Written version of podcast. Click here for podcast version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1mBfuKJ-bA
National Period Day
October 19, 2019
By: H. Elizabeth Williams
BEFORE YOU READ: In honor of National Period Day, I thought it would be good to inform and bring up things going on that you might not already know. Personally, I don’t get the whole stigma of periods. Then again I’m kind of bias since I have one, but that’s besides the point. It’s bloody natural, and the fact that some people can go into extensive detail about a night that went wrong with a sex partner or how chipotle didn’t settle well with them, but turn squeamish and disgusted at something that is natural and has been happening since the beginning of time stuns me.
Anyways, let’s begin.
Our period goes by many different aliases: the crimson wave, Bloody Mary, code red, Aunt Flo, etc. I prefer “hell” but I guess it comes down to personal preference.
Welcome to your period: Where stupid anxiety takes over, your back and eyes and boobs hurt, where the light is too fucking bright, feeling bloated, crying for no reason, cramps, being dizzy as fuck, EXHAUSTED, can’t focus, tension, stressed, moody, feeling hot when in reality it’s not hot at all, feeling sick, lonely, depressed, bored… Overall, being a huge fucking mess.
Like, you know when you wake up and get your period and you’re like “oh thats why I was crying uncontrollably last night over a jelly bean.” Yup. Aunt Flo is here!!
Menstruation 101
The term “period” (when referring to menstruation) dates back to 1822 and means an ‘interval of time’ or a ‘repeated cycle of events.
As women who already have their periods, we don’t necessarily need to know ‘what is a period?’ But for those who aren’t quite there yet (you lucky bastards) or for men who wonder why we’re complaining so much… I’m here to answer those questions for you.
In simple terms, every month or so, the uterus lining gets thicker to prepare for a fertilized egg if the woman becomes pregnant. If the egg doesn’t get fertilized, however, that lining (endometrium) is no longer needed and is released from the body as blood through the cervix and vagina.
How Does This All Happen?
Both of your ovaries contain all of the eggs you will produce in a lifetime. Once a month, you ovulate, which is when one egg matures and takes a little trip out of the ovary, through the fallopian tube and to the uterus. Your "flow" or period then goes from the uterus through the opening of the cervix, through the vagina and out of your body.
So essentially, when an egg hasn’t been fertilized and/or attached itself to the uterine wall, the uterus will throw a tantrum by redecorating the place.
This monthly process is called menstruation and is a COMPLETELY natural process for all females as they become women and mature physically and emotionally.
You know what else is completely normal? Puberty. It typically starts between the ages of 9 and 13 (The average age is 12).
What you can expect?
A rapid growth spurt (grow a few inches, breasts bud and hair in new places. Oh the joys of being a woman).
A sticky white discharge is spotted in your underwear (This is just your body preparing for its first period).
Once that happens, congratulations! You’re officially done with puberty and have years of bodily torture ahead of you. Welcome to the club.
Menstrual cycle 101
On average, the menstrual cycle is 28 days long, but everyone’s is different. Never expect your period to have a pattern, they aren’t known for that I promise you. Those fuckers are unpredictable. Normal cycles can range anywhere from 21 to 45 days in young teens and from 21 to 35 days in adults.
Many women may have heavy or irregular periods, making their periods unpredictable or otherwise difficult. Many women with irregular or heavy periods manage them with menstrual cups, which are safe to use right before you start your period and can be especially beneficial if your period is not quite as predictable as you’d like it to be.
The menstrual cycle timing described below is based on the average 28-day cycle. If your menstrual cycle is a bit shorter or longer, the timing of certain occurrences in your cycle may vary.
Days 1 to 5: Menstruation (uterine lining sheds).
Day 1-13: Follicular Phase (uterine lining thickens).
Day 14: Ovulation (ovaries produce an egg).
Day 15-28: Luteal Phase (uterine lining continues to thicken before shedding).
Note: Focus on your health during this time: Diet, Exercise and sleep. Many sources recommend different things but quite honestly I’m always cranky so just give me a piece of chocolate and space and I’ll be an “angel”.
A more in-depth look:
Day 1: Your menstrual cycle begins on the first day of your period, following the drop in the level of the hormone estrogen which signals your body to shed the blood and tissues lining your uterus (Either wear cotton underwear or say goodbye to your favorite lace pair… I’ve killed too many of those).
