Ricardo called me one day and said, “I want to sell organic tampons”. At first, I didn’t know what he was thinking. But when we got to talking, I realized, this guy knows more about what I put in my body every month than I do. “Look at the whole industry,” he said. “Not just the products, or the ingredients, Look at the other things. That stuff will surprise you.”
Not knowing what I was going to find, I decided to investigate. It didn’t take longer than an hour to find an industry with excess waste, lack of access, lack of regulation, and, wait… why am I being taxed for this?
I never really thought much about other people’s periods. I was lucky enough not to lack menstrual products. For me, my period is a monthly recurrence, a sign that my reproductive system, and my body are, and healthy and working properly. I’ve never worried about what I’m going to wear for leak protection, though I have many times suffered leakages, and surprise early arrivals. But never has my period stopped me from being me. After diving into the research and the data Ricardo share with me, I realized this was not the case for many people across the US.
I realized, it’s not about selling tampons, it’s about providing access to menstrual products, so that every menstruating person in America can focus on what matters most to them.
When I’m not working on MIA, I spend my time doing research, creating marketing strategies, and crafting stories.