Let's Talk: Vaginas!

So today I have a bit of a different post to share with you all and it comes from a very difficult experience that I and a lot of other women have to deal with each month and that is, you guessed it, periods.

I found myself browsing YouTube and all of the Project For Awesome videos that have been posted in the past day or two and I clicked on a video by Ingrid Nilsen and her aptly titled video 'Your Vagina Matters' because, I have a vagina and it's very dear to me and anything that is targeted towards my vagina is something that I will want to watch, or read.

The video was about an organisation called Conscious Period that is trying to help stop the stigma surrounding periods and make life a little easier for all of the women that get them. The tampons and pads are all 100% cotton so that women know exactly what it is that we are putting inside of our bodies. For every box of tampons that are purchased, a box of pads are donated to homeless women in the, I believe, Los Angeles area.

Unforunately, I can't donate to their Indiegogo campaign but I wanted to spread the word about everything that they're doing because I believe it can really make a difference to a lot of homeless women's lives. And, obviously, I'm always up for destroying some stigma so I'm just going to have a casual chat with you all, woman to woman, woman to man, woman to however you identify, about periods, the lovely things that they are.

When did my period start?

If I remember correctly, my period started when I was around 12/13 and thankfully I had already had Sex Education lessons about what a period was which helped save me from that 'am I dying?' fiasco that I've heard many a story about. The stigma, for me, all started when these same Sex Education lessons were separate from the boys in my class which meant that from the age of around 11 I was essentially told that periods are not something to be discussed when males are around. It only got worse from then on.

Being at school.

Being at school and on my period was the absolute worst. If I needed to go to the toilet, I wasn't always allowed, and if I was then my teacher would always question why it was that I was taking my bag with me, embarrassing me to the point where I felt that I couldn't explain that I was currently bleeding from my vagina. If I ever got angry or upset about something the 'What, are you on your period or something?' question would be shot at me by a crowd of boys who were so obviously disgusted by something that is perfectly natural. Also: Yes, I am on my period. No, that's not why I'm angry. I'm angry because you're being an annoying little shit. 

Leakage.

Leakage is the ultimate worst nightmare. Ever. One week out of every month I am the most paranoid that I will probably ever be, constantly worried that my pad won't be enough, that my tampon won't catch everything, that I'm going to leak all over my chair in the classroom, that my skirt will have a red stain on it and I won't realise for the whole day, that blood is just going to come out of my ears, nostrils and every orifice in my body because one pad simply cannot hold it all. It's exhausting. 

Take my money, take it all.

One piece of ridiculous news that I got this year is that tampons are taxed as luxury items. Did you know that? Did you? Last time I checked they were pretty damn essential. Why are they so expensive? Why do you need all of my money, my parents money? I don't choose to bleed. People choose to have sex, why are condoms free? Why are the government and the corporate world so hellbent on keeping the 'period' a taboo subject that they won't even help women who perhaps don't have the access to tampons or pads, who don't have they money to buy any 'luxury items'. 

Please watch Ingrid's video, please try to donate, please help to destroy the stigma. If you can't donate then just try to be a part of the conversation as much as you are comfortable with.