Day 7: Bleeding (your menstrual period) has usually stopped by day 7. In the past week, your hormones have stimulated fluid-filled pockets called follicles to develop on your ovaries. Each follicle contains an egg. Days 7 to 14: In the second week of your menstrual cycle, one follicle containing an egg will develop and reach maturity. A rise in your estrogen level starts to make the lining of the uterus grow and thicken to be ready if a fertilized egg implants there. This lining is very rich in nutrients and blood, and is able to nourish an embryo. Day 14: If you have a 28-day menstrual cycle, day 14 is typically ovulation day – although this varies from woman to woman. If your cycle is shorter or longer, the exact day you ovulate may also vary slightly. During ovulation, hormones cause the mature follicle to burst and the egg is released from the ovary. The egg takes a few days to travel down the fallopian tube.
If the egg is fertilized with a sperm during these few days, it will continue toward the uterus and attach to the uterine lining. Since sperm can live in the body for three (3) to five (5) days, your most fertile time is considered to be about five (5) to seven (7) days – a few days on either side of your ovulation date. Day 25 - 28: Estrogen levels will drop around day 25 if the egg is not fertilized. The egg breaks apart and is shed with the blood and uterine tissue during your menstrual period, which begins around day 28. If you have any specific questions about or problems with your menstrual cycle or periods you should consult your healthcare provider. SOURCE: The above information on the menstrual cycle can be found on a visual timeline at WomensHealth.gov.
Now, I know what you’re thinking? What the hell do you use when on your period to contain all that blood? Don’t worry. There are many different options to choose from (Source: Preventing Period Poverty).
First off, let me introduce you to the Sanitary Pad.
Menstrual pads have been mentioned in history as far back as Ancient Greece! A woman is said to have thrown her menstrual rag at an admirer to get rid of him. The first disposable pads were thought up by french nurses working in the battlefields while looking for ways to stop excessive bleeding. They were made from wood pulp and very absorbent. Commercial manufacturers caught onto this idea, and they became available for purchase in 1888. However, women didn't feel comfortable asking for the product (nothing's changed since then), so in the 1920’s the name was changed to Nupak!
For a large amount of time in the 20th century the pad linens were extended front and back so to fit in loops in a special belt. They were known for slipping out of place. By the 1980s the belts were long gone and the common adhesive pas was thriving as it is today! Gone are the days of using a rag or even grass. Well, for those in with period privilege it is.
If you are an environmentalist, or just need to save money but only want to use pads, there are also washable/reusable pads available. According to The Cup Effect, A woman will dispose of 12,000 pads, tampons and other menstrual products in her lifetime producing up to 150kg of waste.
We also have the tampon, where the idea of inserting things into the vagina probably first came from the Egyptians. However, for them it seems to have been for gynecological reasons and not for menstrual flow. Vaginal pessaries made of elephant were used as contraception, and that’s honestly disgusting.
Some of the first mentions of tampons in the 19th century were still about contraception. The english thinker Francis Place advocated this! They were made of lint, flax and sometimes fine wool (ouch!). In the 1930’s Gertrude Tendrich started to produce the tampons we know today! She started sewing them at home to distributing under the name Tampax. However, people objected them for a myriad of reasons, but they gained rapid usage in WW2! And by the 60s and 70s they were commonplace. At the moment pads are still more popular than tampons but they are still used. 42% of women use tampons even after scars of Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS). There are many discussions about their future and their environmental footprint but many brands are starting to tackle this. This seems like a good move seeing as cotton is the world’s most heavily pesticide sprayed crop.
Just as a disclaimer when it comes to tampons, Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS), according to Medical News Today, is a potentially fatal condition that starts with a staphylococcal or streptococcal strain of bacteria. Tampon use is implicated in 55 percent of cases, but another 15 percent are linked to childbirth and infected wounds. So… just remember that you have a tampon in and change it every three hours.
