On my way to work one morning, I was listening to “Metro Morning” on CBC Radio and heard Jana Girdauskas being interviewed about The Period Purse. This was the first time I heard about menstruators who had no access to period products and would have to use whatever items they could find, such as newspaper, paper towels, and socks. This opened my eyes to a situation I never realized existed, and I knew that I wanted to help. I needed to be a part of this organization and help menst...

I’m a privacy professional and until recently, I kept track of my period in my iPhone’s Notes app because I don’t want my data being shared with anyone else or used for advertising.  Recently, I downloaded the Menstruation Nation app and entered the first day of my last period. Why would I download an app that is “by youth, for youth”? Because youth get it! They understand privacy, they demand it, and when they don’t find it they build it themselves.&...

Menstruation is experienced by over half of the Canadian population, yet the conversation around periods can still be seemingly uncomfortable or “inappropriate” depending on who you talk to. Thanks to social media and films like Pixar’s Turning Red (FINALLY!), menstruation and other health issues are being more readily discussed, however; we still have work to do. Many people still associate “periods” with something only women experience. This assumption is inacc...

An interview of Caitlin McKay by Jannie Nheng Blood Great Run (GRB) is our annual May fundraiser to honour Menstrual Health Day (MH Day on May 28th). It is an event for like minded individuals to raise funds for The Period Purse. Caitlin McKay had this great fundraising idea to raise awareness of menstrual health. Here is what she has to say as a team captain: “The Bloody Great Run is a way for people to collectively do something that is tangible, actionable, and impactful because org...

Photo credit: Vulvania Why I joined The Period Purse.  I have long been passionate about sexual health and reproductive freedom and have volunteered in varying capacities - from public health to rape crisis counselling to teaching sex education abroad. I was first introduced to period poverty teaching sex education in Nairobi, Kenya. I noticed the older the students were, the less likely it was to have girls in the class. I asked questions and period poverty came up. The idea that mens...