3.
WHY I EXERCISE WHILE I MENSTRUATE
By Tiffany Rhodes
2.
THE TAMPON TAX
By Sydney Carim
1.
THE ASTROLOGICAL SIGNS AS PERIOD PRODUCTS
By Madison Leifer
5.
WARRIOR
By Maya Ghosh Lisbin
4.
TO BE A WOMAN PTII
By Savannah Jackson
7.
PAD ADVICE COLUMN
8.
PICKING UP THE PIECES
By Anonymous
UNTITLED
By A.R.H.
6.
*Content warning: sexual violence*
Welcome to the December 2020 issue of the PAD Monthly Digital Magazine! Check out our social media and let us know what you think of this month's issue!
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Period Activists at ‘Deis (PAD) fights for menstrual justice and seeks to uplift the voices of all menstruators. We strive to facilitate access to menstrual products and education, dismantle the menstrual stigma, and advocate for policies that protect the rights of menstruators.
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PAD EXECUTIVE BOARD: Cassady Adams, Sydney Carim, Ilana Feldman, Savannah Jackson, Madison Leifer, Kyla Speizer
The Astrological Signs as Period Products
Coming up with 12 period products is harder than it seems.
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Disclaimer: Please do not use this article to pick on any of the signs. I know it's tempting to make fun of geminis but please just don’t.
MADISON LEIFER
The Tampon Tax:
What is it and how does it work?
In the last few years, the notorious “tampon tax” has become a buzzword for menstrual justice activists everywhere. We know that it poses increased costs to menstruators, and we know that it makes it harder to access products - but what is the tampon tax exactly? And how does it actually work? Keep reading for a quick guide through U.S. tampon tax and its impact on menstruators!
The United States Government taxes products on a categorical basis. This means that as new products hit the market, they will be placed into one of two large categories: “tangible personal property” or “necessities”. Tangible personal property is any product that is considered a luxury, or at least not enough of a basic need to be exempt from a sales tax. Each state gets to determine which category products are placed in, and in many states, all menstrual products (not just tampons), are placed into the “tangible personal property” category.
Although this decision is extremely problematic, it wouldn’t be so terrible if the U.S. Government had placed these products onto their long list of “medical expenses”. Any product found on this federal list is eligible for a tax break, even if it has been placed into the tangible personal property category by the state - but of course menstrual products are nowhere to be found on this list either. This secondary decision by the U.S. federal government is extremely important, as most employees and health insurance plans offer a special account that allows workers to set aside untaxed earnings for medical expenses. Due to their exclusion from the medical expenses list, menstrual products can’t be purchased with these untaxed earnings. This essentially means that all period products sold in the United States are taxed twice - once through payroll, and again at the cash register.
Okay, all that information is good to know - but what does it actually look like when applied to period products? Let’s take a look at a hypothetical:
So let’s say we have $21 to spend on tampons. According to current markets, the average price for a box of 36 tampons is $7. If we were draw from our untaxed pay and didn’t have to pay an extra tax at checkout, we would be able to buy 3 boxes, or 108 tampons. However, because menstrual products are not on the list of medical expenses, our original $21 we earned would be subject to an income tax. After applying the average income tax in the US, we would be left with approximately $14 to spend on tampons. Now, we can only afford to buy two boxes, leaving us with 72 tampons instead of 108. That’s a pretty big loss - but we’re not done yet. If we were to add an average sales tax of 7.12% on to the price of the tampons, it would add about 50 cents on to the cost of each box. That brings the cost of two boxes up to $15 - meaning we can no longer afford our second box of tampons, either. At this point, we are leaving the store with only 36 tampons instead of 108 - the loss of about two months worth of products.
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Losses like these are ones that menstruators across the U.S. experience every day. Though some states have gotten rid of the sales tax and consider products a “medical expense”, there are still 30 states that consider menstrual products a luxury - while products like licorice (AZ), bingo supplies (MO), and pixie sticks (KT) are not. Policies like these contribute to the U.S.’s high rates of period poverty, and it is a form or regulatory discrimination, actively perpetuating stigmatization against periods and menstruators. It is for these reasons that menstrual justice activists across the U.S. (and the world) have been fighting tirelessly for the tampon tax to be repealed. To get involved in stigma-smashing and advocacy-focused work, consider joining PAD and other organizations (like Tax Free. Period.) fighting to bring period equity to menstruators worldwide.