Then there’s the more recent product called the menstrual cup. The first prototypes of ‘catamenial sacks’ were parented in the USA in the 1860s. They were inventive designs but never really made it into the market. They were inserted into the vagina while attached to a belt. The first modern menstrual cups were invented in the 1930s by American actress Leona Chalmers. Her design was made from a latex rubber and a design that wouldn’t cause discomfort. The 1930s menstrual cup brand, “Tassette,” was relaunched as “Tassette” at the end of the 1950s. The company sent samples to nurses who recommended it. However, women still weren’t open to the idea of using a menstrual cup. By 1963, it had disappeared. Menstrual cups were reintroduced in the late 1980s with the creation of “the keeper”. It is made of latex rubber and still on sale today! In the beginning of the 21st century medical grade silicone was brought into the design of menstrual cups with great success. Women with latex allergies could safely use menstrual cups.
Now, in 2019, there are many menstrual cup brands that are becoming more and more popular. Women love the security they provide and that there are no risks of TSS, unlike tampons. Plus, you save money and it’s better for the environment.
See, sanitary products are a basic necessity, yet one in 10 young women aged between 14 and 21 in the US can’t afford them. Not having access to sanitary protection can be traumatizing, and often causes young girls to skip school. (For the people who just rolled their eyes at the word ‘traumatizing’, using the wise words of Rachel Green from friends: no uterus no opinion.)
This is called the tampon tax or ‘pink tax.’
Let’s play a quick game shall we. What’s more of a ‘household basic’ than a tampon?
Chocolate chip cookies
Nutella
Milkshakes
Tortillas
Pita bread
Bingo
Chickpeas
.
According to the UK, it’s all of the above. And in the United States it’s the same thing. (Source: Taxfreeperiod.com)
South Carolina has a tax on tampons, but amusement park rides are untaxed.
Georgia has a tax on tampons, but tattoos are untaxed.
West Virginia has a tax on tampons, but chewing gum is untaxed.
Texas has a tax on tampons, but dandruff shampoo is untaxed.
Maine has a tax on tampons, but pudding mix is untaxed.
Arizona has a tax on tampons, but licorice is untaxed.
California had a tax on tampons, but chocolate bars aren’t. I say ‘had’ because I just found out they joined the ax the tampon tax train. Proud of my state.
I mean I know we’re in America, but did we really have to live up to that stereotype.
We currently pay 5-7% tax(depends on the state. Source:Instyle) on all women’s sanitary products, including tampons. So, because of the Pink Tax, the average woman pays an extra $1,351 every year just for being a woman (Source:axthepinktax.com).If you think about it, using an average state sales tax of 5 percent, our back-of-the-sanitary-napkin-math suggests Americans who menstruate are spending more than $275 million a year on state taxes on their period products (Source:Instyle).But, because the government deemed the items listed above to be ‘household basics’ back in the 1920s, we don’t pay taxes on them.
Don’t test me I will bleed on your capitalism.
Men’s razors are taxed as necessities, and pads/tampons are taxed as luxury items. How is stubble more important than blood coming, no pouring out of me?
I love having my period and paying a 62% tax on it- said no woman ever.
Wanna know the total cost of having a period over a lifetime? Well, I’m gonna tell you anyway.
It’s $18,171. (Source: Pandia Health)
Birth control: $11,400
New Underwear: $2,200
Tampons: $1,773
Heating pads: $40
Acne medication: $93
Panty liners: $443
Chocolate: $912
Midol(medicine for period cramps): $1,228
According to the New York Times, 35 US states currently impose a luxury tax on pads and tampons. Women already make less money than men-79 cents for every dollar. States make up to $20 million a year taxing periods (Source: NPR). When without tax, women already pay $7 a month for feminine products, and that’s still a limited estimate. Abolish the luxury tax on feminine items. NOW.
Let me break it down for you:
The average period having person uses less than 2-3 pads/tampons a day with a 5-7 day cycle.
That’s 10-21 pads/tampons about every month.
A back of 15-30 pads/tampons is $8-$15 depending on brand. The cheapest good brand you can get is $7.99 from my experience, but some people need more expensive ones due to irritation and wanting a specific comfort.
I personally use 4-5 products a day for the first 3 days, the 2-3 for the next 2, and then I use 3-4 liners a day for the last 2 days. For me personally that adds up to about 22-32 products as a whole per cycle.
My products cost about $7.99 and $1.99 every average 42 days.
That’s $10.59 a cycle with tax. Or $127.08 a year with tax.
That's $7.32 a year in period product tax.
Just imagine if we’re to be one of the people who needs the $15 box of products a cycle. That’s about $10.80 in tax a year.
