While shopping for supplies for the girls today, I was a little overwhelmed with the choices in front of me. In 1972, when I was on the verge of puberty, there were no real choices in how to tend to one's period. There was Modess and there was Kotex, and that was about it. There was a very new innovation just in time for girls my age: self-stick pads. No more need for a belt or special underwear.How different things are today. The dizzying array before me in the feminine protection aisle was a true reflection of our acceptance of menstruation as a normal part of life. We have commercials on prime-time TV, billboards, and more. Still, those things are discreet enough to never mention the word 'blood,' and to never actually explain the difference between all of those new and improved menstrual products. How is a girl supposed to figure all of this out? How do manufacturers expect to build brand loyalty if they don't talk about what their brand does, exactly, and who it is best suited for?
I came away with regular maxi pads, maxi pads with wings, long maxi pads, thin maxi pads, ultra-thin maxi pads, overnight maxi pads, maximum protection maxi pads, slender maxi pads, extra-dry maxi pads, compact/ultra-thin maxi pads, maxi pads with freshening wipes, Stayfree maxi pads, Kotex maxi pads, Always maxi pads, store brand maxi pads, jumbo-pack maxi pads, individually wrapped maxi pads, and five packages of Carefree panty liners. All unscented, but several with odor-absorbing, odor-neutralizing technology. It was a maxi pad buffet, and I sampled liberally on behalf of the girls. With any luck, my friends and I will be able to explain the differences between these products and give the girls some guidance in making choices for themselves.
My mother was so uncomfortable discussing this topic--mortified, actually--I didn't really know what was normal or what wasn't in terms of my period and how it felt and behaved. As I remembered this today, I stopped and picked up a couple of heating pads and several small bottles of ibuprofen. I also plan to put together a handout explaining basic yoga-type stretches that the girls can try when they feel crampy or irritable.
Since we're approaching this from a self-care and hygiene perspective, I also stocked up on lots of body wash in teen-girl-friendly scents (Very Berry Smoothie? Really?) and lots of antiperspirant.
I cannot imagine being in middle school or high school and not having access to these very personal items. The girls have been doing little jobs here and there to earn a bit of money to buy the things they need to take good care of themselves. Here's hoping they'll now have a better idea of what to choose and how to use it. The teen years are awkward enough.
(I found the photo of the feminine products via a Google image search. Thank you to the photographer who made it available via her Flickr account.)
