Welcome to the March 2021 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,
Hunter Kessous, Madison Leifer, Kyla Speizer
disney princesses as menstruators
If Disney included menstruation in their films, what kinds of products would their princesses use? What would they crave on their period? I put together menstruator profiles for the Disney pricnesses to answer these questions!
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MADISON LEIFER
CORPORATIONS HAVE BLOOD ON THEIR HANDS
The average menstruator needs between 5,000-15,000 pads and tampons in their lifetime. That leads us to a simple question: what’s in them?
Well, we don’t really know. And, according to the government, we don’t have a right to. The U.S. FDA does not require menstrual product companies to disclose their ingredients.
How did we get here? Menstruation has been viewed as dirty, gross, and inappropriate for centuries. Yet, many period product companies have sought to promote female and menstrual empowerment.
Last year, Kotex redefined the menstrual product ad game when it featured red, blood-like liquid in its ads, shifting away from the industry’s blue standard. This was celebrated as a massive blow to the period stigma, as it would undoubtedly normalize the monthly bleeding. Even earlier, we can look to the Always brand’s #LikeAGirl campaign that launched in 2014, which featured young athletes defying female stereotypes.
Yet while touting these feminist mantras and being lionized for them, the same corporations have continued to profit off of the menstrual stigma. Menstrual product companies have evaded regulation and transparency because periods continue to be ignored by the men and (yes, even) women in political office. Discomfort surrounding periods has delegitimized menstruators’ concerns for decades. This reluctance to recognize menstruation as a valid health concern, as opposed to an emotional one, continues to demolish efforts to repeal the “tampon tax”. Likewise, the environmental and health consequences of period products have been muzzled or deemed frivolous. All the while, the $3 billion menstrual product industry has been clandestinely lining its pockets. But, science cannot be silenced.
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HUNTER KESSOUS
Research compiled by Women’s Voices for Earth (WVE), a nonprofit focused on women’s toxins exposure, has revealed a myriad of chemicals present in menstrual products. According to the “Chem Fatale” report released in 2013, tampons have been found to contain traces of pesticides the U.S. EPA has classified as “probable human carcinogens,” or “suggestive of carcinogenicity”. This research conflicts with the non-binding U.S. FDA recommendation that tampons be “free of pesticide residue”.
This lack of regulation is a fundamental issue of justice and equity. WVE found that low-income, Latinx, and Black menstruators are more likely to use douches, sprays, and additional products for menstrual health, which contain fragrance, a nasty cocktail of 3,000 possible chemicals. Hence, menstruators of color are disproportionately at risk.
Even companies that are branded as “organic” or “chemical free” have secrets. Earlier this year, the Sierra Club reported that Thinx organic period underwear were found to contain high levels of PFAS, a class of non-degradable chemicals linked to endocrine disruption, cancer, and birth defects. The presence of such chemicals is not merely the result of an imperfect product or a mistake by Thinx. This is a byproduct of a sheer absence of oversight. Even companies with green branding tactics can get away with polluting our bodies.
This story seems grim, but the ending doesn’t have to be. California recently passed The Menstrual Products Right to Know Act (AB 1989) that would mandate the listing of ingredients in menstrual products that are manufactured on or after January 1, 2023. This was one year after New York passed a similar bill; these are the only two states in the nation with such requirements. I’m confident they won’t be the last. Transparency is the first step towards stronger regulations to protect our health and our environment.
The best solutions to the biggest challenges never operate on their own. Feminism, racial justice, and menstrual equity have always been connected. We deserve to know the truth about our products—and this fight is far from over.
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LINZY ROSEN
PERIODS IN THE NEWS!
Everything you need to know about the current movements towards menstrual justice!
What’s happening in Scotland?
In November of 2020, Scotland became the first ever country to provide free menstrual products in all public facilities, including schools and other public buildings. Scotland has recently been making a very strong stand against period poverty because 1 in 10 menstruators in the United Kingdom have reported being unable to afford menstrual products.
What’s next? All the other countries in the world that don’t provide free products, of course!
