Eve

Brief Outline:

Eve is 11. She started her periods in her last year of primary school. They have been heavy and unpredictable, but not too painful. She didn’t find her school lessons in primary school very helpful in preparing her for starting periods, but her mum and friends have been supportive and knowledgeable, including about the emotional changes that can happen with periods. Ice cream and movies with a hot water bottle and her mum is a favourite strategy for managing this! She developed a good support system with a TA in her primary school class, which worked well for her, for example when she needed to go to the toilet. This also helped her keep her period personal and private, which was important for her. She wishes they learned about alternative products to pads in school, because having found out about period pants with her mum, she has found these more comfortable and they help make her periods a bit more manageable. They wish these were cheaper and more accessible for all.

Eve was taught about periods with just the girls in her class, but thinks that the boys should also have been there, so they could learn at the same time (read by an actor).

And when you had your lessons in Year 4, can you remember if... was it just the girls, or boys and girls? You said that when they... at some point you had just girls alone.

Yeah, well, they did explain like a little... they had the girls and they just explained where everything was, but I feel like the boys should have been there, like ’cause if they have like a sister or a younger sister or a friend or when they’re older... like someone close to them, then they feel... I feel like they should have probably help them cope with that.

Yeah, I think... I think that’s a really... it’s a really interesting thing, isn’t it? So, from your perspective, you think the boys should be taught as well.

Yeah.

OK. But they were taken out and did separate things?

I don’t know what they did, but... yeah.

OK. And have you ever talked to any of the boys in your class about having started your periods?

No.

Mm. Would you?

I don’t think I’d want to.

No.

’cause... yeah, ’cause prob... yeah, ’cause they hadn’t been taught about this, so I don’t think they’d understand or, yeah, they might be a bit annoying about it.

Yeah, yeah. How do you think they might be annoying?

I think they might, like, just tease, maybe, ’cause they don’t know what it is like.

Eve appreciates being supported in school. She thinks it’s important teachers are calm and discreet, because otherwise it is frightening when they seem panicky (read by an actor).

OK. And the more practical things, like the teacher who then told you where to find the pads and where to find the toilet with the bin...?

I feel like if... if they would say... say a bit less, ’cause they were like... it’s really hard when you’re have... you feel like really self-conscious, but... and then someone’s whooshing over you and all like: “Oh, my God, are you OK?” or blah-blah-blah, ’cause I feel like you just... they... the... sound frightened, so you feel frightened, and I feel like if they just say it as if it’s not a big deal and everyone has it and it’s not like.., it’s something that’s completely harmless, I feel like that would be a lot better.

OK. So, people around you being practical and calm,

Yeah.

…but also, maybe not drawing attention?

Yeah, I feel like just like less fussy. I mean of course you can be a bit like that, but it just... it just scares people.

Uh-huh.And when you’re feeling a little bit self-con... and I think you said you feel a bit self-conscious about it?

Yeah.

So, do... if people are fussing...?

It would just make me feel even more like self-conscious because if they’re like fussing and acting a bit worried, you’re just gonna be like... you’re just gonna be really upset because if they’re fussing and you feel self-conscious about it and you feel really like scared about it, you’re just gonna feel even worse.

Eve and her mum didn’t know about period pants, and have been learning about them together (read by an actor).

Eve’s mum: Well, I just what you think, I think we... we didn’t know much about the period pants, do you remember, and we were looking at them and we... and we still...And they’ve been quite good haven’t they. Yeah, you—

Eve: They’ve been really good.

Eve’s mum: Yeah. So, when you first started and it was quite heavy, do you remember?

Eve: Yeah.

Eve’s mum: And it was like... yeah, you... you were really... and we were both quite shocked, and then you were using pads, and that was a bit uncomfortable, but then I... I didn’t know much about period pants, so I’ve been looking at it online and you’ve been trying them out and then you’ve been telling me: “OK, this one was good,” do you... do you remember?

Eve: Uh-huh.

Eve’s mum: And I’ve just gone and bought you one that’s quite... do you remember that lacy one? And you didn’t like it as much ’cause I didn’t see it. But I think it’s been... Do you think that they... you found them... you seem to find them a lot more comfortable, don’t you?

Eve: Yeah.

Eve’s mum: But yeah, we’ve been trying that kinda together ’cause I didn’t know much about it either, yeah.