--- title: Donald Trump Blood Comment: Menstruation Is a Global Health Problem description: It's a global health problem that needs attention canonical: https://time.com/3998340/donald-trump-blood-comment-discussion/ author: TIME article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-08-14T17:15:29.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:38:19.154Z article:section: Ideas og:title: At Least Donald Trump Started a Conversation About Menstruation og:description: The ongoing taboo around talking about periods makes it hard to find solutions to the challenges girls in low-income countries face og:url: https://time.com/3998340/donald-trump-blood-comment-discussion/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt340045406e8e008a/69885e96524fc08b78df3f82/playtex-tampons.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: tampon playtex og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: At Least Donald Trump Started a Conversation About Menstruation twitter:description: The ongoing taboo around talking about periods makes it hard to find solutions to the challenges girls in low-income countries face twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt340045406e8e008a/69885e96524fc08b78df3f82/playtex-tampons.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # At Least Donald Trump Started a Conversation About Menstruation > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=b811c1da-560c-4cd1-9684-f8aa22462350&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | Subscribers | Open rate | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | 540,000 | 45.6% | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | 430,000 | 50.7% | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Daily | 240,000 | 54.1% | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Tuesday and Saturday (2x per week) | 40,000 | 31.7% | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | 85,000 | 37.0% | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | 40,000 | 34.2% | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | 25,000 | 28.6% | Source: TIME, August 2026. Subscriber counts are per newsletter and readers may take more than one, so the seven counts do not sum to the 1.1 million+ unique newsletter audience. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Highest open rate | 54.1%, Health Matters | TIME, August 2026 | | Largest list | 540,000, The Brief | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=b811c1da-560c-4cd1-9684-f8aa22462350&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=b811c1da-560c-4cd1-9684-f8aa22462350&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (daily health), Worth Your Time (culture, twice weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ## Video: If men had periods - manpons [Watch (HLS stream): If men had periods - manpons](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/jRaDtQbJ.m3u8) (0:51)  _Published 2015-05-29. If men had periods - manpons_ by [Marni Sommer, Columbia University / The Conversation](https://time.com/author/marni-sommer/) ## Marni Sommer, Columbia University / The Conversation Aug 14, 2015 5:15 PM UTC  Energizer Holdings Inc. Playtex brand tampons sit on display in a supermarket in Princeton, Illinois, U.S., on Wednesday, April 30, 2014\. Energizer Holdings Inc., known for its battery-powered pink bunny and Schick shavers, plans to separate its household products and personal-care units into two publicly traded companies. Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images Energizer Holdings Inc. Playtex brand tampons sit on display in a supermarket in Princeton, Illinois, U.S., on Wednesday, April 30, 2014\. Energizer Holdings Inc., known for its battery-powered pink bunny and Schick shavers, plans to separate its household products and personal-care units into two publicly traded companies. Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images Getty Images (1); Photo Illustration by Mia Tramz for TIME by [Marni Sommer, Columbia University / The Conversation](https://time.com/author/marni-sommer/) ## Marni Sommer, Columbia University / The Conversation Aug 14, 2015 5:15 PM UTC Donald Trump did the girls and women living in developing world a great favor this week. He got menstruation – the taboo of all taboo words in polite society – onto the front page of the Sunday [New York Times](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/10/us/politics/trump-remains-defiant-on-news-programs-amid-gop-backlash.html?%5Fr=0). That doesn’t happen every day. In fact, it’s quite possible that hasn’t happened more than a few times since the newspaper was founded in 1851. Trump’s comment about Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly that she “[had blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out her wherever](http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/aug/08/donald-trump-black-balled-by-conservatives-over-menstruation-comment?CMP=fb%5Fgu%5D%28http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/aug/08/donald-trump-black-balled-by-conservatives-over-menstruation-comment?CMP=fb%5Fgu)” was offensive. But it brought the topic of menstruation to the forefront of our daily conversation – at least for a media nanosecond. So let’s use this moment to have a serious discussion about it. Every single day, girls around the world get their menstrual periods for the first time, and many of them living in Africa, Asia and Latin America [lack adequate information](http://dx.doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2013.301374), guidance and support about what is happening to their bodies. Many of these girls see menstrual blood on their underwear for the first time and think they are dying or seriously ill, but are too afraid, embarrassed or ashamed to ask for help. Menstruation is a real bona fide health issue. It’s not an afterthought of child development or insignificant to a growing girl’s sexual and reproductive health. If girls don’t have resources for proper menstrual hygiene management (MHM) like practical information, a safe and private place to change a menstrual cloth or pad and water for washing at school, they may miss class, or stop going entirely. Decades of [evidence](http://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/education/brief/girls-education) indicate that educating girls improves the overall health of their communities. But the ongoing taboo around talking about periods makes it hard to find solutions to the challenges girls in low-income countries face. It also hinders the global efforts to address these challenges and bring menstruation into the realm of global health and development. **A period is a scary thing when you don’t know what it is** Since 2004, my colleagues and I have been [exploring the topic of menstruation](http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03057925.2013.871399#.Vcs3QYtwX3s) in low-income countries of the world (Tanzania, Ghana, Ethiopia, Cambodia and Pakistan) and conducting research on the problems girls face the first time they get their menstrual period and then have to manage in girl-unfriendly (or rather, menstrual-unfriendly) school environments. We have found girls who think they are dying or have a serious illness the first time they get their period. We have talked with girls who have to leave school in the middle of the day in order to find a private, clean space to change their sanitary materials. Other girls have reported the difficulty of getting