In February of this year, New Zealand officially passed an initiative that provides free menstrual products to all elementary, middle and high schools. They have been testing a pilot program for the last year, and will officially launch the full initiative in June. Not only will this initiative supply free products, but also attempt to provide increased educational resources.
​What’s next? Achieving this same goal in all other countries!​
What’s happening in NEW ZEALAND?
WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE UK?
In January of this year, the United Kingdom officially removed their 5% tampon tax on all menstrual products. Menstrual activistshave been fighting for years to make this change happen, and it was only made possible after the UK fully removed itself from the European Union. This is because the EU has a law requiring that all member shave this tax on menstrual products.
What’s next? The UK is now one of just a few countries without a tampon tax, so naturally the next step is fighting to abolish the tampon tax in other countries. Also, pressuring the EU to remove the law requiring that it’s member states have a tampon tax.
What’s happening in THE US?
The Tax Free Period campaign started in June of 2019. It’s goal was to pressure the 35 U.S. states that still have a luxury tax on menstrual products into removing the tampon tax. Since the start of the campaign, they have had five states respond to their campaign and remove the tampon tax: Ohio, Rhode Island, Utah, Washington, and California.
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What’s next? There are still 30 states with the tampon tax, and the Tax Free Period campaign is hoping to convince all of them to abolish the tampon tax before Tax Day in 2021.
What’s happening AT BRANDEIS?
KYLA SPEIZER
The Brandeis University Student Union has recently made an incredible stride towards menstrual justice! There are now free period products in NINE buildings on campus.
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Where are the free products? Spingold (gender-neutral), SCC (girls bathroom first floor), Farber (girls bathroom first floor), Goldfarb (girls bathroom first floor), Goldfarb (gender-neutral and handicap accessible bathroom), Usdan (girls bathroom next to mail room), Mandel (girls bathroom first floor), Volen (girls bathroom first floor), Gosman (girls bathroom first floor).
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What’s next? Informing more students about this program! And expanding the program to other locations, such as dorms, and men’s restrooms.
Her story
A girl who gets her period is often shamed for it, as if she has done something wrong. But when she becomes pregnant, the same society celebrates getting a new born child. She will not be allowed to enter the kitchen, temple, or even bath [on her period] due to some superstitious thinking. But during these days, she should be given the utmost care and love to make her feel that her period is not a shameful thing but is a natural and a normal thing.
PADMAN
Do You Know Your Cup Size? (And No, I’m Not Talking About Your Bra)
Society already has too many expectations for menstruating bodies, so you can imagine my dismay when I was considering purchasing a menstrual cup and learned that the inside of my vagina was now something that could be sized and judged as well.
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Of course, nowhere does it say that your worth is dependent on your cervix height or pelvic floor strength. And it isn’t. (Read that one more time if you need to.) But this is still the message I internalized before I was even conscious of it. Most menstrual cup brands suggest a size that works for “most” menstruators. It didn’t take long for me to start stressing about what size I would need, and if I would be a “normal” size.
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I turned to online health pages, magazine articles, and brand quizzes, but each time I found a new piece of advice or information, I only had more questions.
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Why is it so hard to figure out your menstrual cup size? Why are there different sizes in the first place?
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Lena Cup similarly recommended that I get their size Small. But my friend’s comment left me wondering: was a Saalt small the same as a Lena Cup small? And if so, are they both the “normal” size? I’d thought that having a heavy flow would mean I should get a bigger size, but so far I’d been told to get a small size. Clearly different companies think different factors matter more than others--but which? And why?
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I took two more quizzes. OrganiCup recommended I get their size A, and Ruby Cup recommended I get their size Medium.
So what did it all mean? It turns out that Saalt’s “Regular” size is their biggest cup and that by recommending me “Small,” Saalt was saying I should get their middle size. Similarly, OrganiCup’s size A is their middle size. However, the Ruby Cup “Medium” is actually the larger of their two sizes, while the Lena Cup “Small” exists in comparison to their “Large.”
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To make matters worse, the sizes don’t correspond to dimensions across brands. The Lena Cup Small is taller than the Ruby Cup Medium--although the Lena Cup Small has a smaller width and volume. The OrganiCup B, despite being the brand’s largest size, fits in between the Lena Cup Small and Ruby Cup Medium in terms of height/width/capacity.
