Thread by @monaeltahawy

From first FEMINIST GIANT Newsletter: I have tasted too much teargas. Its effect on my breathing was clear. I did not know that it could impact the menstrual cycle. Read about the impact of teargas on the menstrual cycles of protestors here.

feministgiant.substack.com/p/revolutions-…

Read the article via @FeminismInIndia: ‘They Fired At Us From Barely Five Metres Away’: Protesters Complain Of Menstrual Irregularities After Tear Gas Attacks feminisminindia.com/2020/09/02/tea… via @FeminismInIndia

And read this from #Seattle: Amid ongoing civil rights demonstrations in Seattle, protesters, journalists, and even people blocks from the action have reported abnormal menstrual cycles after being exposed to tear gas. kuow.org/stories/protes…

“Their symptoms include having several periods in the time they would typically have just one, heavy bleeding, agonizing cramps, and menstruating for the first time after a gender transition.”

"The reason why there is no data about this is that these chemicals started out as agents of war and were studied — if at all — in a male population," said Dr. Emily Norland, a gynecologist with Seattle's Polyclinic.

When I yell “Fuck the patriarchy!” it’s not just for shits and giggles, comrades! I launched my newsletter to give you feminist resistance to global patriarchal fuckery. Sign up! feministgiant.substack.com/p/coming-soon?…

“Finally, I had my period after almost three months, but it took even longer to regain a sense of normalcy. I reached out to the medic who had come to my aid, and she reported the opposite: non-stop bleeding and painful cramps for weeks” huffingtonpost.ca/entry/tear-gas… h/t @ancientspeak

“The War Resisters League, a pacifist organization, includes disrupted menstruation as a possible side-effect of tear gas.
Here are some things we do know about the suggested link between tear gas exposure and miscarriage, as well as adverse effects on the fetus during pregnancy: