middle schools can be kind of tough back when I was a girl I struggled with
when I was a girl I struggled with
when I was a girl I struggled with taming my ever frizzy lion-like hair and
taming my ever frizzy lion-like hair and
taming my ever frizzy lion-like hair and matching my braces rubber bands with my
matching my braces rubber bands with my
matching my braces rubber bands with my outfit of the day and let’s not forget
outfit of the day and let’s not forget
outfit of the day and let’s not forget puberty a magical time in any young
puberty a magical time in any young
puberty a magical time in any young person’s life when voices get lower
person’s life when voices get lower
person’s life when voices get lower sweat levels get higher and bodies
sweat levels get higher and bodies
sweat levels get higher and bodies change and for girls that means getting
change and for girls that means getting
change and for girls that means getting your period but uh why don’t we continue
your period but uh why don’t we continue
your period but uh why don’t we continue to whisper about something that’s a
to whisper about something that’s a
to whisper about something that’s a natural part of any woman’s life but uh
natural part of any woman’s life but uh
natural part of any woman’s life but uh I don’t whisper about mine instead I
I don’t whisper about mine instead I
I don’t whisper about mine instead I call it Lucifer’s waterfall or Shark
call it Lucifer’s waterfall or Shark
call it Lucifer’s waterfall or Shark Week
luckily I am out of middle school now
luckily I am out of middle school now but my period still followed me to high
but my period still followed me to high
but my period still followed me to high school for some of the men in the room
school for some of the men in the room
school for some of the men in the room and even some women all of this period
and even some women all of this period
and even some women all of this period talk may be making you feel
talk may be making you feel
talk may be making you feel uncomfortable that’s exactly the
uncomfortable that’s exactly the
uncomfortable that’s exactly the problems we have live in a society that
problems we have live in a society that
problems we have live in a society that heavily stigmatizes periods makes them
heavily stigmatizes periods makes them
heavily stigmatizes periods makes them an expense some young women even in our
an expense some young women even in our
an expense some young women even in our own community cannot afford and that is
own community cannot afford and that is
own community cannot afford and that is my concern it should be our concern men
my concern it should be our concern men
my concern it should be our concern men straining is inconvenient
you don’t say but little is being done
you don’t say but little is being done to make sure girls my age we’re not
to make sure girls my age we’re not
to make sure girls my age we’re not distracted are worried where the next
distracted are worried where the next
distracted are worried where the next tampons coming from especially at school
tampons coming from especially at school
tampons coming from especially at school well it should be acknowledged that
well it should be acknowledged that
well it should be acknowledged that public schools are required to have a
public schools are required to have a
public schools are required to have a limited supply of menstrual hygiene
limited supply of menstrual hygiene
limited supply of menstrual hygiene products at their disposal of their
products at their disposal of their
products at their disposal of their students
students
students they’re often hidden away in a dark
they’re often hidden away in a dark
they’re often hidden away in a dark cabinet in the nurse’s office this
cabinet in the nurse’s office this
cabinet in the nurse’s office this simply isn’t cutting it anymore
simply isn’t cutting it anymore
simply isn’t cutting it anymore take it from me and any other girl my
take it from me and any other girl my
take it from me and any other girl my age when you’re on your period at school
age when you’re on your period at school
age when you’re on your period at school and stranded without the products you
and stranded without the products you
and stranded without the products you need it’s embarrassing doc don’t leave
need it’s embarrassing doc don’t leave
need it’s embarrassing doc don’t leave your classroom walk all the way down to
your classroom walk all the way down to
your classroom walk all the way down to the nurse’s office beg for a pad in
the nurse’s office beg for a pad in
the nurse’s office beg for a pad in front of a gaggle of your sick
front of a gaggle of your sick
front of a gaggle of your sick classmates walk to the bathroom use the
classmates walk to the bathroom use the
classmates walk to the bathroom use the product and then return to your
product and then return to your
product and then return to your classroom where you are greeted by your
classroom where you are greeted by your
classroom where you are greeted by your teachers and peers asking what took you
teachers and peers asking what took you
teachers and peers asking what took you so long then how do you even answer I
