Aimed at raising awareness about access to menstrual products among communities in need, Period at NC State is entering its second year of advocating for menstrual product availability and against menstrual stigma. 

Founded in fall 2017, Period at NC State is a chapter in a national movement dedicated to educating and advocating about menstruation and period culture. The organization, which has approximately 15 current active members, serves Wake County communities through fundraising and distribution of menstrual supplies.

Jackie Lanning, a third-year studying biology and president of Period, founded NC State’s chapter of Period after learning about the lack of access to safe and sanitary menstrual products within homeless communities. According to Lanning, Period at NC State raised over $1,000 and served approximately 900 periods through their menstrual packages in Wake County in its first year of existence.

“I was really shocked to hear about homeless people not having access to menstrual products,” Lanning said. “It’s not something that I really thought of. I looked into their website and saw different chapters across the nation, how they’ve done it, and I just felt like this is something that could be really successful at NC State.”

Zoe Lindsey-Mills, a third-year studying genetics and vice president of Period at NC State, said that by working with the homeless community, they are serving to understand the need for providing menstrual supplies to them.

“What we’re doing is actually making period packages, which have tampons, pads, panty liners,” Lindsey-Mills said. “If we’re just providing that, that’s really awesome, but being able to have feedback and understand what’s needed is important.”

According to its website, Period as a national organization was founded by two high school students in 2014, who realized that menstrual products are often out of reach to individuals. The organization’s website describes it as, “a group of young activists across the U.S. united by the belief that menstrual care is a basic right.” 

This organization is different from We Bleed Red, which is a student initiative that works to provide menstrual products in bathrooms around campus. However, Lanning said although We Bleed Red and Period at NC State serve different communities, the overall mission is similar.

“This semester we’ve partnered with [We Bleed Red] to support them to through their efforts since they’re not a student org,” Lanning said. “We plan to work more closely with them in providing workshops on campus, and educating our communities. We do have a shared mission. It is slightly different because we’re focused more outside, they’re focused more inside, but it’s still the same thing of educating people about menstruation, and that people deserve to have menstrual products.”

Mia Connell, a fourth-year studying sociology and political science and former student body vice president, is one of the founders of We Bleed Red. Connell said that the initiative focuses on spreading the conversation throughout NC State’s campus.

“We Bleed Red is a student-led student initiative,” Connell said. “We are focusing on increasing access to menstrual care and increasing the conversation around menstruation specifically on NC State’s campus. Occasionally that intertwines with other campuses and communities at large, but mostly we’re focusing on NC State. 

Neither Lindsey-Mills nor Lanning mentioned any significant pushback against their efforts to raise awareness, but Connell said that We Bleed Red has faced backlash from unlikely sources.

“What’s most upsetting is when it comes from somewhere you wouldn’t expect it,” Connell said. “A lot of our complaints have come from people who menstruate. Older faculty said that We Bleed Red was too graphic and that we shouldn’t use it for our marketing. Overall we’re in the bathrooms now and it’s really exciting.”

Lindsey-Mills said that discussions at NC State about menstrual products was not something she thought about before.

“Seeing it and realizing the way it’s set up is very much polarized at State,” Lindsey-Mills said. “That’s something that needs to be challenged and addressed here.”

Lanning and Lindsey-Mills hope to combine their work in the greater community with advocacy and awareness at NC State.

“I think kind of working outside of NC State, we’re able to bridge two different things, and one of that is being able to have more conversations on campus and then being able to help a population in our community,” Lindsey-Mills said.

To learn more about Period at NC State, students can visit their Facebook page.