If you’re confused, then we’re on the same page.
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If you think you’ve got a good handle on all these factors (I certainly don’t), allow me to throw one last curveball for you: every brand has their own names for the sizes they offer (it’s women’s jeans all over again).
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I started with Saalt’s cup size quiz, and they recommended that I get their size Small. I asked a friend who uses menstrual cups what this meant, and she told me that Saalt’s small size is the same as the regular size offered by other brands. This did not actually make me feel any better, but I hurried to consult another quiz.
I’m convinced at this point that choosing the right menstrual cup size must involve witchcraft. But there definitely is no “normal” size, so we can all relax and just focus on figuring out what works best for us. The good thing is that all these different brands and sizes offer menstruators a lot of options to choose from to fit each of our unique bodies and needs.
SAVANNAH JACKSON
PAD ADVICE COLUMN
1. Is there a risk of TSS with menstrual cups?
It is highly unlikely that you will develop Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) from using a menstrual cup. Globally, only two cases of TSS have ever been connected to menstrual cup use. Tampons are more likely to cause TSS than menstrual cups, but it is still incredibly unlikely that you will develop TSS from using a tampon correctly (see our Dec issue!). The bottom line is that you should not need to worry about TSS if you wash your hands properly before inserting/removing your cup, and if you make sure that you do not leave your cup in for longer than is recommended. You can also sterilize the cup with boiling water in between uses if you are worried.
2. How do I decide what size tampon to use?
Tampon sizes are based on absorbancy, and usually range from light, to regular, to super, to super plus, to ultra. If you are using a tampon for the first time, we recommend starting with a regular or light size to get comfortable with inserting/removing the tampon, and to figure out how heavy your flow is. If you find the insertion/removal process too painful**, you can always try a smaller size, and if you find yourself leaking and having to change your tampon frequently, you can always try a bigger size. You’ve found the “right” size if you change your tampon every 4-6hrs, but the important thing is figuring out what works best for you. If you are more comfortable wearing a smaller size and changing it more frequently, that’s okay! (However, you should not wear a tampon for longer than 8 hours, no matter the absorbency or how full it is.)
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It’s also important to recognize that many menstruators use multiple tampon sizes throughout their period. Menstruators may use a super size during the first few days, when their flow is heavier, and switch to regular and then light sizes as their period continues and ends. Many tampon packs come with multiple sizes included!
**Removing a dry tampon can be incredibly painful, and the pain may not be connected to the tampon size. However, if you regularly experience pain when inserting/removing a tampon, you may want to contact your healthcare provider. And if it’s not painful but you’re still uncomfortable with the process, it’s always okay to use a pad or some other product that works better for you!
3. What should I keep on hand for my friend/partner who menstruates?
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This is such a beautiful question! Whether you menstruate or not, it’s always a great idea to keep a few things on hand to help out those who do. We would recommend that you buy some regular sized pads and tampons, as well as some sort of pain relief medication such as midol or ibuprofen. This is a great start to have in your bathroom for any menstruators who visit (or in your backpack on the go). It’s also preferable to have a small trash can in your bathroom so that menstruators can throw out product wrappers. If you want to carry products for a specific person you care about, ask them what they prefer to use! Everyone has a different size and brand that they’re most comfortable with. Some menstruators are only comfortable using pads, or use plastic instead of cardboard tampon applicators, or need a maxi or super size, etc.
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4. Why do people use heat instead of ice for cramps?
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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. Menstruators often use heat (such as a warm water bottle, heating pack, or warm wash cloth) to manage the pain. (Drinking hot beverages can also help!) This works because the heat relaxes the muscles and dilates blood vessels to allow more blood and oxygen to reach the area.
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Ice or cold packs do the opposite (aka narrow blood vessels and restrict blood flow) and can draw blood away from your pelvis area, which may also help ease your pain. Studies have shown that heat is more likely to reduce pain caused by menstrual cramps, but you can try both to see what works best for you.
HAVE A QUESTION? CLICK ON THIS BUTTON! WE WILL ANSWER IT IN OUR NEXT ISSUE!
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