Episode 065: Three Small Changes Can Make A Workplace Period Positive

Half the workforce menstruates, but most workplaces still operate as if periods never happen. That silence shows up in the worst moments: a surprise bleed, no supplies, no private place to manage it, and the scramble to get through a meeting or a full shift while hoping nobody notices. We talk candidly about why this gap persists and what it costs employees and employers, especially during perimenopause when cycles can turn unpredictable and heavy.

I’m joined by Diana Nelson, Advocacy Director at Days for Girls International and a leader behind the Period Positive Workplace initiative. She explains how the menstrual health conversation has evolved from a narrow focus on products and girls in school to a more holistic approach that includes wash facilities, accurate education, pain management, and the full life cycle from menstruation to menopause. We also dig into the practical reality of humanitarian and disaster relief and why “product choice” matters for dignity and real-world needs.

Then we get concrete. Period Positive Workplace asks organizations to do three things: provide free menstrual products, ensure a space where people can manage their period with privacy and basic amenities, and communicate clearly that this support exists. Diana shares impact data showing how quickly these small changes open new conversations and reduce stress, plus why the ROI can be significant when you account for hidden costs like absenteeism, reduced productivity, and leaving work to buy supplies.

If you want a simple, measurable way to support menstrual health at work, this conversation gives you a starting point and the language to lead. Subscribe, share this with a manager or HR partner, and leave a review so more workplaces stop treating menstrual health like a taboo and start treating it like a normal human need.

Websites:

https://www.https://www.periodpositiveworkplace.org/

https://www.daysforgirls.org

Cozy Earth: www.cozyearth.com

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MiDOViA is dedicated to changing the narrative about menopause by educating, raising awareness & supporting women in this stage of life, both at home and in the workplace. Visit midovia.com to learn more.

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Transcript

Why Menstrual Health Belongs At Work

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to the Medovia Menopause Podcast, your trusted source for information about menopause and midlife. Join us each episode as we have great conversations with great people. Tune in and enjoy the show. Welcome back, everyone. Today it's just me, and we're recording this episode in recognition of Menstrual Health Month and Menstrual Hygiene Day that's recognized on May 28th. It's a moment that brings global attention to something that impacts people for decades, yet still doesn't show up where it should, especially at work. Menstrual health is part of everyday life for a large portion of the workforce, spanning early career through perimenopause when cycles can become heavier, more unpredictable, and harder to manage an environment that weren't designed with this in mind. And yet, inside most organizations, it's rarely addressed in any meaningful or practical way. Today's conversation looks at what's actually happening in the workplace, what's being overlooked, and what employers can do in simple, tangible ways to better support their people. I'm joined by someone who has been leading this work globally. Diana Nelson is the advocacy director at Days for Girls International and played a key role in launching the Period Positive Workplace, helping organizations take clear, measurable steps that are already showing impact. Diana, I am so glad that you were here today with me.

SPEAKER_01 1:30

Thank you so much for having me, April. I'm thrilled to be here.

SPEAKER_00 1:33

Of course. Listen, before we dive in, full disclosure, you and I worked together for many years when I was in development with Days for Girls, and we had the opportunity to work together here in the US as well as abroad a little bit with a couple of projects. And Dates for Girls Mission, as you know, is very close to my heart. And I've seen the impact of the work directly in the field. It is truly profound, and we'll unpack that a little bit today. I just remember as I was thinking about having you on today when organizations didn't want to talk about advocacy. And then you fast forward, and that has changed. And I have my opinions as to why this is the case, but you're the expert and you have been in this space for years.

A More Holistic View Of Menstruation

SPEAKER_00 2:22

So my first question is when you look at where you are today, what feels different now in the menstrual health conversation?

SPEAKER_01 2:31

Thank you, April. That's such such a good question before I jump into it. I just wanted to let everyone know how wonderful it was to work with April and all that she contributed to the menstrual health movement and is continuing to contribute to this sector. And um, you just do great work. Thank you. So I think one of the changes that I've seen that I would say is when I first came into this field, everything focused on the girls at school. That was really where people were alarmed and worried about, rightfully so. We want to ensure that girls can stay in school. And now the and it really focused on product, like what is happening, getting product to girls so they could stay in school. And then slowly we started seeing that expand to oh, they also need wash facilities or restrooms or they can manage it. And then we saw that expanding out. And so I would say the greatest change to me is there's such a more holistic um approach on menstrual health today, recognizing yes, girls are needed, but also women at work. Also, we need accurate information. Also, there's menopause that is the entire life cycle, right, of menstruation. It's not just a point in time. And then also recognizing pain management is a huge one. This wasn't talked about when I was first in the sector, and now some of the studies are showing that actually girls are missing school more likely because of menstrual pain than actual access to product. So I would say that's an exciting change to really pull back holistically, look at both who is who the people are menstruating and what their needs are holistically.