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SYDNEY CARIM
Why I Exercise While I Menstruate
Period pains consist of many symptoms. These pains include but are not limited to backaches, muscle cramps, and the not-so-pretty, yet extremely painful period poops. For many menstruators, period pains can range from being around a 5 to even feeling as “bad as having a heart attack.” Agreeably between menstruators AND doctors, cramps fucking hurt.
For centuries, uterus-holders have come up and passed down many different tricks and tips to possibly alleviate the monthly affliction. According to the University of Michigan School of Medicine, the culmination of this collective experience, along with research, has accounted for the laundry-list of combination medicine, heating pads, diet changes, and others, to hopefully make things better. However, one of the most unloved yet useful tricks, I personally have found, is exercising.
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Why on earth would anyone want to exercise on their period? It’s a valid argument, personally, there have been days on my period where I want to just curl up under a blanket, snuggle a heated, stuffed-animal and eat nothing but Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. However, when the going gets tough with cramps, I have found exercising as a pretty good remedy, here is what I discovered.
I grew up doing a lot of intense dance in high school, I was doing intense exercise for roughly 6–8 hours a week. Once I got to University, I stopped exercising and moving as much. I noticed quickly that my period began to hurt way more than I was used to. During my freshman year of University, I found myself stuck in my dorm room, unable to move and adorned with heating pads, for 4 days a month.
the hard way.
I’m actually a superhero.
I realized I was missing the same regular exercise that I had had for years and after some research, I learned about why my period symptoms were not as bad when kept exercising. Internally, during the period phase of the menstrual cycle, the hormones Progesterone and Estrogen are at a low. During our periods, we may feel tired, experience various pains, and just overall, feel pretty shitty.
However, exercising has several different positive effects. Exercise during any point of the month is helpful, it increases those “feel-good” endorphins and gives something else to focus on besides pain and discomfort. In an article from Women’s Care Florida, those exercise endorphins help with relieving pains associated with cramps and headaches, and it helps combat low energy, as well. Furthermore, it’s good to keep on a routine during your period. If you find yourself regularly exercising before and after your period, try continuing the routine.
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The best thing about exercising while on your period is that you don’t even need to be doing high-intensity workouts. The best exercises to keep up with include light walking, light cardio, low-strength exercises, some yoga, and even a stretch class. Personally, my go-to’s are taking some beginner dance and ballet classes, along with some low impact stretch classes. If pain is especially rough for me, I’ll take some pain medicine to help me get through exercising.
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At the end of it, some changes are easier to make to help with pain management. There isn’t a single, quick solution to help ease period pains, but often a combination of different tips and tricks. Most importantly, it’s best to listen to your body, whether it comes to the need for exercise or how to accurately feel out pain, and discomfort; I definitely learned that lesson.
TIFFANY RHODES
To Be A Woman pt II
[see our November issue for pt I]
And I still wonder: how do we explain what it means to be a woman?
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Sometimes I think, maybe we start with this: This past summer, my friends and I started a road trip on the heaviest day of my period. I’m talking bleed-through-a-super-tampon-in-an-hour heavy. I considered hiding it—I remembered all the times growing up that I’d been taught that the easiest way to be a menstruator was to present yourself as a non-menstruator. Instead, I told my friends before we’d even gotten in the car. They didn’t tease me or complain when I asked us to pull over to find a bathroom even if it had been only an hour since our last stop, even thought it meant more time added to our already fourteen hour long drive.
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Maybe we start with this: When we arrived at my friend’s apartment that evening, he didn’t have a trashcan in his bathroom. I wrapped my tampon in toilet paper and waited until no one was paying attention to throw it away in another room. Later that night, one of the friends who I’d driven up with said, “You know, if you want a proper adult apartment, if you want to have girls over, you should put a trashcan in your bathroom.” I hadn’t complained to her, and she didn’t mention me, and she didn’t say he needed to do it immediately, but the next time I went to use the bathroom, a small trashcan sat next to the toilet.
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Maybe we start with this: Next time you laugh at a hellish customer service story, remember that some of us work retail while bleeding. I am supposed to set everything aside to help customers who will yell at me over nothing, but I am tired and hungry and emotional and my whole body aches. Blood soaking through my pants does not make this any easier. In theory, I can always go use the bathroom. In practice, there is always another customer waiting to be helped. But sometimes instead of telling me to wait until the line is gone, the manager finds someone to cover me. Sometimes before a manager even notices, a coworker covers me so I can use the bathroom, grab a quick snack, get a drink of water, or just rest for a moment while they help the next customer.
