I am a girl and I have periods! There I said it.
It’s not shameful, it’s not disgusting. It’s perfectly natural and we shouldn’t be afraid to openly discuss them with other women and men.
When it comes round to that time of the month for me I am a mess. I get three day migraines, leg pains, cramps, bloating, I’m as a hot as a furnace, moody, really angry, paranoid. The list goes on…
It’s a total nightmare.
One thing I never have to worry about though is having access to sanitary items. I never give it a second thought as I know there are several bags in my wardrobe that definitely contain at least one sanitary towel or a tampon.
Yes there may have been a time or two when I’ve not been prepared and had to use some tissue in my knickers until I got to the shops but I have never once had to worry about not being able to afford them.
Surely that’s something that only happens in deprived third world countries right?
Wrong!
This is something that is happening much closer to home.
There was a segment on the Jeremy Vine Show today about girls in Leeds not being able to afford simple sanitary items and are therefore having to take time off school/college/university every month because of their periods.
This is absurd. It is 2017!
What was even more shocking was that some girls have resorted to using home-made tampons out of tissues. Some girls are resorting to using old t-shirts and even newspaper! This obviously puts their health at risk and is just not acceptable.
Not only are girls having to deal with being in this ‘period poverty’ but many of them are simply not educated on what is happening to their bodies. For some strange reason periods have become a taboo subject and are viewed as gross and dirty.
Well yeah okay, they’re not pleasant, it’s certainly not fun but it is not something to be ashamed of. It’s perfectly natural and should not be a reason for girls to be missing out on their education.
Check out this Facebook page for information on where you can donate sanitary items and to also help towards shutting down the shame surrounding periods. Freedom4girls
The Trussell Trust will locate your local food bank where you can also donate sanitary items.
Sign The Petition! This petition is to make it so that every girl who is receives free school meals will also receive free sanitary items.
Even if it’s just one packet of sanitary towels or one box of tampons, you don’t even have to buy the expensive ones! Just pick up an extra pack when you go shopping and drop them at your local food bank 🙂 Thank you! ∞♥
Be kind to yourself ♥
Don’t ever let anyone make you think you’re not good enough.
Follow your dreams right now! Don’t wait until tomorrow,
next week, next year. Stop planning, start doing 🙂
Be happy and keep smiling 😀
Made A Hames 