I’m going to start with a phrase from vulnerability Queen, Brene Brown – FFT’s…Fucking First Times. All those who menstruate have had one. Our first period. Yep. I can hear your face palms from here as you inevitably remember the first time Flo came to town. Let me share my story.
I have, for the majority of my life, been surrounded by mainly men. Football academies, rugby tours camping trips – I’ve always been the token female in the room and getting my first period was no different. Mum was away for the weekend on a girls trip which left myself, my brother, Dad and some family friends (all men!) at home. I went for my morning loo break post breakfast and there it was…my first blood stained piece of loo roll. FUCK. What am I going to do? I know what I can’t do, I can not go downstairs and announce it to the living room, stuffed to the rafters with testostorone. The embarrassment would be palpable for me and everyone else. THINK NICOLA, THINK! OK…I know where my mums pads are, I just need to get to them unseen. So I stuff my knickers with some Andrex in the meantime and wait until the coast is clear.
SIDE NOTE: I’ve also had to put on loose fitting, black trousers at this point. Aint nobody ever spoken to me about the volume of blood that would come so naturally I imagine it will be pouring into my socks at any moment!
I spot my moment and run across the landing like the bad guy from a Scooby Doo episode. I make it to my parents en-suite unnoticed and then I am faced with a challenge I had not foreseen. Which product do I choose? There are so many! Pink ones, large ones, ultra ones, super ones, ones with an applicator, mini ones, winged ones, pads. I grab a handful of whatever I think I can take unnoticed and creep back to the bathroom. Phew wipes brow I made it. Now what do I do? This is becoming a whole situation, people are shouting to me that we need to leave, do I want something to eat, am I ready yet. I try everything I can to not shout back “Fuck off! I’m in the middle of a pivotal life moment and have no clue what I’m doing!” so I crack on and decide on pads. They seem simple. Whip it out the packet and get it in my knickers. Job done.
BUT…
Imagine getting your period and having no choice. Not having an entire cupboard of pads and tampons to choose from. Not having the personal space to choose the right product for you. No money to buy products. No private bathroom. No home.
I’ll shamefully admit that I didn’t think about this either. I have gone through puberty and adult life, so far, not having to worry about where my next tampon was going to come from. But it’s not the same for everyone. 24% of women and those who menstruate in the UK have said that they have struggled to be able to afford period products, thats about 1 in 4 women. In the place of pads or tampons, 20% said that they have used makeshift products such as loo-roll or sponges. So I can’t help but think – how many others are also unaware of the harsh realities of period poverty? Luckily there are organisations and initiatives out there striving to bring an end to period poverty.
One such organisation is Bloody Good Period. Founded in 2016, the team strive to end period poverty, going as far as to say they shouldn’t even exist and I could not agree more! A company ethos built on inclusivity, feminist values and self-care, they educate on the need to end period poverty, provide period products for those who need them and normalise periods. With a bold and unapologetic social media presence, the BGP team bringing period poverty to the forefront backed by a whole host of ambassadors such as Clara Amfo, Kenny Ethan Jones and Jen Brister.
Heard something here you didn’t know? Had no idea about period poverty? Outraged? Educated? Eager to get involved? You can find out all the details on how to support Bloody Good Period here.
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