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Maybe we start with this: I missed a class period last semester because I couldn’t drag myself out of bed. The cramps were intensely painful whether I stood, or sat, or lay down. My head hurt, and I couldn’t focus on anything, but I was crying over everything. I emailed my teacher to tell him I was sick, but a friend in the class knew the truth. She showed up at my room after class with chocolate and candy and tea bags.
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Maybe we start with this: First in high school hallways and classrooms, then in college libraries and work break rooms. We have all been there, unexpectedly on our period and with none of the supplies that we need. We’ve asked and been asked by friends, family, strangers. I have found a sort of beauty in the simple exchange of pads and tampons and pain relievers between people who barely know each other.
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Maybe we start with this: The first time I used a tampon, it was because I was supposed to go to the waterpark with my friends. My mom stood outside the bathroom door for what felt like an hour as she talked me through the process and calmed me down. No, she promised me, I wouldn’t put it in the wrong hole. No, it shouldn’t hurt once it was fully in. No, no one would be able to tell I was wearing it. Yes, she would help me figure it all out again when I needed to change it.
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Maybe we start with this: All those years ago, after I cut myself on the razor that I picked up in my mom’s shower, I went to her and I asked her how to use it, and she took the time to show me how.
Author’s note: I do not mean to suggest that the identities of woman and menstruator are the same. I only intend to explore how the two have intersected in my own life.
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SAVANNAH JACKSON
WARRIOR
"You're a warrior!
And you've been brutally wounded,
You’ve gotta make it through the day!"
My brother yells this from across the room
as we hurtle recklessly through the air
from the couch arm rest
to my parents’ bed.
We’re really not supposed to be here.
"Percy Jackson hasn't got shit on you!"
His attempt at comfort,
probably merely a happy excuse to say shit,
sat warm in my heart.
The fatigue that leaden-ed my body,
evaporated, if only a little,
The appetite that pulled at me
felt a little less angry,
The anxiety,
A constant loop of
they'll see they'll see they'll see
is a little less pressing,
and the pain feels suddenly like
a pride
In my body.
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“You’re a crazy bitch,
Talk to me when you stop pms-ing damn.”
I didn’t understand why being insistent
That this middle school boy should
Stop whispering regales of his
Sex escapades in my ear
Should have anything to do with my uterus
But my face was too red
My eyes burned from lack of sleep
My stomach ached and twisted, convulsed
I wanted to cry, to melt, just leave me alone
It was only the first class of the day.
Somewhere deep,
Beyond my discomfort,
Beyond the red threatening to tinge the seam of my jeans,
I knew he was just a child,
He didn’t really know the words that came out of his mouth,
Perhaps callous, perhaps simply ignorant regurgitation
But still my mind begged and begged and begged the question
How did he know?
You're a warrior, my brother had said.
Just once, I wish I could've said,
Could've told him,
someone who could not have possibly understood,
Yes.
I know.
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MAYA GOHSH LISBIN
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UNTITLED
​My father flinches when I say the word “fuck.”
I think it’s funny, so I do it a lot.
Funny like my voice is shattering some
unspoken agreement
one that someone else wrote
but I never signed
one that says
“I am not supposed be vulgar.”
“I am not supposed to be profane.”
“I am not supposed to be difficult.”
And then sometimes I feel that somehow just by having an opinion
I am already walking on contentious ground
even when that opinion is educated and articulate;
and that somehow “feminism” is a dirty word,
the other f-word that gets me
sideways glances and pursed lips
because it is true that when women speak
truth is most often mistaken for sass.
But
My resistance is not a phase;
my frustration is not “cute;”
my anger is not irrelevant;
my opinions are not inconsequential.
And I’m smart enough to know when I’m being patronized.
My mother taught me how to swear.
To say “fuck you” to the boys who go out of bounds.
To yell when I am in pain.
To never choose to be quiet
because silence might be more convenient;
and to be a motherfucking badass bitch
who will take this argument straight to hell.
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A.R.H.
Menstruating Bodies
CASSADY ADAMS
PAD ADVICE COLUMN
1. HOW MUCH DISCHARGE IS NORMAL?/IS DISCHARGE NORMAL?
Experiencing vaginal discharge (technically called leukorrhea) is normal at all stages of your period cycle. Discharge is actually your vagina’s way of naturally cleaning itself. Made up of cervical mucus, vaginal fluid, and bacteria, your discharge will vary in color, consistency, and quantity throughout your cycle.