so long then how do you even answer I
so long then how do you even answer I got lost
not only can this experience be
not only can this experience be mortifying
mortifying
mortifying trust me I know but you end up missing
trust me I know but you end up missing
trust me I know but you end up missing out on valuable instructional time a
out on valuable instructional time a
out on valuable instructional time a spokesperson for the Department of
spokesperson for the Department of
spokesperson for the Department of Education stated students must feel
Education stated students must feel
Education stated students must feel comfortable in their classes so they can
comfortable in their classes so they can
comfortable in their classes so they can focus on learning having three easy
focus on learning having three easy
focus on learning having three easy access to material hydrogen products is
access to material hydrogen products is
access to material hydrogen products is essential to make this happen without
essential to make this happen without
essential to make this happen without access to supplies students often miss
access to supplies students often miss
access to supplies students often miss class or do not participate as
class or do not participate as
class or do not participate as vigorously for fear of leakage and
vigorously for fear of leakage and
vigorously for fear of leakage and embarrassment impacting overall
embarrassment impacting overall
embarrassment impacting overall educational outcomes
educational outcomes
educational outcomes additionally periods can come
additionally periods can come
additionally periods can come unexpectedly there like a little
unexpectedly there like a little
unexpectedly there like a little surprise in a survey conducted by Harris
surprise in a survey conducted by Harris
surprise in a survey conducted by Harris Interactive 79% of women under the age
Interactive 79% of women under the age
Interactive 79% of women under the age of 18 are not yet on a predictable
of 18 are not yet on a predictable
of 18 are not yet on a predictable monthly cycle meaning they are often
monthly cycle meaning they are often
monthly cycle meaning they are often caught off guard and this contributes to
caught off guard and this contributes to
caught off guard and this contributes to heightened stress at schools when you
heightened stress at schools when you
heightened stress at schools when you don’t know when you will start flowing
don’t know when you will start flowing
don’t know when you will start flowing or how to take care of it by menstrual
or how to take care of it by menstrual
or how to take care of it by menstrual hygiene products being conveniently
hygiene products being conveniently
hygiene products being conveniently located in school restrooms rather than
located in school restrooms rather than
located in school restrooms rather than hidden away across the building it can
hidden away across the building it can
hidden away across the building it can take some of the stress out of a young
take some of the stress out of a young
take some of the stress out of a young woman’s day but besides that convenience
woman’s day but besides that convenience
woman’s day but besides that convenience aspect of this issue it also comes down
aspect of this issue it also comes down
aspect of this issue it also comes down to financials periods are expensive with
to financials periods are expensive with
to financials periods are expensive with a single box of pads or tampons costing
a single box of pads or tampons costing
a single box of pads or tampons costing seven to ten dollars we mean the average
seven to ten dollars we mean the average
seven to ten dollars we mean the average woman in the United States spending 80
woman in the United States spending 80
woman in the United States spending 80 to 120 dollars on menstrual hygiene
to 120 dollars on menstrual hygiene
to 120 dollars on menstrual hygiene supplies each year for lower income
supplies each year for lower income
supplies each year for lower income families the cost of purchasing supplies
families the cost of purchasing supplies
families the cost of purchasing supplies can be more than they can afford for
can be more than they can afford for
can be more than they can afford for example in the public school districts
example in the public school districts
example in the public school districts of our community they’re currently 1473
of our community they’re currently 1473
of our community they’re currently 1473 female middle and high school students
female middle and high school students
female middle and high school students eligible for free and reduced lunch
eligible for free and reduced lunch
eligible for free and reduced lunch meaning they can’t always afford food
meaning they can’t always afford food
meaning they can’t always afford food let alone their own emergency supply of
let alone their own emergency supply of
let alone their own emergency supply of menstrual hygiene products easy access
menstrual hygiene products easy access
menstrual hygiene products easy access at schools to help alleviate some of the
at schools to help alleviate some of the