SPEAKER_00 4:07

Yeah, well, we certainly believe in a holistic approach. We we talk about that all the time when we work with organizations. It's it's it's never really a single solution, right? Um there's a broader picture and there's a bigger picture that we have to look at. Um I know that you partner with a lot of other organizations in the work that you do to ensure across the globe that women and girls do have what they need to manage their periods beyond period products, which of course is part of what you do with Days for Girls. And for those of us that don't know, or the audience members who don't know what Days for Girls is, I don't want to make the assumption that they do. Can you just give us a brief overview of Days for Girls? And then I'd love to move the conversation into period positive workplace.

SPEAKER_01 4:55

Sure.

Days For Girls And Menstrual Equity

SPEAKER_01 4:56

Yeah, I'd be happy to. So Days for Girls is a nonprofit organization that we focus on advancing menstrual health to ensure menstrual equity. And we do it through education, accurate information is needed. We do it through advocacy work, and then we do it through access to products. And then within that, we have programs that we focus on, which is our period positive workplace, period positive schools, maternal and well-being. There's a lot of need right there as to that. And then the final one is we look at humanitarian and disaster relief. Because as we know, so many times when um tragedies have happened, the first thought is we got to get food and water and shelter, which is so important that menstrual health needs are often left off the table. But yeah, if you're someone who's having your period and you are fleeing, that is a very real need that you need to manage. And so we really want to be able to step up and ensure that those needs are met as well as all the other ones.

SPEAKER_00 5:53

Yeah, so important. And and what's interesting is that Days for Girls started out with just washable products that were being made. Um, and and I know that disposables are a part of that equation when it's necessary. And some of those relief efforts, the disposable products are necessary, right? Because there's a high mobility rate with some of the uh the disaster relief. Um they're not in one place at any given time, right?

SPEAKER_01 6:20

Yeah, in fact, that that is such a good point, April. I think that really goes to know what the what your um the community you're serving needs. And so what we've often found in disaster relief is they actually would like product choice, you know, and we're very big on don't just assume what people know. So we have what we call a hybrid kit that almost all of these go out, at least in the US, like when the LA fires came. We were able to get our hybrid kits there, and so it was menstrual cups, a reusable pad, single-use pads, and tampons, recognizing that we don't know what one person might need, but let's give them the choice. And I know a lot of our um volunteers work in local food pantries and you know, are helping in their local um homeless um displaced house um anyway, or refugee centers, and they bring um these hybrid kits as well. So really knowing, not making assumptions of what's needed, but but letting the the people you're working with choose.

SPEAKER_00 7:17

It's so good. There's so many more options too. I I was actually standing at the CVS um FEMCare aisle the other day, and I was astounded at all of the products because I don't have my period anymore. So there's that audience. Um, and I love that. I love that I don't. So it's been a while, it's been a skinny minute since I've stood in that aisle. And it was wonderful actually to look at all of the choices that we have now for menstrual products. So, of course, giving women and girls choice in those situations is important as well. So it gives them dignity, right? Um well, I want to shift the conversation over to period positive workplace because we've done a little bit of work together on the period positive workplace. Um, but as it relates to women in the workplace who are menstruating, can you give us just that broad overview of period positive workplace as well, what that is in simple terms?

SPEAKER_01 8:13

Sure,

The Three Requirements For Support

SPEAKER_01 8:14

yeah. So, in just very simple terms, is created a supportive environment at work for people who menstruate. And any organization can do it. It only requires three things provide access to pre-menstrual products, provide a space where people can manage it with dignity. So maybe a restroom where there's light, it's the doors shut, you know, there's they have a waistband to manage their soiled products, and then announce to your employees hey, we recognize that half our staff has a need and that sometimes there may be a surprise period that comes. We don't want to have you stress about that at work. So we have recognized this and we're doing it. Um, and so those are the three basic things. There's no cost to join, and it's a global movement. We try to make it, April, um accessible to any business, whether you're small or large, whether um you are in a high-income or low-income country, urban or rural. These are three things that any business should be able to do.