During your menstrual phase, blood mixes with your discharge and you might not notice it at all, or it might be completely absent for a few days. Right after your period, as old blood mixes with your discharge, it might be brown. As your estrogen levels rise before ovulation, you might notice up to a 20% increase in your discharge, which is likely to be thick and creamy, and white, cloudy, or even yellowish. Your discharge should “peak” 1-2 days before ovulation, and is likely to be clear, slippery, or stretchy. During your luteal phase (right after ovulation) you might notice sticky or dry discharge, or almost no discharge.
There are a few types of discharge you can look out for that might indicate a health issue. If your discharge is grey, pink, or green, if it is lumpy and curdled, or if it smells fishy or unusually strong, you should contact your healthcare provider.
2. HOW SHOULD I TRACK MY PERIOD?
There are lots of benefits to tracking your period, and many different ways to do it! Tracking your period can help you know when to add a few menstrual products to your purse or bathroom if you might start soon, or it can help you determine your fertile window if you’re trying to get pregnant. It can also help you better understand your body and what’s happening inside it. You might want to keep track of your bleeding, discharge, appetite, cramps, headaches, tender breasts, weight gain, sleep habits, cravings, etc. You could mark down the days that you’re on your period on a calendar, keep track of symptoms in a journal, use an app on your phone, or a combination of the above! Some free and comprehensive period tracking apps include Clue, Flo, and Eve by Glow. Other apps exist for fertility and pregnancy tracking as well! See what works best for you.
3. IS INTENSE/DEBILITATING PERIOD PAIN NORMAL?
Menstrual cramps are caused by uterine contractions and an excess of prostaglandins and usually affect menstruators right before and during the onset of their period. While many menstruators experience pain near the beginning of their period, lasting and/or severe pain is not normal. If the pain you experience is bad enough that it causes you to regularly miss school/work, if it does not go away with over-the-counter pain medications, if it occurs randomly or continuously throughout your entire cycle (ie. not just during the first few days of your period), or if its accompanied by other symptoms (such as pain during sex, nausea, diarrhea, heavy bleeding, or irregular cycles), please contact your healthcare provider. These may be signs of a more serious health problem, and there should be no shame in talking to your doctor about your period.
4. WILL I ACTUALLY GET TOXIC SHOCK SYNDROME?
If you use tampons, you’ve probably seen toxic shock syndrome (TSS) warnings outside of and inside the box. Following an outbreak in the early 1980s, the US government placed stricter regulations on tampon testing and labelling. While TSS can cause organ failure and death, it’s very rare. The condition is caused by a toxin released by staph and strep bacterias. Menstruation and tampon use are increased risk factors because the low acidity of the vagina during menstruation causes it to more easily develop bacteria, and because tampons may act as a breeding ground. However, anyone can develop TSS--only about half of those who develop TSS are menstruators, and children and young adults have the highest chance of developing TSS. Symptoms include sudden high fever, low blood pressure, vomiting or diarrhea, rashes and peeling skin, and muscle pain. To avoid TSS, doctors recommend menstruators use the lowest possible absorbency tampon and change their tampon frequently. (Or, if you’re using a menstrual cup, please clean it frequently.)
HAVE A QUESTION? CLICK ON THIS BUTTON! WE WILL ANSWER IT IN OUR NEXT ISSUE!
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PICKING UP THE PIECES
CONTENT WARNING: This piece contains content and discussions around sexual violence. We encourage everyone to take care of themselves before, during, and after engaging with this content and to access the resources below if needed. For all survivors, we believe you and we are here for you.
Brandeis Resources:
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Support Resources Home Page
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Prevention, Advocacy, and Resource Center (PARC)
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24/7 Hotline: 781-736-3370
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Brandeis Counseling Center
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781-736-3730
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National Resources
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RAINN
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USA National Sexual Assault Hotline: 800-656-4673
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This fragility, and this rage, has always been inside of me.
I don’t know why he chose me. Maybe it’s because of the way I curled into myself when I walked, or how my eyes lowered shyly when he talked to me. Maybe it was because I was quiet, and he didn’t think I could use my words to fight back.
I know for a long time that I felt dirty. I was mad at myself for not saying “NO” forcefully enough. Not screaming. Not hitting. Simply turning my face away, squirming, saying the word “stop” in a fragile enough voice it didn’t mean anything to him.
