SUBMITTED STORY
Being on my period, throughout the years of secondary school, was extremely difficult. My attendance was extremely poor due to extreme menstrual cramps, the poor state of the bathrooms and fear of being unable to access any menstrual products if I required more during the school day. There were on multiple occasions times where I would bleed through my trousers, onto the chair and because of my own embarrassment and the shame I felt, I would pretend I was unwell just to be sent home, as I was too embarrassed to reach out for any support or to ask for any period products. I believed that there wasn’t a lot of support or understanding from staff, even coming down to situations when I needed the go to the bathroom during class and wasn’t allowed as I “should’ve gone during break”. This was a huge struggle for me as I suffered from heavy bleeding to the point I was medicated for this. I couldn’t just stand up and explain why I needed to go to the toilet during every lesson. I believed that if there were more support and knowledge during my school years, my attendance would’ve improved greatly and I could’ve been more focused on my work.
Anonymous, Shared by Love Your Period