Cycle of life: the period positivity movement

On International Women’s Day, Dr Caroline West tackles a strangely taboo subject – periods – and looks at why less secrecy and shame, and more chat and education, are better for everybody

More than 700,000 period products are disposed of each day, according to mywaste.ie.

Periods have come a long way from when I was in school in the 1990s, having to listen to our PE teacher ‘educate’ us by describing a belt-and-sanitary-pad contraption which sounded terrifying and confusing, and not something I ever wanted to try. The pads that were available at the school office felt like a wedge of plastic and made the wearer very self-conscious about waddling and making crackling noises as they miserably plodded around the school, wishing for the ...