When attending public schools all your life, you don’t expect much from the school restroom. That all changed when I got older and got the gift of my period at school. A period occurs when a woman’s vagina bleeds for several days throughout her menstrual cycle.
Most women’s periods occur every 28 days, although it’s not unusual for it to be longer or shorter than 28 days. A period can last between three and eight days. According to the National Health Service, “You’ll lose about 30 to 72ml (five to 12 teaspoons) of blood during your period, although some women bleed more heavily than this.”
It was incredibly disturbing to me how many students have panic attacks or sobbed in the restroom because they don’t have pads and none of their classmates had pads on them. According to The National Education Association “one in five teens struggle to afford menstrual products.” Period poverty is one of the most overlooked struggles, yet it still manages to affect more than 40 million people here in the United States alone, according to the Shriver Report. In my entire school journey, I was only ever provided with one health class about menstruation. The teachers took the boys out of the classroom (when they should have let them stay to listen and learn) and the girls were told we would experience something called a period. By this time, a lot of the girls in the classroom had already received their period.
I can’t help but ask why menstruation products aren’t offered for free in school facilities while soap, toilet paper, and paper towels are. Now, some schools do offer pads and tampons for free, but this is typically in the nurse’s office and not the restroom. This poses a problem, as many girls are either unaware of this or embarrassed to make the trek to the nurses office.
I asked a few people about their first period, and here’s what they said:
“I remember my stomach hurting the entire morning at school. So I went to the restroom, and when I pulled down my pants, I was in a state of shock. I had no pads or tampons. Unfortunately, I had to use lots of toilet paper. When I finally got the courage to go to the school nurse, I was stopped by school administration for not having a pass. By this point I was frustrated and embarrassed. Later to find out the nurse did not even come to school that day. I asked just about everyone for 0.25 cents to buy a pad in the dispenser, but no one had any spare change. I never received any pads until I got home.” – Hannah R., 17, Atlanta, GA
“At nine years old, I went to the restroom and there it was. My mom taught me everything. I never learned anything at school, we didn’t have a class. I wish we did, it is important for young girls to learn about this as soon as possible.” – Natasha O., 14, Atlanta, GA
“I wasn’t educated much about periods and how they work, all I knew was that once you get it you’re considered to be an adult and I was ”ready”. I went to school one day, and everything was going well until 3rd period. I started feeling weird down there and wasn’t sure what was going on, as I never felt like this before. I asked my teacher to go to the restroom, but he refused to let me go. When the bell rang and I got up, my best friend told me my khaki pants were stained with blood. All the boys in my classroom started yelling and telling me that I was going to die. I started to cry, and the teacher called my mom. I eventually learned it was my period. – Charlotte J., 18, Atlanta, GA
While these are only the stories of three individuals, they represent a greater problem. With all of that, I decided to stop waiting around for someone to address the need, and I put free pads and tampons in my school restroom on January 31, 2022. Using my own money to fund the need, I then advertised it on social media and around the school with flyers. Students, teachers, and administration have been extremely supportive by expressing gratitude, appreciation, and wanting to help me every step of the way. Word got around quickly on social media, and girls began coming up to me thanking me. It feels great to see all of the positive feedback, because for too long, we as a society have not taken menstruation seriously, and there is an outcry for free pads and tampons.
By doing this I am constantly learning, it is possible to create change, as long as you’re willing to be the change.
