing her public engagement, her consultancy work for organizations like the European Parliament and the Gates Foundation and her online activism. Everyone can contribute, Punzi believes: \u201cIf you don&#8217;t menstruate, read up on it or talk to loved ones who do. What are their experiences and what can help them?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1066\" src=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Maria-Carmen-Punzi_promotie_Senaatszaal_23012026_-Pien-Duthmann_10-1600x1066.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-195636\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Maria-Carmen-Punzi_promotie_Senaatszaal_23012026_-Pien-Duthmann_10-1600x1066.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1769433039 1600w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Maria-Carmen-Punzi_promotie_Senaatszaal_23012026_-Pien-Duthmann_10-875x583.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1769433039 875w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Maria-Carmen-Punzi_promotie_Senaatszaal_23012026_-Pien-Duthmann_10-300x200.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1769433039 300w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Maria-Carmen-Punzi_promotie_Senaatszaal_23012026_-Pien-Duthmann_10-1280x853.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1769433039 1280w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Maria-Carmen-Punzi_promotie_Senaatszaal_23012026_-Pien-Duthmann_10-1536x1024.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1769433039 1536w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Maria-Carmen-Punzi_promotie_Senaatszaal_23012026_-Pien-Duthmann_10-2048x1365.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1769433039 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><p>&#8220;Menstruation says a lot about your health, Punzi emphasises&#8221;, says Punzi.<\/p> <p data-component=\"image-credits\" class=\"flex flex-wrap gap-2 items-center text-base\">\n\t<span aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n<path d=\"M19.5 5.25H16.9012L15.6234 3.33375C15.555 3.23114 15.4623 3.147 15.3535 3.08879C15.2448 3.03057 15.1233 3.00007 15 3H9C8.87665 3.00007 8.75522 3.03057 8.64648 3.08879C8.53773 3.147 8.44502 3.23114 8.37656 3.33375L7.09781 5.25H4.5C3.90326 5.25 3.33097 5.48705 2.90901 5.90901C2.48705 6.33097 2.25 6.90326 2.25 7.5V18C2.25 18.5967 2.48705 19.169 2.90901 19.591C3.33097 20.0129 3.90326 20.25 4.5 20.25H19.5C20.0967 20.25 20.669 20.0129 21.091 19.591C21.5129 19.169 21.75 18.5967 21.75 18V7.5C21.75 6.90326 21.5129 6.33097 21.091 5.90901C20.669 5.48705 20.0967 5.25 19.5 5.25ZM15.375 12.375C15.375 13.0425 15.1771 13.695 14.8062 14.25C14.4354 14.8051 13.9083 15.2376 13.2916 15.4931C12.6749 15.7485 11.9963 15.8154 11.3416 15.6852C10.6869 15.5549 10.0855 15.2335 9.61351 14.7615C9.14151 14.2895 8.82007 13.6881 8.68985 13.0334C8.55962 12.3787 8.62646 11.7001 8.88191 11.0834C9.13735 10.4667 9.56993 9.93964 10.125 9.56879C10.68 9.19794 11.3325 9 12 9C12.8951 9 13.7535 9.35558 14.3865 9.98851C15.0194 10.6214 15.375 11.4799 15.375 12.375Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\t<span class=\"sr-only\">Image by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t<span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/persons\/pien-duthmann\/\" class=\"underline hocus:no-underline decoration-1 underline-offset-2\">Pien D\u00fcthmann<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>People who menstruate can also contribute to further breaking down existing taboos surrounding menstruation. Punzi says: \u201cThink about how you talk and think about this subject. We&#8217;ve all heard it before: \u201cYou&#8217;re so cranky, are you on your period or something?\u201d Have you come to believe that others who are having a bad day are on their period? And where does that come from?\u2019 Menstruation says a lot about your health, Punzi emphasises. For example, if it suddenly stops, it is usually a sign that you are experiencing unusual stress or that you are not eating enough calories and therefore your body lacks the energy and safety to ovulate. \u201cMany people don&#8217;t know this, which is another reason why it&#8217;s important to talk about this topic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Menstruation is also a topic for the workplace, Punzi believes. \u201cAs a manager, make it clear to your team that these issues can be discussed \u2013 but that they don&#8217;t have to be. You also have a right to privacy; you don&#8217;t have to share everything.