World Menstrual Hygiene Day takes place on 28th May every year. It’s a chance to highlight the importance of menstrual care for women, girls and people who have periods. The theme of Menstrual Hygiene Day 2024 is: Together for a #PeriodFriendlyWorld
What is a period?
A period is a release of blood from a person’s uterus, out through their vagina. Periods usually start around 12/13 years but can happen any time between 9 and 18 years. Periods are completely normal and a sign that the reproductive system is working properly! Once periods start, it means that your body is preparing for potentially becoming pregnant some day.
Menstrual Cycle
The time it takes from the first day of your period to just before your next period is called the menstrual cycle. Your cycle can be anything from 21 to 42 days, but medical professionals tend to take 28 days as the average. Day one of your menstrual cycle is marked by the day you get your period. Generally a period lasts for 3 – 7 days, though it can really vary from person to person.
Different types of period products
Tampons: cylindrical products that are inserted into the vagina to absorb menstrual blood. Made from cotton or rayon, tampons come in different absorbencies from ‘light’ to ‘regular’ to ‘super’. Selecting the right one for you depends on how heavy your period is and often people use a couple of different absorbencies during their period to match their ‘flow’. Tampons are a popular choice as they are discreet and are often used while swimming, doing water based activities, sports or wearing more fitted or sheer clothing.
*tampons should be changed every 4-8 hours to avoid risk of developing Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS).
Pads: Cotton or rayon sanitary pads can be attached to the inside of underwear to absorb menstrual blood. Pads also come in various absorbencies and are often a popular choice to wear at night time over tampons as tampons should not be left in for more than 8 hours. There is an option to buy reusable pads as opposed to disposable pads which are disposed of after a single use. Reusable or cloth pads can be washed and reused which is a more environmentally friendly option but will cost more initially.
Menstrual Cups: A small, flexible cup made of silicon or latex rubber that is inserted into the vagina. It is folded tightly and inserted far enough into the vagina so you cannot feel it. The cup will collect the menstrual blood and can be left in place for up to 12 hours. Menstrual cups come in a variety of sizes and and do need to be washed after every use. They also need to be sterilised between each period. Cups can last up to 10 years and while they can take a couple of cycles to get used to, they are becoming an increasingly popular choice.
Period Underwear: A garment with several layers of body safe fabric that absorbs menstrual blood. You may need to use several pairs throughout a period and need to be changed regularly but they can be rinsed, machine washed and reused. Period underwear can come in a variety of sizes and styles to suit the individual.
Period poverty
Period poverty means not having access to the products needed during a period, such as pads, tampons, menstrual cups, or pain relievers to help with cramps. This could be because of problems affording these products, or having difficulty accessing them for social or cultural reasons.
There are many reasons why someone may be affected by period poverty. Anyone could be affected by this. Data from a study carried out by Plan International showed that a significant amount of 12-19yr olds in Ireland found it difficult to pay for sanitary products.
Supports for period poverty
The Period Product Support Programme from Lidl Ireland provides an opportunity to avail of free period products in stores across Ireland to people who use them.
You can sign up to the Period Product Support Programme and receive a coupon which entitles you to a free box of sanitary pads or tampons every month. You will need to download the Lidl Plus app before you are able to register.
You can then register for the Period Support Programme here – click Start Survey at the bottom of the screen to begin the registration process. The survey takes approx one minute to fill out and once completed, will register you for a Lidl coupon which entitles you to a free box of tampons/sanitary pads each month.
Register before 11.59pm on the 27th of any month to receive the coupon on the first working day of the next month. The coupon will appear in the Treats section of your Lidl Plus app. You may need to scroll down to find it but once you have found it, it will need to be activated. The coupon will then be valid for 7 days and can be used to buy one free box of selected sanitary pads or tampons.
*No need to re-register every month – your registration will continue on an ongoing basis. You can opt out of the Period Product Support Programme at any time here.
Resources
Some resources that may be helpful for info on periods, products and period poverty:
If you have questions about period health or accessing supports for period poverty, you can chat online to a trained Youth Information Officer or contact us on yicsligo.ncycs@gmail.com / 085 8041020 (WhatsApp) and we can get back to you.