SPEAKER_00 9:16

It sounds very simplistic. And yet I know that it's not the case for a lot of organizations. I mean, for for you and I, we think, gosh, shouldn't everybody have period products and access to a space to take care of what they they need to take care of and comfort and hand washing. I mean, those seem very, very basic, almost human rights. I mean, I'm gonna say that on the podcast. It feels like it's a human right. Um, and yet it's not the case with every organization.

Perimenopause Surprises And Workplace Gaps

SPEAKER_00 9:47

I was talking to a school teacher um not too long ago who is in periamenopause, and I want to come to peri-omenopause in the conversation at some point. Our periods are very sporadic and unexpected at times in that stage of life. And she leaked through and she's sitting in class. She has a classroom full of students, right? Um, and then the bell rang for lunch, and so she didn't have anything. She didn't have a change of clothes, she didn't have tampons and pads. So she had to go to TJ Maxx on her lunch break, bypants, get herself taken care of, come back to the classroom and finish her day. No break, no food, no water, right? So had that um school had period products in a restroom that were accessible for her, perhaps she wouldn't have had to do that, right? Um, and so as we as we think about this, why do you think from where you sit that this piece is still largely absent from workplace strategies? Why? Hey

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SPEAKER_00 10:50

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SPEAKER_01 12:19

Yeah,

Stigma, Silence, And Leadership Blind Spots

SPEAKER_01 12:20

I that is such a good question that I we have some data behind. And so one of our steering committee members on the period positive workplace works with the janitorial um people who work with janitors, like 10,000 companies he works with. It's ISSA. And they wanted to know why aren't some businesses doing this? So they did a survey. The number one reason it wasn't happening is they hadn't thought about it. Number one reason it just wasn't on the radar. And really, that's not a surprise because I think there's still so much um stigma and shame around and secrecy around our period. You know, it's really culturally wherever you're at, we don't really talk about it. And so if we don't talk about something, we can't know there's a problem. And so I it really caused me to reflect on gosh, think of how many people like women all know this, or people who are menstruating. We know when we're somewhere, like, oh my gosh, do you have a period? You know, you're desperate. Yeah. And yet, but we don't go out and tell our manager if it's a sp. I've never done that and said, Oh, you know what, I just started my period. And by the way, there's nothing. There was nothing in the restroom. Yeah, but yet, right? But yet, you know, if we're at work and there's no toilet paper, we are all enraged. Right. But hey, we are out of toilet paper. Like that is a need. And so I think that would be the number one reason that I I I like to think someone I was talking to said, um, they like to say, if it's a male leader, it's not malice, it's maleness. They may not understand, but then hopefully once they know, they become an ally. And um, and then I would I would share in that in in that um same survey that they did, that was interesting. They said, okay, if you are doing it, why? And that number one reason was their customers had asked for it.

SPEAKER_00 14:04

Oh, and so it wasn't employees, it was customers that were asking. So it could be, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:08

And so and I was thinking, you know, think of a business where you want people to stay a mall or a shopping center, a movie theater, a library. You don't want people leaving because as soon as they leave, they may not come back. Right. So, what do you do to ensure if someone's in perimenopause or on their period that happens that you could meet that need for them there and they would stay. So it's kind of an I mean, you don't want to make it, but there it does have a benefit for everybody, whether you're the employer or the facility where you want customers to stay or you're the person who has a period. Like it can be a win-win situation.

SPEAKER_00 14:45

I think so. You know, I I do make it a point if I see tampons and pads in a bathroom to go tell whoever it is within that company, I appreciate you having those in the bathroom, even though I don't need them myself anymore. I want them to know and want them to have that feedback. So good to know that they're listening to their customers. And it's also interesting, um, it's interesting data that you have there because one of the number one reasons why employers don't offer menopause support is because employees aren't asking. So there's still a lot of stigma around menstruation and menopause. The two really go hand in hand. I mean, um, we menstruate and then we don't, but we're not talking about either one of those, right? Um, and we should. And employees um need to have the language to ask for that support so that our HR departments and our managers know that it's needed, especially our male counterparts or our male supervisors and employees. I think you're right. I think they want to be allies. I think they don't know what they don't know. And then once they do, they want to help, right?

SPEAKER_01 15:57

Could I on that point, what I love, one thing I just wanted to add here about the period positive workplace. When you create an environment where you're sending out a note to your employees, hey, we we recognize there's a need. We're doing it because it's the right thing, not because we're told to, because we know that's coming. Like we saw in Canada, where they've been every federally funded building is mandated, right, to have menstrual products. We see it in the US, different schools and different universities, their state um governments are saying, yes, we will absolutely provide menstrual products. So it's coming. I think it's nice to have it when your employer saw it was the right thing to do. But all that to say, I wanted to say so. When what we have found, I wanted to share a quote, um, actually a statistic. Every

What The Impact Data Really Shows

SPEAKER_01 16:38

year on the period puzzle workplace, we send out an impact report. We want to know how is this impacting both the employer and the employees? And is it working like we're thinking? And so last year, um just quick maybe I could share some data if you don't mind.