practical guidance on how to manage their periods with predominantly male teachers in the school or female teachers who are too shy to talk about such a taboo topic. For a girl who might feel embarrassed or ashamed about her period, sitting in a classroom where boys and girls sit very close together at one desk may raise fears about menstrual blood odor. Some schools may have rules that require children to stand up when answering questions (what if there is a bloodstain on your clothing when you stand up?). As one rural Ethiopian girl [reported](http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03057925.2013.871399): --- > “” --- [Many of the schools](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19326264) in the countries where we have done research, especially in rural areas, predominately have male teachers. How many girls would feel comfortable asking a male teacher to be excused? And what if the school lacks adequate toilets and water? It’s not easy to participate in class when there is no place to change a cloth, a pad or other material to get through the school day. This is the case in [about 50%](http://www.unicef.org/wash/schools/files/Advancing%5FWASH%5Fin%5FSchools%5FMonitoring%281%29.pdf) of the least developed countries in the world. Or as one girl in the Philippines [reported](http://www.unicef.org/wash/schools/files/Philippines%5FMHM%5FBooklet%5FDM%5F15%5F%5FNov%5F1010%5FSingle-%5FPhilippines.pdf) in an Emory University and UNICEF led study on MHM there: --- > “” --- There is a growing body of [research](http://dx.doi.org/0.1371/journal.pone.0079132) that highlights the seriousness of this problem. Colleagues at [other universities](http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2014.07.006), at [UNICEF](http://www.unicef.org/wash/schools/files/Sierra%5FLeone%5FMHM%5FBooklet%5FDM%5F15%5FNov%5F1020%5Fsingle-Sierra%5FLeone.pdf) and at many [nongovernmental organizations](https://sanitationupdates.wordpress.com/2015/05/28/washplus-weekly-focus-on-menstrual-hygiene-management-2/)have also been exploring this issue in other countries. UNICEF, UNGEI (the UN Girls Education Initiative) and the Canadian government, for example, are supporting a 12-country [research project](http://www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/cidaweb/cpo.nsf/vWebMCSAZEn/AF94314455A3E2CD85257C9B0035AB32) to document the menstrual hygiene management barriers that girls face. Their motivation is that millions of vulnerable girls in low-income contexts need to be healthy and educated: their gender should not impede participation in school. **Getting your period at school shouldn’t be a big deal** This shouldn’t be hard to solve. We just need to learn about the best solutions. What are the most cost-effective interventions to use in school environments to make sure girls know about menstruation and other body changes? What’s the best way to improve the water and sanitation facilities for both girls and female teachers? What’s the most effective way to assure there are affordable sanitary cloths, pads or other materials available to girls? The problem is that implementing these solutions is complicated. Overcoming gender discrimination at schools that don’t provide for girls’ (and female teachers’) needs is a hurdle. Ultimately, implementing solutions depends on governments, schools, parents and donors recognizing it is an important issue – and one that can be talked about and addressed. **Teaching girls about menstruation** Although many efforts have been made to include sexual and reproductive health curricula in schools over the last decade, the topic of puberty and menstrual hygiene management in particular has often not been included. [Grow & Know, Inc](https://theconversation.com/www.growandknow.org), a small nonprofit that I founded, develops puberty books with girls and for girls in low-income countries in partnership with local ministries of education, UNICEF and other key stakeholders. Our first book was designed in Tanzania, with the content then adapted through participatory research conducted with girls in new countries. Book orders have subsequently been made, for example, by the ministries of education in Ghana, Ethiopia and Cambodia. Other organizations such as Save the Children and UNICEF are engaged in similar efforts in countries such as Nepal, Uganda and Malawi. In parallel with this information outreach, UNICEF, WaterAid and other organizations are working in many countries – together with local institutions – to focus attention on the inadequate water and sanitation facilities in schools in Bangladesh, Zambia and Nepal. And, finally, numerous social entrepreneurial organizations are providing more affordable sanitary materials, such as [SHE](http://sheinnovates.com/about-us/) in Rwanda, [AfriPads](http://afripads.com/) in Uganda, and [ZanaAfrica](http://www.zanaafrica.org/) in Kenya. **Break the taboo** The key is to start talking openly about this issue. As musician and Harvard Business School graduate Kiran Ghandi [pointed out](http://kirangandhi.com/2015/04/26/sisterhood-blood-and-boobs-at-the-london-marathon-2015/) after running the London Marathon without a tampon: --- > “” --- Menstruation is, after all, totally normal. So let’s break the taboo and not wait for the next time a celebrity starts bloviating to talk about menstruation again. _This_ [_article_](https://theconversation.com/menstruation-is-a-global-health-problem-and-we-need-to-talk-about-it-46045) _originally appeared on_ [_The Conversation_](http://theconversation.com) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3998340/donald-trump-blood-comment-discussion/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3998340/donald-trump-blood-comment-discussion/"},"headline":"At Least Donald Trump Started a Conversation About Menstruation","datePublished":"2015-08-14T17:15:29.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:38:19.154Z","description":"It's a global health problem that needs attention","url":"https://time.com/3998340/donald-trump-blood-comment-discussion/","keywords":["health","Donald Trump","global health","Megyn Kelly","menstruation"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt340045406e8e008a/69885e96524fc08b78df3f82/playtex-tampons.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Marni Sommer, Columbia University / The Conversation"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt340045406e8e008a/69885e96524fc08b78df3f82/playtex-tampons.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"tampon playtex","caption":"tampon playtex","creditText":"Getty Images (1); Photo Illustration by Mia Tramz for TIME","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/health/","name":"health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3998340/donald-trump-blood-comment-discussion/","name":"At Least Donald Trump Started a Conversation About Menstruation"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"If men had periods - manpons","description":"If men had periods - manpons","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/jRaDtQbJ/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-05-29T19:41:36.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/jRaDtQbJ.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3998340/donald-trump-blood-comment-discussion/","duration":"PT51S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3998340/donald-trump-blood-comment-discussion/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```