“If you squeeze some lemon juice on your blood, you will die.”
Our families, societies, and cultures teach us how to talk about menstruation (or not) and what we're expected to do (or not do) when we have our periods.
Pavelkriuchkov / Getty Images
As many of you pointed out in your submissions, some of these aren't widely believed today. None of the responses should be taken to speak for an entire country, culture, group, or religion — there are, of course, many diverse beliefs and practices within each. But here are some of the things readers shared.
"In my Mexican upbringing we were told to never attend a funeral on your period, because whatever the person died from could somehow poison your vagina blood and kill you or make you sick." —Anonymous, 23, US
Marc Bruxelle / Getty Images