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If you saw someone bleeding, wouldn’t you want to help? Period products are health necessities, not luxury items. Everyday, more than 800 million people are having their period. In the US, two-thirds of low-income women can not afford period products. Happy #NationalPeriodDay. For most of my life, I’ve found it hard to talk about my period. It wasn’t something I could talk about with my three brothers and I felt so uncomfortable talking about it with my mom or my dad. My only sources of information about periods were at school and from a book my half-sister gave me called, “Girl Talk.” When I started my period, I didn’t want to tell anyone. Luckily, my school provided a starter kit of period products so I didn’t have to miss any classes or sit out of sports. Most girls today don’t get free period products in school, but they should be as available as toilet paper and soap. I don’t want other girls to feel the sense of shame and embarrassment I felt so that’s why I’m pushing myself to write this post, to break the taboo around periods.In 35 states, menstrual products are are subject to sales tax because they are considered “non-essential goods.” 1 in 5 teens have struggled to afford period products or were not able to purchase them at all. 84% of young people have missed class or know someone who has missed class due to a lack of access. Only 31% of dads feel comfortable talking to their daughters about periods.We need to work harder to ensure that period products are widely available. We need to destigmatize talking about periods. Share your period related stories with me in the comments below or write your own post to join in the conversation! And follow @periodmovement to learn more. Photos: @meg_haywoodsullivan Luckily, Meg had a tampon when I got this nosebleed deep in the backcountry. When she took these photos, I made her promise not to post the ones with the tampon in my nose. I’ve come a long way.