at schools to help alleviate some of the financial strain having a period
financial strain having a period
financial strain having a period provides
provides
provides and while it’s easy for school districts
and while it’s easy for school districts
and while it’s easy for school districts and leadership boards choose their own
and leadership boards choose their own
and leadership boards choose their own financial situations or budgets as
financial situations or budgets as
financial situations or budgets as reasons they cannot provide these
reasons they cannot provide these
reasons they cannot provide these products no one and I mean no one thinks
products no one and I mean no one thinks
products no one and I mean no one thinks twice but the cost of stocking restrooms
twice but the cost of stocking restrooms
twice but the cost of stocking restrooms the toilet paper and hand soap and paper
the toilet paper and hand soap and paper
the toilet paper and hand soap and paper towels yeah
towels yeah
towels yeah menstrual products are considered luxury
menstrual products are considered luxury
menstrual products are considered luxury I don’t know about you but uh when it
I don’t know about you but uh when it
I don’t know about you but uh when it called my period very luxurious and it
called my period very luxurious and it
called my period very luxurious and it only costs about four dollars and 67
only costs about four dollars and 67
only costs about four dollars and 67 cents per female student for schools to
cents per female student for schools to
cents per female student for schools to provide them with sanitary products for
provide them with sanitary products for
provide them with sanitary products for the entire school year so in other words
the entire school year so in other words
the entire school year so in other words for the price of a footlong at Subway or
for the price of a footlong at Subway or
for the price of a footlong at Subway or a fancy cup of coffee at Starbucks
a fancy cup of coffee at Starbucks
a fancy cup of coffee at Starbucks provide their students with menstrual
provide their students with menstrual
provide their students with menstrual hygiene products for a year so I
hygiene products for a year so I
hygiene products for a year so I challenge you to stand with me and
challenge you to stand with me and
challenge you to stand with me and support young women with the resources
support young women with the resources
support young women with the resources we need to manage our periods because
we need to manage our periods because
we need to manage our periods because I’m tired of living in a BYOD bring your
I’m tired of living in a BYOD bring your
I’m tired of living in a BYOD bring your own tampons Society and as corny as it
own tampons Society and as corny as it
own tampons Society and as corny as it sounds we can all make a difference if
sounds we can all make a difference if
sounds we can all make a difference if you’re a lawmaker cross legislation that
you’re a lawmaker cross legislation that
you’re a lawmaker cross legislation that increases students access to vital
increases students access to vital
increases students access to vital hygiene products if your school
hygiene products if your school
hygiene products if your school administrator or leader or teacher
administrator or leader or teacher
administrator or leader or teacher facilitate open conversations with your
facilitate open conversations with your
facilitate open conversations with your students about their hygiene needs and
students about their hygiene needs and
students about their hygiene needs and why not add pads and tampons onto school
why not add pads and tampons onto school
why not add pads and tampons onto school supplies list just as tissues are both
supplies list just as tissues are both
supplies list just as tissues are both our concerns over students health should
our concerns over students health should
our concerns over students health should be viewed the same way and if you’re a
be viewed the same way and if you’re a
be viewed the same way and if you’re a parent why not drop a box of sanitary
parent why not drop a box of sanitary
parent why not drop a box of sanitary supplies in your daughter’s school
supplies in your daughter’s school
supplies in your daughter’s school restroom trust me
restroom trust me
restroom trust me girls everywhere will thank you if we
girls everywhere will thank you if we
girls everywhere will thank you if we all band together to increase the
all band together to increase the
all band together to increase the convenience and accessibility of
convenience and accessibility of
convenience and accessibility of menstral hydrogen products for young
menstral hydrogen products for young
menstral hydrogen products for young women would be a huge step in supporting
women would be a huge step in supporting
women would be a huge step in supporting the hygienic and by a lot
the hygienic and by a lot
the hygienic and by a lot means of women and it would make Shark
means of women and it would make Shark
means of women and it would make Shark Week a little less menacing
”
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