Pointless

Dear pill,

Thanks for giving me a non-stop period for SEVEN MONTHS. After a while, my menstrual cup got too uncomfortable. And then so did tampons. So then I was wearing pads, and I think my skin ended up having an allergic reaction to the pads. Thanks for all the pointless pain and discomfort.

Anonymous, UK

Anatomy Autonomy

Dear my vaginismus,

I really don't understand why you make my life so difficult, I don't understand why I must carry the burden of a traumatic experience even now, 7 years later. I don't get why you didn't let me use tampons until I was 18. I don't get why my gynaecologist didn't listen to me when I talked about you.

Thank goodness I switched gynaecologists and pill, because everything was making it harder to deal with you. You won't take my autonomy away from me anymore.

Anonymous, Spain

Period Alert!

Dear Pads and Tampons,

Why are you so loud to open? Why do you need to alert everyone else in the toilets that I'm on my period.

But more importantly why are we ingrained with this shame about people knowing when we're on our periods? It's something that about 50% of the world go through, so why as newly bleeding humans do we already know it's something to hide from others?

Charlotte, UK

Knickers in a Twist

Dear period panties,

I am so grateful you came into my life. After years of painfully fighting with my friends, tampon and cup, and a rocky relationship with pads, I did not think I would find a relationship like this. Thank you for being there!

Anne, Ireland

Sinking Heart

Dear pad and tampon companies,

Do you realise my heart sinks when you put female signs on your packaging? Do you know you're hurting nonbinary people? Would it be so hard to... not?

Alex, UK

Small Victory

Dear vaginismus,

Fuck you for keeping tampons from me for so long. I hope that maybe one day you'll even let me use a menstrual cup. But for now I'll smile and be thankful everytime I wear a tampon, and relish knowing that I had a victory over you, even though it was small.

Katie

That’s No Place for a Tampon

Dear tampons,

I truly appreciate you now, but there was a point in time where I could not figure you out.

My friends were using you, and it seemed like the product "grown-ups" used, oh, what a misconception. I pretended like it wasn't my first time using you, so there was nobody to teach me. Now it seems so straightforward. I assumed it wouldn't go up inside me because that's uncomfortable and why would you want more discomfort on your period. So I just tucked you neatly between my labia and hoped for the best. Fair to say you weren't designed like that and I soaked through my knickers much to my dismay.

I understand now and want to thank you for the times you have come in handy, We've been through a lot together.

Milla