Why are we doing this?
We wouldn’t be here without menstruation, but it’s still not openly talked about. It’s high time that changed!

Unicef estimates that people with periods spend an average of 3,000 days menstruating in their lifetimes, and yet in many cultures it remains a taboo subject. We think it’s time to talk about periods openly.

Already completed the training? Click here to access the lesson plans and resources

 

​Historically, periods haven’t been talked about openly and the consequences of this are far reaching.:

1 in 4 young menstruating people did not know what to do when starting their period.​
Periods are usually not covered in enough depth in schools and information is often highly biased.​
The conversation has historically been led by the big brands in schools, perpetuating the drive to buy single-use disposable products and keeping young people in the dark about the full range of products on offer. ​

Stigma and misunderstandings are still rife because of misleading advertising, passing down of incorrect information, boys and gender diverse people being left out the conversation.
Young people aren’t equipped to make informed choices about products, product disposal, how to manage own menstrual health, how to save money, when to visit a GP, what period equality is, etc.
10% of people with periods cannot afford to purchase period products. 1 in 10 of these has to improvise with makeshift period products.​

Educational context

We designed our non-biased schools’ programme to give PSHE teachers and ambassadors the resources that they need to deliver comprehensive period education whilst fulfilling compulsory curriculum objectives 

The education around products that is received at a young age is likely to shape a person’s whole period experience, so in order to make informed choices they need to be aware of the variety of materials available, costs and correct disposal/cleaning methods.

Period education in schools

Since our pilot in 2018 we have identified that: 

Periods are not covered in enough depth in schools. There are constraints on time, limited resources and lack of confidence in delivery.

Boys are often left out of the discussion.

Most of the discussion tends to focus on a narrow range of products and rarely touches on disposal.

Education is monopolised by leading brands. We think that it’s vital for students to receive information on ALL the products available to them, not just a limited range. After all, everyone’s physical and economic needs are different.