SPEAKER_00 16:52

So yeah, yeah, that was gonna be my next question. So please do. I think it's compelling with your work.

SPEAKER_01 16:57

Yeah, so we launched in 2023 on International Menstrual Hygiene Day, and since then we have this, we have um almost 360 bit organizations around the world. We are in something like 50 countries on every inhabitable continent, and it's impacted almost half a million employees. And so it it really is picking up steam, I guess you could say. But one of the statistics that came out from last year's that I thought was really interesting is we asked, you know, what changes have you seen since you've had uh become a period positive workplace? And 76% of the managers responded that they'd had new conversations about menstruation at their organization. 76%. So to your point that you made earlier, April, how are we empowering our employees or our to come forward and talk about that? It's amazing that just by providing that empowered 76% were able to have conversations, which now you're talking about something that before was taboo. So now you can imagine how if you're an employee maybe suffering from atypical period pain, or you're perimenopause, or you're having a hot sweat, you could feel more comfortable now to go forward and talk about this because it is something that's happening in your workplace, whereas before it wasn't.

SPEAKER_00 18:19

That's right. It it it cracks the door open, right? It says, I feel seen, I feel valued, I feel heard, and then it opens the door for that conversation. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:29

And that another statistic I wanted to share that was so powerful. 93% of employees said that once their business or organization where they were working at had become a period positive initiative, that it provided peace of mind to them. 93%. Like that is like because for those who don't have periods, like it is an like imagine you had a bloody nose that just came on and you forgot to bring toilet paper because at your work you have to bring toilet paper to your restroom, and you cannot control it bleeding. So you are in the moment frantic, like what I don't want to get on my clothes. Right, what am I doing? You're going to everybody, you have Kleenexes, whatever. That's how we feel when we had a period, right? Come without a surprise. And it's like going to handle a bloody nose with no product to do that with. And so just knowing that, oh, if this were to happen, I'm gonna be okay. I don't have to go to the, like what you said, go to the TJ Maxx, buy pant, whatever, right? I'm gonna be able to manage this. And that brought 93% of employees peace of mind.

SPEAKER_00 19:36

That is that is shocking and it's a it's great. Um, it it really emphasizes the importance of the programming, right? And it's again, it seems very simple. Um, and and look at the profound impact that it's had. I think about um I I often think about a traditional work environment when when you say this, right? When we're having this conversation, like, oh, um, a uh a greater Seattle area, for example, which is where I am, I have access. I can go outside of my building. I can I have access to tampons and pads if I need it on a break, but not everyone is in that situation either, right? So I think we also have to consider, and I want to consider here for just a moment with the audience, other work environments outside of the norm, or maybe you're in a more rural area, or maybe you don't drive to work and you don't have transportation to leave the workplace to get your period products, right? We think about these luxuries when not everyone has them. So it is really important for employers to have those products available so that employees remain in the workplace, they remain productive.

Productivity, Absence, And ROI Math

SPEAKER_00 20:46

Speaking of which, do you have any data from the reporting that emphasizes measurable outcomes like engagement, absenteeism, productivity, retention? Do you have anything tangible in that respect?

SPEAKER_01 20:59

Yes, I let me see if I could have, yes, we do. Um it might one, but one I wanted to just share when you're talking about it, because I think you really bring up a good point that there are really two types of employees, right? Maybe some who can't access the product if it's not there because and it may not be financial, but maybe they have one car and their partner took it that day, right? And they're they need, they can't just run pop in the car. So there's that. There's also the lack of funding. But then there's the other half who we have our car, we have everything we need. Um, but I think across the board, what is consistent that is hidden is what is the hidden cost that it's costing the employer for both of those people to not manage it at work. So a study was just done um by EGL PADS, they are on our sharing committee, and they looked in the um in the UK at their their healthcare system, and they looked at one venue where there were 6,000 employees, and most like 61% or something like that, were female. And so they went in and thought, okay, what if we just provided access to period products? Like what would that cost be? And then they did a survey and they found out, like, okay, on the surface, yeah, maybe this would cost us a couple thousand dollars a year to provide access. But the hidden fees that it was costing them was almost a million dollars when you looked at people calling in sick from work, people living um leaving work to go get product, people like lack of productivity, people saying on their, you know, they don't work as hard and as fast, not just because they're worried, or it was unbelievable the hidden cost that it was costing the employer that you could address up front and reduce that.

