By Lynette Chan

There are approximately 1008 students at RCHK Secondary School. Of those students, approximately half menstruate. Meaning that hundreds of students require the use of pads, tampons and the like on a monthly basis. And yet, the school still does not provide any sanitary products for them; and why not? Sanitary products must be made more accessible at school. Allow me to explain.

First, contrary to what some think, we do not get a bright red label detailing our next period. A variety of factors, from stress to biological factors, can cause the length of menstrual cycles to vary wildly, sometimes even skipping menstruation entirely. We cannot be prepared for each one. From a survey of menstruating people across Year 11, 60% responded that more often than not (5-8 times out of 10) they do not have a sanitary product when they need it. 

If we do not have access to sanitary products, we have to find one. The majority of respondents to the survey said they would ask a friend for a pad. However in a classroom setting, when everyone is working, not only is this unfeasible but also incredibly embarrassing. 

Thus they are forced to find another method. Head of Relationship and Sex Education at RCHK Birdie Lodders stated that “not very often” will students ask her for a sanitary product, elaborating that it happened ‘on maybe one occasion in the past few months’ and no respondents to the survey said they’d ask a teacher, showing this is an unlikely option for students.

Some may point out that there are boxes with “sanitary products” in female bathrooms. Yet 50% of Year 11s did not know about these boxes. These boxes are unlabelled, in an obscure location where they lie unnoticed. Additionally, these so-called sanitary products are panty liners. Pantyliners are not the same as pads, they are built for discharge, not for blood flow. They are insufficient. 

Okay, instead of finding a sanitary product, a student instead wraps their underwear in toilet paper and goes back to class. Aside from the obvious discomfort this offers, this also presents a health hazard. According to medical researcher Dr Bamidele Iwalokun, “The habit of using tissue paper in the form of sanitary pads is a poor hygiene practice on the part of any woman.” Toilet paper pads create a risk of vaginal infection and possibly causes Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID), which is an infection of the reproductive organs (Nigerian Tribune, 2019). 

Furthermore, given how periods typically are a taboo topic, many students feel embarrassed to mention periods, much less ask for a sanitary pad for fear of others bullying or judging them. An anonymous female student even stated “Whenever I'm on my period and I need to change my pad, I feel a bit embarrassed to take it out of my bag because I'm scared someone will see it and judge me.” If a student feels embarrassed to ask fellow students or teachers for a sanitary product, and don’t know where else to get one, what are they to do? 

There is a very easy solution to this. Please provide sanitary products in both bathrooms, so that not only cis-women but transgender and non-binary students too can access them. Talk about how to handle periods in a social setting and in school. Normalise handling pain and discomfort so we don’t have to learn by asking relatives and friends if our symptoms are normal. Tell us how periods differ widely from person to person, and the range of normal symptoms that arise, even if rare. 

Lodders believes periods can affect a student's education. “Everyone has quite a different experience with their periods… I think that definitely can impact a student's energy levels, mood, and ability to focus [in school;].” Just allowing us to have this slight comfort can help ease our pain whilst we study, so why not provide pads?

I must acknowledge that sanitary products are ridiculously expensive. Pads can cost anywhere from $2 to $4 per pad, not to mention the plethora of styles. On average, a pad is changed four to five times a day, sometimes more and sometimes less. Providing a constant supply of products available for the number of people that could be menstruating at any one time has a huge price tag attached. However, as a school, mustn't we prioritise the student’s education? And as a community, mustn't we prioritise students' comfort and safety?

All menstruating people consulted for this article have agreed that periods as a whole need to become normalised in conversation. Sanitary products also need to be more accessible in school. Whether in the bathroom, or somewhere else, things must change.