Students in Kingston High School’s (KHS) Period Power! Club are participating in the TMI Project presents: Period Power, a true storytelling performance at the Senate Garage on Wednesday, December 6.
Emboldened by studies showing that 76 percent of high school students in the United States are taught more about amphibian biology than their own menstrual cycles, roughly half of girls who have their first period are unaware of what’s happening to their bodies, and around 51 percent of U.S. students have worn period products for longer than clinically recommended due to lack of access or cost, the KHS Period Power! Club is ready to share their personal stories.
Period Power! Club member Kat said joining the group has been a gift of confidence and inclusion.
“For years I was scared to speak up for myself,” said Kat in a press release.“I hated the sound of my own voice. Through Period Power! Club, I heard all of these stories from people who are struggling. I saw how big of an issue it is and I found my voice. Now, I use it to speak up for myself and others. I say what needs to be said.”
Also participating in Stories for Choice is Tina Dierna, a KHS faculty member and club advisor. She said lack of access is widespread, particularly in a school district with high poverty rates.
“We surveyed our students, and realized many didn’t›t have access to products,” she said. “Some don’t come to school because they don’t have access. It’s not just impacting their grades, but their mental health.”
Stories for Choice is the culmination of a ten-session TMI Project storytelling workshop, where students have developed their stories in an effort to remove the stigma of menstruation and help raise awareness of “period poverty,” defined by the Journal of Global Health as a lack of access to menstrual products, hygiene facilities, waste management, and education.
The issue is even more pronounced in trans and non-binary youth, who according to a study published in the National Library of Medicine, overwhelmingly experience distress related to having their periods.
Raine Grayson, TMI Project workshop leader, was impressed with the inclusivity of the group.
“As a trans man, I have often felt left out of the conversation,” Grayson said. “And, I know a lot of other men who menstruate feel the same way. These young people are making space for anybody who has a uterus. That, in and of itself, is insanely radical.”
Eva Tenuto, executive director of TMI Project, said that the Period Power event will be as stimulating for attendees as the students involved.
“Storytelling can benefit the storyteller and the listener, letting both know they are not alone, and in turn, eradicating shame and stigma,” Tenuto said. “But, stories can do much more, and this group understands that they have the power to spark change on a much larger scale if this body of work is executed thoughtfully.”
Dierna explained that the club’s mission is critical for many reasons.
“Menstruation has been a long-time taboo topic, often leading to body shaming and in some circumstances, body dysmorphia and/or other mental health issues,” she said. “When we dismiss the effects of painful menstruation and minimize the inability to afford period products, we continue to perpetuate the issues around period poverty and period stigma. Period Power! is a youth-led club that started as a platform to share stories in a safe space and advocate for free period products. Since 2019, it has grown into a community that supports menstruators through education, advocacy and by providing menstruation products to youth in our community. We are a chapter of period.org, the menstrual movement.”
The free performance is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, December 6, 7 p.m., at the Senate Garage in Kingston, with RSVP required for both in-person attendance and live-streaming. RSVP at: https://tmiproject.salsalabs.org/SFCPeriodPower2023/index.html.
After the performance, the stories will be developed into a multimedia collection, with video, a podcast and book geared toward fighting period poverty locally, and according to organizers, possibly serve as a blueprint for similar initiatives in schools across the country.
“We’re thrilled to help them carry out their vision,” Tenuto said. “It is truly how we change the world, one story at a time.”
For more information about the Period Power! club, visit: www.periodpowerclub.com.
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