\u201d It&#8217;s about health, and it should be possible to talk about that at work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t<div data-name=\"acf\/quote\" class=\"align\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"\">\n\t\t\t<figure data-component=\"quote-with-author\" class=\"@container\">\n\t<blockquote class=\"text-md italic @2xl:text-xl @4xl:text-2xl text-brown\">\n\t\t&#039;This should be classified under sick leave rather than menstrual leave&#039;\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"flex mt-6 image:rounded-full image:max-w-[4.375rem] gap-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"mt-[1px]\">&ndash;<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"block text-lg font-tiempos-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMaria Carmen Punzi\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption>\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Punzi is somewhat cautious about menstrual leave. \u201cNot everyone needs the same thing. Some people barely notice they are menstruating and don\u2019t want to have to take time off, but there are others who are in so much pain that they can&#8217;t work comfortably in the office or for full days. This should be classified under sick leave rather than menstrual leave. The most important thing is that you have the knowledge, the language and the social safety to indicate what you need. Working from home on the first day of your period so you can lie down in between, for example.\u201d Don&#8217;t make policy based on the wishes of one person, she says, but look at what everyone needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Master&#8217;s thesis, PhD and now postdoc<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>After ten years of research into menstruation, Punzi is not yet done with the topic. In fact, she dreams of leading an interdisciplinary research centre on menstruation, because there is still so much to learn. \u201cFrom medicine to product innovation to film studies to so much more, all fields of research can be included in that research centre.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1066\" src=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Maria-Carmen-Punzi_promotie_Senaatszaal_23012026_-Pien-Duthmann_20-1600x1066.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-195640\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Maria-Carmen-Punzi_promotie_Senaatszaal_23012026_-Pien-Duthmann_20-1600x1066.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1769433249 1600w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Maria-Carmen-Punzi_promotie_Senaatszaal_23012026_-Pien-Duthmann_20-875x583.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1769433249 875w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Maria-Carmen-Punzi_promotie_Senaatszaal_23012026_-Pien-Duthmann_20-300x200.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1769433249 300w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Maria-Carmen-Punzi_promotie_Senaatszaal_23012026_-Pien-Duthmann_20-1280x853.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1769433249 1280w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Maria-Carmen-Punzi_promotie_Senaatszaal_23012026_-Pien-Duthmann_20-1536x1024.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1769433249 1536w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Maria-Carmen-Punzi_promotie_Senaatszaal_23012026_-Pien-Duthmann_20-2048x1365.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1769433249 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><p>Maria Carmen Punzi works at VU University Amsterdam and continues to conduct research related to menstruation.<\/p> <p data-component=\"image-credits\" class=\"flex flex-wrap gap-2 items-center text-base\">\n\t<span aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n<path d=\"M19.5 5.25H16.9012L15.6234 3.33375C15.555 3.23114 15.4623 3.147 15.3535 3.08879C15.2448 3.03057 15.1233 3.00007 15 3H9C8.87665 3.00007 8.75522 3.03057 8.64648 3.08879C8.53773 3.147 8.44502 3.23114 8.37656 3.33375L7.09781 5.25H4.5C3.90326 5.25 3.33097 5.48705 2.90901 5.90901C2.48705 6.33097 2.25 6.90326 2.25 7.5V18C2.25 18.5967 2.48705 19.169 2.90901 19.591C3.33097 20.0129 3.90326 20.25 4.5 20.25H19.5C20.0967 20.25 20.669 20.0129 21.091 19.591C21.5129 19.169 21.75 18.5967 21.75 18V7.5C21.75 6.90326 21.5129 6.33097 21.091 