Well, it’s August, which means ready-or-not, it’s back to school season. I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to shed a little light on two topics that I am passionate about— access to menstrual products and school absences related to period pain. 

Did you know that tampons are considered a luxury item? They’re taxed as such in 28 states, including Texas. Unfortunately, there are a lot of females that go without these products that many would consider necessities. 

Also of importance and on the note of school and menstrual health— period related pain is the number one reason adolescent females miss school. I get asked often if pain this intense is normal. 

The short answer is no, severe pain should never be considered normal— even if it is period related— and warrants a discussion with your healthcare provider as it could be a sign of an untreated condition. 

A few things you can do to alleviate mild to moderate period related pain include applying heat to your abdomen, yoga, breathing exercises, abdominal massage, using a TENS unit, and avoiding processed or high sugar foods as they are inflammatory in nature. 

Back to missing school due to lack of menstrual products– the thought of a middle or high school girlie missing school due to lack of menstrual products makes me uncomfy, so last year my office collected menstrual products for the month of August. Together we collected enough to get the SSMS & SSHS through the 2022-2023 school year. We will be doing the same drive this year, but would love to include the county schools and provide coaches/instructors of extracurricular activities with enough for the girls that participate. 

To donate, drop your choice of menstrual product (tampons, pads, panty liners, and adhesive heating patches for pain) by my office Monday-Friday, 9 am-5 pm. I am located at 1067 Gilmer St Suite B Sulphur Springs, Texas and will be collecting products the whole month of August. Additionally, you can purchase products from this list that ship straight to my office— https://a.co/deB2X2c. 

In addition to this product drive, I am personally working on a fun project to provide these girls with information as to what is and is not normal regarding the menstrual cycle, more information on pain management strategies, and much more. 

To find out more about how pelvic PT can help with period related pain, call 903-962-2600, email hello@txpelvichealth.com, follow @thepowerfulpelvis on Instagram, or learn more at www.txpelvichealth.com