Girl To Girl

Menstruation is a Human Rights Issue

May 28th is Menstrual Hygiene Day. Menstruation is a natural process, and women around the world have or will have experienced it. But in many countries, it's still treated as a secret or an embarrassment.
Some women face a wall of challenges while on their periods
In some places, menstruating women and girls are prohibited from cooking food, visiting sacred spaces, or spending the night at home. "I have no choice but to go to the shed," an 18-year-old in Nepal said near the hut where she and other women stay during their periods.
Very often, girls don't have access to period supplies. "The days I'm lucky, I get a few sanitary pads from my friends, while other days, I end up using rags," said 20-year-old Nyanjuma Galoth to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) at a civilian protection camp in South Sudan.
Women and girls miss out an opportunities when they lack information about menstrual health, services to treat menstrual symptoms and disorders, or supplies to manage menstrual hygiene. One 17-year-old girl in Senegal explained that her cramps were debilitating. "I began to have pain that prevented me from going to school," she said. "I used to miss one week of school every month," said another 17-year-old in Uganda.

**Just like breastfeeding and sex, periods are a natural part of life. Periods are just another one of the body's normal functions. And females shouldn't have to feel ashamed or embarrassed because of it, especially since we already feel like shit due to the cramping and bloating. And if somebody is making you feel bad or embarrassed because you have a period, they're obviously a shitty person and next time their body does a normal function, embarrass them. Or, be the bigger person and put them in their place and tell them all about how periods are normal bodily functions.
Also, I find it so so terrible that in so many other places, females aren't able to even go into their own homes due to them having their periods. Please, if you see another girl at school struggling with their period, let her know that it's okay. I don't care if she's "uncool" or if she's someone your 'friends' don't want to hang around, don't let another girl feel ashamed about her period. Remember, we were all new to having our periods once before too, and if it weren't for that special someone to come into our lives and tell us "hey, it's okay. it's natural. here's a helping hand," we would still be stuck in that scared little mind state. Be that special someone to somebody else.
Also, I would always carry a big bag of different tampons and pads, all different brands and sizes, (because I used a different brand and size and my sister and mum used the same brand and size- so we had plenty extra) so, I would take a few of mine and a few of theirs and if I heard or saw that another girl needed a female item at any time, I would give it to her. Because, this is a thing that every single one of us have in common, and especially in middle school when its just coming on and you don't really have much control and you don't keep up with when it's coming- you need help, and your best bet is to take all the help you can get.
Always lend a helping hand! (:

Please, share some of your crazy, embarrassing period stories down below! Or share an act of kindness done by you or for you (:

My horribly embarrassing period story takes place around when I was first getting my periods. I got my period on my 12th birthday. And it was the beginning of the new school year. I was in seventh grade and I never wore pads. I went straight to using tampons. Well, my mother and sister only used 'regular' size, yet I had an extremely heavy flow. But I had no idea that I did because this was only my second or third period. So, I was wearing black jeans, thank God!!!!! And the lunch bell had just rang so the entire class cleared out. And when I stood up, there was blood smeared and dried covering 80% of the chair, the entire seat part just covered in period blood. the people around me saw it, and I was so embarrassed so I was like "I don't have my periods so idk if that was here when I sat down" but my best friend knew.
I leaked because I didn't put the tampon in far enough and I didn't use the applicator because the plastic bits always cut me so I pushed the tampon in with my fingers. so it wasn't able to get all the way in there. then after lunch, all the teachers had to give a speech about "if you have your period make sure to change your pads or tampons on time and if you leak please clean it up" and by that time word had spread and every body looked at me and I could literally feel my cheeks just burning. it was so humiliating.

If I were a teacher and that happened, I would pull the female student that had the accident to the side and ask if she needs any tampons or pads and tell her it's okay and it happens. not shame and embarrass her.