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As always there is the question of to what degree media is simply reflecting the way women (as a composite average, huge variation in individuals) feel about their period or whether media is creating (as a composite average, huge variation in individuals) how women feel about their periods.
There's a huge difference between "that's a god sign that you are unclean, inferior, and generally despicable" and "wouldn't you rather not go through monthly discomfort." We control our bodies in so many other unnatural ways (including procreatively) that I don't see why menstruation would be some sacred inviolable area.
I'm not sure why there has to be a correlation between menstrual taboo and low self esteem, but if there is I'm sure it would be readily discoverable since the populations are pretty well self-defining and do a fair job of crossing socioeconomic lines. Do you know if anybody has done research into this?
Pretty much everything that come out of the human body is considered somewhat taboo (except, maybe, breast milk) so it isn't really surprising that there'd be some simliar attachment to mentruation.
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