Meet the teens chatting openly about their periods on a podcast
For many girls, getting their period still feels shameful and confusing. Kathaleen Restitullo, 13, a student at Bronx Prep Middle School in New York City, remembers waiting in a lunch line when a boy behind her pointed out that she had an accident. She was mortified and didn't know what was going on.
Confronting period shame
Period shame impacts girls and women across the country and throughout the world. Though the "Sssh! Periods" podcast is part of a growing movement to erase that stigma.
Changing the conversation
While winning the contest was exciting, the girls like that their podcast empowers them to talk about their bodies and their experiences accurately.
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Here Are The Winners Of the NPR Student Podcast Challenge
"It's not even saying the word pad. It just says product!" explains Kathaleen Restitullo, 13. "Just, like, don't let anyone see that you are on your period."
Why 2015 Was The Year Of The Period, And We Don't Mean Punctuation
"Sixty-seven percent of female students polled at Bronx Prep Middle School said that they the feel uncomfortable discussing their periods at school because it's not anybody's business," Jasmin Acosta says in the podcast. "Thirty-three percent of students said periods were a dirty topic. Young girls carry this stigma into adulthood."
Breaking The Taboo Of Talking About Periods
In their podcast, they talk about the many code words for period and the stress of the "pink tax" (that's when products geared toward women are more expensive).
Why Period Activists Think The 'Drop Of Blood' Emoji Is A Huge Win
Here's another: If the the boys learned about periods, too, it would be way less awkward. "When we have those yearly talks about hygiene and stuff, they always separate the girls and the boys," Litzy explains. "We're never informed about the opposite sex."
