There’s still a huge misconception that period poverty only affects low income families and those living on the breadline. But that is simply not the case.
Too many people who menstruate have found themselves either unable to afford or unable to access sanitary products, resorting to rolling tissue paper around hands to make makeshift pads, or even using socks to absorb the flow. Talking about periods and personal hygiene continues to be a taboo - but it’s when people share their emotionally charged stories of times when they've felt embarrassed by their periods that we realise it needs talking about more.
When I was in high school, around the age of 14, I unexpectedly came on my period during class. Too embarrassed to say anything, I leaked so heavily that I bled straight through onto the chair. I had to walk home with my blazer tied around my waist.
