What does period poverty actually look like? In order to describe it, we thought about all of the stories that have been shared with our team over the past decades, and came up with a composite profile of a post-secondary student we are calling Sloan (she/they). Before we get into a day in their life, let’s review the basics about period poverty and sustainable menstrual equity.

One of my favourite things to tell anyone who is just beginning their menstrual cycle healing journey is that your period doesn’t have to be the worst time of the month. I know that sounds wild. You might be saying to yourself, “My period sucks! It’s soooo painful! I have no energy, my mood swings are horrible, and I don’t even want to get out of bed!”.

Access to free birth control allows for greater control and choice over family planning decisions, as a matter of human rights. Given the non-negotiable role that menstrual management also plays as part of the human fertility cycle, many of us are eager to see whether British Columbia’s move is a harbinger for the inclusion of menstrual products as part of a similar plan.

I started cycle syncing after years of struggling with endometriosis and PMDD. Week after week, month and after month I found myself struggling with severe symptoms such as pain, anxiety, fatigue, mood swings, brain fog and more. All while constantly feeling frustrated and angry at my body. I felt like I was at war with my own vessel and spent a lot of time hating and resenting my body for not functioning better. 

Plastics have infiltrated every aspect of our lives, from everyday items like takeout containers to shampoo/soap bottles to regularly used essentials like period products. As responsible inhabitants of this planet, it is crucial for us to comprehend the profound impact of plastics on our environment. 

New changes to the Canadian Labour Code mandate that federally-regulated workplaces must provide menstrual products to their workers. To support employers as they navigate these new regulations, Aisle has published a whitepaper titled “Menstrual Equity in the Workplace: a roadmap to success and sustainability”.

In February, we shipped 200 pairs of our period boxers directly to people who needed them across North America and Europe, helping transgender and gender-nonconforming people who might not have access to our products feel supported. 

Learning to live with PMDD has been one of the most difficult but also one of the most empowering experiences of my life. I have found by taking a multi-pronged approach to manage my symptoms I have been able to live a happier, healthier life. Here are three changes I made

Most approaches to period poverty understandably focus on short-term, urgent needs, for example students in schools, or employees in workplaces. But the bigger-picture solution is not just having more pads and tampons in more bathrooms.

 

Earlier this month, legislation was introduced in the Florida House that would, "not only prohibit instruction about menstruation to students not yet in sixth grade, but forbid any discussion whatsoever about periods during the school day."

In the past couple of years, our vision of Universal access to safe, quality, sustainable, shame-free period care and education for everyone who menstruates has been gaining ground, with free disposable pads and tampons increasingly being provided in places like schools and workplaces. 

Like many of us, I am eagerly anticipating the film version of Judy Blume’s classic novel Are you there, God? It's me, Margaret. My deep affinity with Margaret inspired my subsequent feminist consciousness and menstrual activism.