On Nov. 14, Health Promotion Services and Period USFCA hosted a workshop titled “Menstrual Health Celebration: Our Voices, Our Future.”. The event, which drew approximately 15 attendees to UC 503, invited students to discuss menstrual health openly as part of a larger effort to reduce period stigma through the Period Equity Project.
The Period Equity Project is an ongoing initiative by the nonprofit organization The Period Movement, which began housing a USF chapter in August. The organization focuses on “advocating for menstrual equity through education, service and providing resources to combat period poverty and stigma,” according to their Instagram.
Sophomore advertising major Tarni Sharma, co-president of the USF chapter said “We want to create more spaces for students to bond and have fun while learning about menstrual health.” The chapter is not currently an official Student Leadership and Engagement (SLE) organization, but Sharma said that part of her role is working on obtaining SLE recognition for the organization.
Sharma said that she got involved with Period USFCA because she struggled with menstrual health and felt there was no place to talk about it. “I never really understood how to deal with my period,” she said. “I wanted to provide that space for others because I know many students feel the same way.”
With regard to Period USFCA’s current efforts, Sharma said that the group has been meeting with facilities to increase on-campus menstrual product accessibility. “Our biggest goal right now is to improve the products we have on campus […] We’re working on getting the support we need to make sure products are always available […] We know facilities is doing the best they can, but we also want to make sure they’re restocked regularly, so students don’t feel like they’re scrambling to find products.”
As part of the Period Equity Project, Period USFCA and Health Promotion Services have been hosting a series of menstrual health workshops. Previous events have included “Menstrual Health from a Physiological Perspective” with Dr. Nosek on Sept. 12, and “Hidden in Plain Sight: The Social & Cultural Impact on Menstruation with Christina Roby” on Oct. 10.
The most recent workshop was led by guest speaker Carla Arrunátegui Smith, the founder of Menstrualiadas, a nonprofit organization that is committed to making visible and destigmatizing the menstrual cycle, menarche and menopause according to their website.
Smith outlined the workshop’s goals, which include highlighting the progress in menstrual health, reflecting on personal menstrual experiences, and inspiring action toward menstrual equity. She emphasized the importance of participant privacy. “We’re gonna also respect each other’s confidentiality. Personal details stay here, but hopefully things that you learn, you share with your community, you share with your friends, and use your voice to continue making progress,” she said.
In one activity, Smith asked participants to share their first emotions or words that came to mind when they thought of terms like “menstrual blood,” “menstrual stain” and “places that serve menstrual needs” as well as categorizing their feelings towards these terms as positive, neutral or negative.
The floor was opened up for attendees to share personal stories about menstruation. Reflecting on her own experience, Sophia Earnest, a sophomore politics major, told the Foghorn, “I only had formal education on the menstrual cycle in fourth grade one time, never once did we have a discussion about it in middle school [or] high school.”
She continued, “The only reason, I started to learn more about my own menstrual health and my own cycle is because of my relationship. Like it wasn’t even because of me, you know, and then I just became disappointed [in] myself.”
Smith explained, “These ideas we have about menstruation are social constructs,” she said. “We’ve learned that there’s shame around it, that we must hide it. But that’s something we can change.”
She also emphasized the importance of respecting menstruation. “There is so much potential for change when we educate ourselves and others about the menstrual cycle.”
Smith also highlighted global progress in menstrual equity, commending Scotland for being the first country to offer period products free of charge on a national scale. The group also discussed the “tampon tax” in which menstrual products are taxed as luxury items, celebrating the fact that the tax has been eliminated or reduced in 48 countries.
Earnest said the session gave her a deeper understanding of the intersection between menstrual health and policy. “The map that showed sales tax on period products really stood out to me,” she said. “I think menstrual health is an equity issue. Everyone should be educated about it so we can create policies that support people.”
She continued, “I think [the workshop] was amazing. It was very informative and engaging. These are discussions I’ve been wanting to have, especially in an academic setting.”
At the end of the event, Smith encouraged the participants to continue advocating for menstrual equity and education. “We have the power to create change when we speak up,” she said.
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