5.90901C20.669 5.48705 20.0967 5.25 19.5 5.25ZM15.375 12.375C15.375 13.0425 15.1771 13.695 14.8062 14.25C14.4354 14.8051 13.9083 15.2376 13.2916 15.4931C12.6749 15.7485 11.9963 15.8154 11.3416 15.6852C10.6869 15.5549 10.0855 15.2335 9.61351 14.7615C9.14151 14.2895 8.82007 13.6881 8.68985 13.0334C8.55962 12.3787 8.62646 11.7001 8.88191 11.0834C9.13735 10.4667 9.56993 9.93964 10.125 9.56879C10.68 9.19794 11.3325 9 12 9C12.8951 9 13.7535 9.35558 14.3865 9.98851C15.0194 10.6214 15.375 11.4799 15.375 12.375Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\t<span class=\"sr-only\">Image by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t<span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/persons\/pien-duthmann\/\" class=\"underline hocus:no-underline decoration-1 underline-offset-2\">Pien D\u00fcthmann<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s not reality yet. However, Punzi has received a <a href=\"https:\/\/vu.nl\/en\/research\/how-do-you-make-femtech-responsible\">grant to conduct research<\/a> at VU University Amsterdam together with her colleague Tamara Thuis into the ethics of AI-driven menstrual trackers. People enter a lot of personal information into these mobile applications and receive prompts and information from the apps. \u201cAs more companies start to capitalise on this precious and sensitive health data, we ask the question: is it possible to develop and use these apps responsibly? What is the impact of these apps, and the organisations behind them, on users and society? We are looking forward to sharing the findings of this research with users, companies and medical professionals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t<div data-name=\"acf\/posts-list\" >\n\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"space-y-6 md:space-y-8\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"text-lg md:text-xl\">Read more<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<ul class=\"grid items-strecth grid-cols-1 gap-2 md:gap-4 lg:gap-8\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"@container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<div data-component=\"teaser-post-small\" class=\"block-theme-sand  relative flex h-full bg-sand-300\n\tblock-theme-violet:bg-white block-theme-violet:text-purple block-theme-mocha:bg-sand-500 block-theme-mocha:text-brown\n\tblock-theme-sand:bg-sand-300 block-theme-sand:text-neutral-900\n\tblock-theme-violet:outline-purple-100 block-theme-violet:outline-1 block-theme-violet:outline-t-0\n\ttheme-mocha:bg-white! theme-violet:bg-white! theme-sand:bg-white!\n\tflex-row gap-4 @md:gap-8 p-4 @md:p-6\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"image:w-full image:aspect-square image:object-cover shrink-0 size-17.5 @sm:size-21.25 @md:size-30 @lg:size-40\">\n\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"460\" height=\"307\" src=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/05\/01102025\/Hanneke-Takkenberg_Jeanine-RoetersvanLennep_Greet-Vink_Womens_Health_Research_Centre_ErasmusMC_girls-shirts1_25042025_Rotterdam_Pien-Duthmann.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139424\" class=\"attachment-square_lg size-square_lg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/05\/01102025\/Hanneke-Takkenberg_Jeanine-RoetersvanLennep_Greet-Vink_Womens_Health_Research_Centre_ErasmusMC_girls-shirts1_25042025_Rotterdam_Pien-Duthmann.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139424 2560w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/05\/01102025\/Hanneke-Takkenberg_Jeanine-RoetersvanLennep_Greet-Vink_Womens_Health_Research_Centre_ErasmusMC_girls-shirts1_25042025_Rotterdam_Pien-Duthmann-875x583.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139424 875w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/05\/01102025\/Hanneke-Takkenberg_Jeanine-RoetersvanLennep_Greet-Vink_Womens_Health_Research_Centre_ErasmusMC_girls-shirts1_25042025_Rotterdam_Pien-Duthmann-1600x1067.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139424 1600w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/05\/01102025\/Hanneke-Takkenberg_Jeanine-RoetersvanLennep_Greet-Vink_Womens_Health_Research_Centre_ErasmusMC_girls-shirts1_25042025_Rotterdam_Pien-Duthmann-300x200.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139424 300w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/05\/01102025\/Hanneke-Takkenberg_Jeanine-RoetersvanLennep_Greet-Vink_Womens_Health_Research_Centre_ErasmusMC_girls-shirts1_25042025_Rotterdam_Pien-Duthmann-1280x854.