SPEAKER_00 22:46

Those are those are statistics that we don't see on HR reports. That doesn't mean, and we say that that doesn't mean that they're absent. It just means that you're not seeing them on reports.

SPEAKER_01 22:58

Yeah. So here's a stat from our 2025 study. And it said more than more than 50% of the period positive workplace employees reported improved productivity, improved work attendance, and peace of mind. That's 50%. That means half of your staff are saying we're more productive now. We our attendance is better. That what is that return on investment for an employer when that when that is happening? That that's quite big. Significant. Yeah, yeah. And so 63% said the employees said that they it was impacting their productivity. That's that's a really significant statistic.

SPEAKER_00 23:39

It is. If you think about just, I mean, organizations can do the math. If you think about 67% of your employees who are missing one day a month per week, per one day per week per month, do the math, right? Um, it it's significant. And you're right. I mean, providing period products doesn't cost that much. I remember um, oh gosh, years ago when you first started the period positive workplace, um, one of the objections that at least I heard in development was um, what if people hoard them? What

Hoarding Fears And Implementation Reality

SPEAKER_00 24:14

if we put those out and then everybody just hoards them and steals them? Can you address that? Yeah, and now because it people might be thinking about it.

SPEAKER_01 24:24

It's such a good question. And actually, this year's our impact report, the last two years, we've focused on we really wanted to know how is this impacting productivity, um, absentee is in all those some of those quotes I've shared, and I've got more I can later. But this year we wanted to know what is the implementation cost? Like, what, like how is it working? And are you seeing that exact thing? April just said, is it being hoarded? And and so I've just been analyzing the data today. And one of them said, like, out of, I should pull up my tab, but out of all of the companies, only 27% said that they struggle with implementation. And of those, 27% was just a few that said in the beginning, they did struggle with people taking more than they should. But they said when it continued to be there consistently, that's gone away. And that's been pretty, and I I'd like to liken that to toilet paper. It's like if you've never had toilet paper and you go in and there's toilet paper, um, you may be tempted to take some, but none of us walk out of any restroom taking the rolls under our shirts or in our horses because we know it's gonna be there next time we come. Yeah, and it's kind it's pretty much consistent with period products. In the beginning, people are so shocked that they are taking more than they should. But as it was consistently there, they all of them said that went away.

SPEAKER_00 25:48

All of them. It's that scarcity mentality, right? But you're right. I mean, once you see it over and over and over again and you realize this isn't going away, um, you no longer have that scarcity mentality, right? I mean, I always I think about when you say toilet paper, I think about COVID. Remember when it was like you're never gonna have it again, and everybody was just, you know, buying it up at Costco, and then they had to limit it to one per person or something. But it is that scarcity mentality, right? And then we figure, oh, wait a minute, I have enough. It's gonna be okay.

SPEAKER_01 26:19

Oh, I I could I add here, it was interesting. We had a company that um was doing it, and she said she was really following the stocking because she really wanted to know, and she would know every night she would leave. There was X amount of products, but yet she'd come in the morning and half of them would be there. And she realized it was the cleaning crew. Um, and she said, you know what? I was happy if that's who was using it, and clearly there was a need. And she said, um, that was something she didn't realize that that would that that that was a need she wasn't thinking. Yeah, yeah, it was just under her radar. And so she says, you know, when I I was kind of mad at first, and then when I figured it out, she's like, I was actually take more, take more. But anyway, that was interesting. And then I would add one other thing. Some of the companies, um, one of the things that when they become a period positive workplace um certified, they can they get this little digital packet, and one of the they have a sign that can say that has helped some organizations. So in the beginning, people don't take, take, take. It's it says something to the effect that you know, these are here for your need. If you don't need it today, consider yourself lucky, but be sure to save it for someone else who may have that need. And just having that little reminder that, you know, they're here every day, but if you don't need it today, then save it. So maybe on the day you need it, it's there. And and people have told us that that's made, that's been helpful as well. Just a reminder that it is for emergencies. We don't we in no way expect you to provide for someone's menstrual cycle the whole time, but it sure is nice when they have that surprise visit come.