Not everyone is comfortable using or is not able to use menstrual cups or similar products and regardless of what products we use we should not have to pay (in most states) 6 cents in tax per dollar on period products.
If you can afford to give boys free condoms you can afford to give girls free tampons, menstruation is a lot harder to refrain from than sex. Don’t discriminate against those who menstruate.
Here’s a fun but aggravating fact for you: If you sold all your eggs you would make $3.2 billion. Your uterus is worth $3.2 billion and a nut sack is worth like $25 and half a pb&j. So, every time we have a period we lose 8,000 dollars. Maybe that's why we get so emotional. This is it. We’ve cracked it. The secret of periods… yes that was an egg pun.
I’m going to divert a bit just because I needed to put this in here: Did you know women in prison have to practically prostitute themselves to male officers in order to get at least one lousey tampon?? I’ll link it here, but Refinery29 did a story called “Why women trade sexual favors for colored pencils in prison,” and yes it talks about tampons I don’t know why the writer titled it that but that’s besides the point. It was horrific to watch. Tampons and pads are essential for women’s health. It’s disgusting that these women are taken advantage of and that people in power are never reprimanded. I get they are in jail and you need to be strict but Jesus Christ.
Alright, now back to your regularly scheduled program.
Need some tips? Don’t worry I gotcha covered.
Pads should be changed every six hours and tampons every three hours.
Bring extra products in your bag.
Wear panty liners at least two or three days before so you don’t stain your underwear (I’ve lost too many beautiful Victoria secret panties due to the great war of periods. Moment of silence for our fallen soldiers).
Wear comfy clothes but NOTHING WHITE and not tight jeans.
Put a heating pad on your tummy.
If your period cramps get really bad then talk to your doctor about birth control (if you’re of age).
Shower everyday especially in the morning before school and take hot showers to soothe the pain.
Extra sleep and light exercise can help (yoga and stretching helps relieve cramps).
Need to remove period stains? Hydrogen peroxide mixed with cold water is a miracle worker (I literally bled like a pint of blood on my friend’s couch at her halloween party. It was all over my dress too, i’d say thank God it was Halloween and I could get away with it but I bet everyone knew. Anyways, I drowned that couch with it and omg it was gone in a blink of an eye).
If you don’t have any menstrual products, use gauze and toilet paper to make a DIY pad.
And no one will take me seriously on this one but masturbate or just have period sex. This doesn’t work for everyone, but a lot of women say orgasms actually help alleviate cramps because it sends a huge rush of blood to your lower abdomen and releases oxytocin, which can help your uterus relax (aka stop cramping like crazy). Now that I scarred my whole family whos listening to this let’s move on. Hi dad!
Stay off the scale. Do yourself a huge favor and don’t weigh yourself on your period. Water retention and weight fluctuation typically wanes off throughout your period, but the last thing you need when you’re already grumpy and bleeding is to be tricked by your body into thinking you put on weight (trust me, I had a lot of cry sessions in the bathroom before I knew this).
Download a period app (i use clue or Flo) or make a period tracker in your journal to keep track of your symptoms, emotions and activity etc and so you know exactly when it’ll start.
Here are the Dos and DON'Ts of eating and drinking when on your period:
DO NOT eat or drink anything cold, it results in cramps.
DO NOT drink coffee (I suggest hot green/ginger tea instead. Ginger tea is the best tea to drink for period cramps due to anti-inflammatory aspects).
DO drink tons of water.
DO NOT drink milk and soda (I asked myself why milk too, but apparently (according to Insider) too much milk can cause the cramps to worsen).
DO avoid fatty foods.
DO eat dark chocolate (we women love chocolate, especially during this time. Men, take notes).
DO NOT eat foods in high fiber.
DO eat some bananas, pineapples, spinach, celery, etc. (they can relieve cramps).
Period shopping list:
Granny panties (just trust me on this).
Pain killers (ibuprofen).
Chamomile and peppermint tea (make sure it's decaf).
Hot water bottle or electric heating pad (preferably one that doesn’t need to be plugged in).
Snacks (make sure you’re not going crazy with salt).
Vaginal wipes (unscented).
Vaginal safe soap (unscented).
pads/tampons/cup whatever you use, stock up.
Panty liners.
