May 20, 2020, by Sara Harper, LHC Student Assistant

Humor me, if you will, and think back to the first time you learned about periods. As I was entering the dreaded “tween” years, my mother pulled me aside for yet another “big girl talk,” conversations about impending physical and social changes in my life. I didn’t learn much about my period that day. However, I did gain a sense that it was not something I should openly talk about. I learned I should hide my period because even the idea of menstruation could make others uncomfortable. Queue many years of figuring out the best way to grab a tampon or pad and get to the bathroom without suspicion…

Even as an adult, this needless taboo is still deeply ingrained in me. In honor of the upcoming Menstrual Hygiene Day, I have decided to write this blog to coax myself and readers out of our comfort zone and examine how shame, culture, and money can influence menstrual hygiene around the world.