Schools providing Sanitary protection

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

They'd be absent due to 'headaches' or 'stomachache' (attendance was less closely monitored then compared to now)


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it was common for boys to grab girls' bags and rifle through them in search of such 'horrors' as sanitary towels - and if they found tampons, they'd make idiotic comments about how the girl couldn't be a virgin as a result.

In the case of one of my classmates, she, like many others, had to hope and pray that she wasn't too heavy that the toilet roll was insufficient or it fell out. Unfortunately, she was caught out when there was a fire alarm - she had to stand outside for 20 minutes with a large dark stain on her skirt and it was only when it began running down her legs that the staff did anything about it, at which point, she'd endured the eyes of up to 1,250 other kids, comments from both boys and girls and a complete absence of sympathy from her female teacher, despite it actually being due to her being so heavy that the pads she had been provided with from home to not last more than about an hour each - it took a senior male teacher in his late 50s to make the decision to take her inside and get her another pad from the office, whether the Fire Brigade, staff or Head liked it or not.

She was usually absent for two days each month afterwards.

annandale wrote: »

There will be times girls are caught short. With the best will in the world women don’t always walk around with pads or tampons in their bag just incase their period starts.

annandale wrote: »

I feel this board has just become a bash the poor board lately. Sweeping generalisations. Mocking any initiative that tries to help poorer people. A box of super plus tampons used to be 3 quid. Cost has probably gone down lately due to pound shops. But it’s still tough.

I’m in period poverty. Fuel poverty. Food poverty. Transport poverty. The basics. All poverty.

Three situations. All very different. Different solutions required. I'd argue that "solving" the last by providing sanitary protection everywhere actively hinders the solution to the first problem. People should talk about periods - should be normal, boys should know about it too. Not bully girls about it!



I think foodbanks now have tampons etc. That's a step in the right direction. I happen to be one of those people who do carry a pad around with them - hardly takes much space. A colleague dealt with her forgetting by the simple expedient of asking me for one - handed over, job done. No need to create a mass drama over it. If a girl is always asking for tampons at school they're aware there might be other issues to watch out for. If they just get them from the toilet trouble at home is more hidden.

It is interesting how we often see whatever the current situation is as normal. We expect toilet paper to be available, and bins for used pads, soap and drinking water. But we expect women to carry spare SP around with them. For many women that means carrying them all the time, just in case. If they are made available as standard I am sure that will become a normal convenience too.

Rosemary7391 wrote: »

Three situations. All very different. Different solutions required. I'd argue that "solving" the last by providing sanitary protection everywhere actively hinders the solution to the first problem. People should talk about periods - should be normal, boys should know about it too. Not bully girls about it!



I think foodbanks now have tampons etc. That's a step in the right direction. I happen to be one of those people who do carry a pad around with them - hardly takes much space. A colleague dealt with her forgetting by the simple expedient of asking me for one - handed over, job done. No need to create a mass drama over it. If a girl is always asking for tampons at school they're aware there might be other issues to watch out for. If they just get them from the toilet trouble at home is more hidden.

We are talking about groups of boys at school. They had been taught about periods at least 3-4 years previously - but, due to their inherent immaturity, the fact that they knew about menstruation and vaginas just led to the stupid behaviour when in a pack - even the most accepting/understanding of brother in a 1-2-1 situation behaves differently when in the pack or avoiding being seen as not part of it. It's because it's related to female bodies and their reproductive system that they are still so daft about it - just like they can be when the first couple of girls in their classes start wearing bras (I remember the 'so and so was seen wearing a black bra :eek: :eek: :eek: ' scandal when I was in Year 7).

Personally, when I've spotted this sort of nonsense going on, I've normally suggested that if they are so curious, they come to detention after school and I'll provide them with a selection of sanitary protection to produce a fully illustrated essay about. Strangely, they don't tend to repeat the behaviour a second time once they have publicly gained an exhaustive knowledge of the subject. A girl giving them a smack square in the face also reduces the likelihood of reoffending, but I can't be seen to condone such responses...


In any case, somebody who has multiple issues at home is likely to say they ran out/leaked/came on early/menstruate irregularly if they are queried on why they need sanpro more than once. It won't be the only thing that is spotted - not eating at lunchtime, not having money on their lunch account, not being clean, looking sad/pale/tired, etc, will be picked up on before needing a couple of pads is seen as an issue, as plenty of girls who have perfectly safe and happy homes will need them in any case; if asking for a sanitary towel more than once leads to students being taken aside by the SF Lead and asked if everything's alright at home/a safeguarding concern form is submitted for every occasion, the most vulnerable are less likely to ask in the first place.

(Staff get caught out at times, too - it's happened to me twice - and I'd far rather be able to just pick one up from a box than have to go and ask in the presence of a 19 year old male member of staff. Or asking him because he's the only one in the office at the time. Needs must, as having to explain to your boss that you were late to the meeting/training because you were cleaning up after coming on a week early isn't much fun, either).