This International Day of the Girl, we’re talking about period poverty and why it’s an issue of gender equality.
The NDIS revision list has classified period products as "lifestyle-related", alongside vapes, gaming consoles and cinema tickets. This exclusion of period products and reproductive services from eligible NDIS supports not only poses day-to-day complications for people with disabilities to be able to manage their period the way they choose, practice personal care and hygiene and participate in their community, more largely it speaks to the deeply entrenched social stigma around disability and menstruation.
Alternative materials for period management, such as socks, rags or sponges are often unsafe solutions for people, making them vulnerable to severe infection and irritation. They are also less reliable in absorbing menstrual blood, so users often develop anxiety about their menstrual blood leaking through, and staining their clothes, causing people to avoid their day-to-day commitments (such as work or school).
We have also learnt that people will attempt to reuse their tampon by rinsing out the tampon with water, to then reuse it again. Doing this drastically heightens the risk of developing ‘toxic shock syndrome’, a serious and sometimes fatal bacterial infection. In fact, even using a tampon once, as intended, carries risk which is why the recommended use time is strictly no more than 8 hours.
A classmate leans over and casually says, "Hey, is it that time of the month or what?" This story underlies how language reveals our perception of menstruation. In this piece, I reflect on the significance of language in menstrual discourse based on my personal experiences.