Abbey Emm

ALICE

“I switched to reusable [menstrual products] because I am very conscious of what we put into the environment, and having periods is something I cannot avoid, so I felt that it was kind of my responsibility to go about this sustainably, and I felt that I want to not add any more plastic into the oceans.

I do definitely think there’s a stigma surrounding periods. Last night when I was discussing it with the girls who I live with, and the other guy [who we live with] happened to be in the room, he made a retching sound. And I just said to him, I will not be made to feel like something I can’t control is disgusting”.

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IMOGEN

“I use eco-friendly bamboo pads, and sometimes just Bodyform pads. I think I’ve been wanting to switch to reusable menstrual products for a while, and I’ve thought about getting cloth pads or even thought about making cloth pads but never got round to it and it’s always the kind of thing you remember when your period comes, and you’re like ‘okay, for my next period I’ll make sure I have all the stuff’ and then you just forget. A lot of people try and raise the hackles when you talk about your period. I remember when I first got my period that I tearfully asked my mother if she wouldn’t tell my brother and my dad that I was starting my period because I was so embarrassed.”

SAM

“I decided to start using eco-friendly menstrual products because I wanted to do something that was more eco-friendly,and I wanted to reduce my waste, so I started to look at different options. I wasn’t immediately drawn to Mooncups because I heard lots of stories about how they can be difficult to use and it sounded a little bit daunting, but I started exploring the idea and seeing what options were out there. I’ve spoken to quite a few people since I started using a menstrual cup and the reactions you get are usually quite mixed, sometimes people are like ‘that’s great, good for you but I couldn’t’, and then occasionally you’ll get people who go ‘ugh’ and back away from the conversation. For example, my husband is extremely supportive, but you can still tell that he winces when I bring it up in conversation.”