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139424 1280w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/05\/01102025\/Hanneke-Takkenberg_Jeanine-RoetersvanLennep_Greet-Vink_Womens_Health_Research_Centre_ErasmusMC_girls-shirts1_25042025_Rotterdam_Pien-Duthmann-1536x1024.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139424 1536w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/05\/01102025\/Hanneke-Takkenberg_Jeanine-RoetersvanLennep_Greet-Vink_Womens_Health_Research_Centre_ErasmusMC_girls-shirts1_25042025_Rotterdam_Pien-Duthmann-2048x1366.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139424 2048w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/05\/01102025\/Hanneke-Takkenberg_Jeanine-RoetersvanLennep_Greet-Vink_Womens_Health_Research_Centre_ErasmusMC_girls-shirts1_25042025_Rotterdam_Pien-Duthmann-150x100.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139424 150w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/05\/01102025\/Hanneke-Takkenberg_Jeanine-RoetersvanLennep_Greet-Vink_Womens_Health_Research_Centre_ErasmusMC_girls-shirts1_25042025_Rotterdam_Pien-Duthmann-225x150.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139424 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 460px) 100vw, 460px\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div class=\"flex flex-col gap-2 md:gap-4 \">\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"text-md @lg:text-lg\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2025\/04\/30\/new-centre-for-womens-health-at-erasmus-mc-achieving-gains-in-quality-of-life-and-healthcare-costs\/\" class=\"absolute-link text-current hocus:underline inline-block\">\n\t\t\t\tNew centre for women&#8217;s health at Erasmus MC: &#8216;Achieving gains in quality of life and healthcare costs&#8217;\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\n\t\t<div class=\"flex flex-wrap gap-4 items-center\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"sr-only\">Gepubliceerd op:<\/span>\n\t\t\t<time class=\"text-sm font-soehne text-neutral-900\" datetime=\"2025-04-30\">30 April 2025<\/time>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t<ul data-component=\"list-badges\" class=\"flex items-center gap-2 flex-wrap\" aria-label=\"Geplaatst in categorie\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div data-component=\"badge\" class=\"block-theme-violet:bg-purple font-soehne font-bold text-sm bg-brown-600 block-theme-violet:bg-purple text-white py-[2px] px-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\tScience\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Now that menstruation is more visible than ever, the taboo has largely been broken, concludes researcher Maria Carmen Punzi. At the end of January, she obtained her PhD on the role of social enterprises in that process. In the meantime, she took up the gauntlet herself with her Instagram account Periods with Maria Carmen. Friends, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":310,"featured_media":195639,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_trash_the_other_posts":false,"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[21139],"em_content_type":[24780],"class_list":["post-195925","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science","em_content_type-achtergrond"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Humour and provocation caused cracks in the menstruation taboo, Maria Carmen Punzi discovered<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Now that menstruation is more visible than ever, the taboo has largely been broken, concludes researcher Maria Carmen Punzi. At the end of January, she obtained her PhD on the role of social enterprises in that process. In the meantime, she took up the gauntlet herself with her Instagram account Periods with Maria Carmen.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2026\/02\/04\/humour-and-provocation-caused-cracks-in-the-menstruation-taboo-maria-carmen-punzi-discovered\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Humour and provocation caused cracks in the menstruation taboo, Maria Carmen Punzi discovered\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Now that menstruation is more visible than ever, the taboo has largely been broken, concludes researcher Maria Carmen Punzi. At the end of January, she obtained her PhD on the role of social enterprises in that process. 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