Dirty toilets, lack of sinks, bans on going out during class, teasing, leaks… so many reasons that stress our students when they face their periods in school. And yet, the majority of young girls menstruate, so this should be taken into account by schools in order to help them in these periods which may be new for them. Today, the periods at school weigh on the well-being of young girls because they consider them as constraints. Some students take it very badly and then miss classes so as not to find themselves in delicate situations.

 

 

Be prepared in order to best anticipate these days

Having your period takes preparation! In order to be less stressed and not to find yourself in delicate situations when you have your period in school, there are various methods.

First of all, the periods start on average at the age of 13, i.e. at the start of college, so it is important, from the seventh year, to have a sanitary napkin with you so as not to end up in panic when they arrive. Indeed, they arrive without warning and often at an inconvenient time, so it is important to be prepared. In addition, even if a young girl has already had her first period, it is not always regular and it can be difficult to predict when it will arrive. In order to be more reassured as these uncertain times approach, it is good to have a “first aid kit” with you: sanitary towels or tampons, tissues and painkillers: everything you need for more serenity during your period at school!

If you are very stressed and know that your period tends to come unexpectedly and quite abundantly, it may be interesting, when approaching these periods, to have a change so as not to be embarrassed all day long because of a stain on your pants. Just in case, it is always possible to tie a jacket or a sweatshirt around the waist to hide the leak for the rest of the day. Also remember to wear dark or loose clothing so you don’t have any worries.

When you have your period during class, go to the toilet at each break to change protection and thus ensure that you do not have a leak. This will allow you to be less stressed during your lessons.

Finally, even if this is not always exact, do not hesitate to count your cycles or to use an app which will do it for you in order to have a more precise idea of ​​the beginning of your period. This can sometimes save you and avoid embarrassing situations.

 

Do not hesitate to talk about it

Even if you are sometimes embarrassed by the idea of ​​having to tell your friends, teachers or the school nurse about your period, it is important to do so when necessary. Indeed, if you are in class and feel that your period is coming, do not hesitate to ask to go to the toilet. You don’t need to explain why, you can just say it can’t wait. If you don’t have pads on you, don’t hesitate to ask a friend for one or go see the nurse.

Sometimes periods are too painful for you to go or stay at school, if so, talk to a member of the teaching team and ask to go home, it’s not a shame.

Finally, talk to your parents or loved ones. They will be able to guide you and help you during your period. It is important that you dare to talk to them about it and ask your questions.

 

Your’re a school? How can you help your students during their period?

The first thing to do is inform. Educate your students on the topic of periods. In fact, only 15% of young girls had heard of menstruation before having them. It is therefore important, as soon as you enter secondary school, to inform all your students of what periods are. Information should also be given to boys so that they do not make fun of their classmates when they have their period in class.

Then, it is important to ask your teachers to allow girls to go out during class. How many students have been refused an exit in the middle of class and then found themselves in embarrassing situations that could have been avoided! It is important that the members of the pedagogical team can meet the needs of the students so that the latter are not ashamed and do not dare to ask for help afterwards.

It is also important to have sanitary facilities adapted to the needs of young girls: clean sanitary facilities with water points, soap and trash cans in each “cabin”. Often, students do not dare to go to the toilet to change their pad or tampon because they find a lack of hygiene but also a lack of privacy. It is therefore important to design your toilets in such a way that they are “safe” for your students.

Finally, it would be interesting to offer a self-service periodic protection dispenser in school: in the toilets, in the infirmary or even in school life in order to be able to help out your students who find themselves without periodic protection with them. By providing pads or tampons to your students, you will reduce their stress and ensure that they always have protection available during their periods. At IYNI, we offer easy-to-use and easy-to-install pad and tampon dispensers adapted to schools to help you provide menstrual protection tailored to the needs of your students.

 

 

The problem of periods in school is still too present today. Indeed, it is not normal that young girls cannot study serenely during their periods. It is therefore important to educate on the subject in order to inform your students but also to avoid ridicule from other students. In addition, it is also the role of secondary schools to help young girls in these situations by offering solutions adapted to their needs, such as distributors of menstrual protection.