I’m a lucky one. I’m so so lucky. We were inches from the bedroom, seconds from a crime that could’ve been committed. It all had started so innocently. But coercive men are not to be trusted.
“Do you want to dance?” He asked me. I was alone, on a couch, in the corner of a wild party that I didn’t particularly want to be at. I was awkward and insecure, and only just seventeen. He’d always given me the creeps, so I said no. “C’mon,” he pleaded, “come dance with me.” He grabbed my hand with one that was sweaty, and much larger than mine. I uncomfortably tried to take it back, without wanting to seem rude. I said “no” again, that I didn’t want to dance, that I wasn’t feeling it tonight. He kept asking and kept pulling on my wrists until I gave in. It was fine, what’s one dance anyway? I was young, naive, and didn’t know yet that teenage boys could be so cruel.
I used to feel sick when I thought of this moment. This moment of me, hands encased in ones I couldn’t break free from. Shoulders slumped, staring at the floor, queasy because I didn’t like him, I didn’t want to dance, and it just felt wrong. Completely vulnerable. Completely helpless in this moment and unaware of the moments ahead. Since, I have come to realize that this moment is the beginning of my strength. Of my feminism. Of opening myself to the world around me, despite the pain it causes, and reaching my hand out towards those who have felt similar pain.
I wish that I could hold this girl, cry with her, yell, and show her how strong she is. I can’t, but I can tell myself now that I am who I am because of this strength. And I can hold the hands of many million people who have had it much much worse.
I don’t remember how he convinced me to leave the room with him. I don’t remember what words he twisted, why I didn’t pull away. The only words I can remember are the ones minutes before, in the mass of dancing teenagers, my hands trapped, my body held much closer to his than I would’ve liked. He noticed the tension in my shoulders, the worry on my face. “Relax,” he said, “I’m not going to hurt you.” What an ironic thing for the devil to say.
The parts in between are fuzzy. Blurred from my mind like it was all a dream. For a long time, I couldn’t remember all the details. I downplayed it. “Did he try to kiss me?” I wondered. “Did we ever even leave the party?” I didn’t know.
I still can’t remember everything that happened. I only remember the middle, and the end, and what could’ve been. I remember my back against the wall, in a different room, the sounds of voices in the background, people who must have seen him lead me away but were blissfully unaware of what he was trying to do. I remember his leg between mine, his hands under my shirt, firmly on my hips. I was trapped.
I think he was talking. I don’t know about what. I only remember my thoughts racing as he leaned in to kiss me, as I turned my face away, the only resistance I was capable of. I knew I was in trouble, and I didn’t know how to get out of it. His hot breath was suffocating me, his teeth like knives on my neck. His hands cut into me where they rested on my stomach, forcing themselves to places I didn’t want them to be, tearing me open and violently breaking me from the inside out. “Stop.” I whispered, once, maybe twice. Too paralyzed to say anything else. I thought kissing meant he liked me. I thought his hand on me meant he desired me. I was breaking too much in this moment to connect the dots.
I knew that he was pushing me towards the bedroom. I knew we were mere inches from the door that could close and lock. But I felt confused. I felt weak, and I couldn’t think. I would try to think of an answer, how to get out of this situation, but I could only think of the monster on top of me, teeth gnashing, claws cutting, hoarse whispers of twisted comfort breathed into my ear.
Just as quickly as it started, it had ended. A group of girls stumbled into the room, looking for the bathroom, and he moved away from me. I left immediately, grabbing my friend’s hand and dragging her home, never telling her what had happened. I felt filthy. I felt that the innermost part of me had been broken, humiliated, groped. I still couldn’t understand what this meant. Did he like me? Is this what it was like when a man likes a woman? It wasn’t until many years later these details would come back to me.
I am lucky. I can’t ever know just how incredibly lucky I am. I don’t pretend to understand what it would’ve been like had I been locked in that bedroom, had those girls not interrupted one of the most terrible moments of my life. I will never understand what the experience is of someone who wasn’t as lucky as me, who didn’t get saved by an interruption, who was shut behind that door. I can imagine it would be infinitely, exponentially worse.
All I know is that I am strong. I know that those women and men and people are strong too. I know that this has haunted me for too long and it is time that I get it out.
I can’t hold that little girl that was broken that night. But I am learning how to put myself back together. And in this process, I hope that I may pick up someone else's pieces.
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ANONYMOUS