Ladies, if you ever send your boyfriend or a guy out to pick up a menstrual product and they get embarrassed about it please tell them this: NO ONE THINKS THEY’RE FOR YOU.
Books about Periods that every woman needs to know about:
Period Power: A Manifesto for the menstrual movement
Wild Power by Alexander Pope and Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer
Periods Gone Public by Jennifer Weiss Wolf
Heavy Flow by Amanda Laird
As we come to a wrap up of our period talk, after discussing the problems in our country that coincide with periods like the tampon tax, I’m going to talk about some important movements and nonprofit organizations looking to tackle these issues. Whether you are interested in helping out or just curious, here are some to look at:
Period. The Menstrual Movement. Founded in 2014. “Fighting to end period poverty and period stigma through service, education, and advocacy.” Their founder’s name is Nadya Okamoto. At 16, she founded Period, an NGO that aims to de-stigmatize menstruation and eradicate period poverty (not being able to afford sanitary products and restoring to use unsafe materials). Now 20, she is taking a break from Harvard to continue her crusade because, she says, “menstrual hygiene isn’t a privilege; it’s a right.”
Link: https://www.period.org/
The Homeless Period Project. Founded in 2015 by Stephanie Arnold and Sharron M. Champion. “We provide menstrual hygiene products to those in need while educating and advocating to end the stigma of menstruation.”
The Red Box Project was founded in March 2017 and is a community-based, not-for-profit initiative, which aims to support young people throughout their periods by providing red boxes filled with free period products to local schools.
If you’re ever feeling down because we’re getting fucked in the ass by the Government, just remember that more and more of us are joining the fight everyday… and we’re finally getting some wins. Here are some little victories for women bleeding:
Tesco to cut prices on 100 women’s sanitary products and pay ‘tampon tax’ itself
Sanitary pads are now tax-free in India
There’s a tampon taxi delivering sanitary products to homeless women in the UK
NHS patients to be offered free tampons
Sex education: Menstrual health to be taught in school by 2020
Period products are Tax free in California (just wanted to add this cause I live these right now and I’m pretty stoked).
Alright, that’s enough talk for the day. Hope I’ve helped educate or even helped gross you out. Honestly surprised I didn’t cuss as much as I did in my other articles. She’s learning! Anyways, Happy National Period Day folks. And remember, anything you can do I can do bleeding.
Sources:
Brazier, Yvette. “Toxic Shock Syndrome: Symptoms, Causes, and Diagnosis.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, 8 Mar. 2017, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/175736.php.
“Douching.” Womenshealth.gov, 1 Apr. 2019, https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/douching.
Jeunesse, Marilyn La. “12 Foods to Avoid When You Have Period Cramps.” Insider, Insider, 25 May 2018, https://www.insider.com/foods-to-avoid-when-you-have-period-cramps-2018-5.
“Learn More About the Pink Tax.” Pink Tax, https://axthepinktax.com/resources/.
Listings of Taxable and Exempt Foods and Beverages Sold by Food Stores and Similar Establishments, https://www.tax.ny.gov/pubs_and_bulls/tg_bulletins/st/listings_of_taxable_and_exempt_food.htm.
Oot, Torey Van, and Torey Van Oot. “Here's How Much the Tampon Tax Is Still Costing American Women.” InStyle.com, https://www.instyle.com/lifestyle/tampon-tax-meaning-real-cost.
Refinery29. “Why Women Trade Sexual Favors for Colored Pencils in Prison. Pic.twitter.com/rHOS3NvUXb.” Twitter, Twitter, 7 Mar. 2019, https://twitter.com/refinery29/status/1103686750684114945.
Sagner, Ema. “More States Move To End 'Tampon Tax' That's Seen As Discriminating Against Women.” NPR, NPR, 25 Mar. 2018, https://www.npr.org/2018/03/25/564580736/more-states-move-to-end-tampon-tax-that-s-seen-as-discriminating-against-women.
“Tampon Tax: How Much Have You Spent?” BBC News, BBC, 20 Nov. 2017, https://www.bbc.com/news/health-42013239.
“The True Cost of Your Period.” Pandia Health, 24 Oct. 2018, https://www.pandiahealth.com/the-true-cost-of-your-period/.
Zraick, Karen. “22 States Considered Eliminating the 'Tampon Tax' This Year. Here's What Happened.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 12 July 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/12/us/tampon-tax.html.