SPEAKER_00 27:55

I love that language um and the way that it's languaged. It's it's perfect. It's actually perfect. My husband provides menstrual products um for his um patients as well as his employees. And, you know, they have no qualms about saying, hey, we're out of tampons. Can you make sure that you put you stock those, please? Um, you know, it's it's just a nice thing to have. I'm wondering, you know, um, you mentioned that that was a surprise for one of the organizations that's period positive. I'm wondering if there were any other surprises in the data or anything else that has challenged you with this program.

SPEAKER_01 28:37

Um I think one of the things that I've been really happy about that has surprised me is you know, there's a lot of um things needed for menstrual health. And as we know, this is one small piece of that puzzle. And so the goal was always with the periposital workplace, this is step number one. Because what we found, at least in my advocacy work, and this is how actually maybe I could share the inception of it. I remember I was in another country, I was living there, um, and I had been advocating for a certain thing for menstrual health with the government, and they just wouldn't do it, wouldn't do it. And a large private sector company came in and showed interest in it and said they would support it, and instantly government was like, okay, we're in. And I just thought, wow, the power of corporate America to move government is you cannot underestimate. So then I started thinking, how do we get private sector in this arena? Like, because it's really not on people's sectors, as that one study study showed. Um, I think because we don't talk about it, there's just so many other things that they're managing. This is just a blind spot. And so I thought, how do we get them in this so that they can actually see the impact it can have? And but yet, I know business, you need data, right? We all need data that that is, we can have all these great um anecdotal evidence, but that doesn't work for business. So I kept thinking, where are we gonna get a study that can actually prove this could have a good return on investment for businesses? And that's when, like four years ago, um, the former USAID, United States Agency for International Development, said, let's just look at this. And they went into two different countries and said, What if we made it? We just did very simple things, provided access to product, had some conversations on menstrual health, kind of the period positive workplace. Right. Does that have an impact? And it they found over time it had for every dollar the employer put in, they got a two dollars back. So it had a two to one return on investment. But then what exceeded their expectations was it it created less turnover, higher loyalty, more positive feelings towards the employer, more productivity, less absenteeism, all these things that of course added to the bottom ROI. And so once we had that data, we were like, okay, we got it, let's go. And so we, as I said earlier, the period pause the workplace was how do we just get private sector thinking about this? And that's what we thought. Everybody can access products. And if you do that, we hope you'll do more and more and more. Consider perimenopause, consider menopause, consider menstrual leaders or whatever. And so that's what if you see back to your question, what's been a surprise is seeing the companies leaning in. Like, like, for example, we saw uh, I think I have a statistic when we look, how many did more than expected? That would be interesting. Um, so like 79% of employees, like all of they are giving they said it's easy. Oh, okay, wait, let me get the right stat. Um I want to make sure I do this. Okay, 90% said they're doing more health programming. And here's some of the things that they're doing. They're providing just a range of products, maybe not whereas before they did nothing or just gave one. Now they recognize, oh, we need to do more. Um, 54% are sharing educational resources now. 48% have done some type of staff training, 34% are now offering menstrual pain management, 22% have implemented implemented a menstrual leave. And so I would say that's been the greatest reward for us is seeing them first starting with the basic, low-hanging fruit. Okay, we know we need to do it like toilet paper, but then seeing the overwhelmingly positive response that got and kind of building on that. And that that really is the goal is let's just recognize this is one aspect, but what could we do better and better to support them?

SPEAKER_00 32:50

Yeah, it's taking the baby step. It's just starting, right? Start and move from there. It moves the needle. I'm wondering if there are organizations that are listening who are thinking, okay, this sounds important, but where do we start?

How To Start Period Positive Today

SPEAKER_00 33:06

What would be the first step?

SPEAKER_01 33:08

Yeah, and maybe you can share it in your show notes. Just go to uh www period positive. Actually, I say it so much, and now I'm kind of um yeah, periodpositive workplace.org. And you just go there and you it's a very, very simple um website. It gives you a lot of data, like some as eight out of ten women have started their period unexpectedly. Um, and 96% of those have to leave immediately to take care of it. Like there's just a lot of good data showing um there is this is a legitimate need. And then one of the pages um you can just register. It's all honestly the on a system. Like you just have to show have you provided, are you gonna provide access to period products free? Um, have you announced to your employees, whether in a newsletter, a staff meeting, whatever you're doing this? And then do is your wash facility um where they can change privately? And and I can tell you, one concern that's come up is in especially in some of the other countries where, or even in here in the US, where they share a bathroom space. Right. And so some businesses to deal with that just have a sign that says, hey, if you're in our company, you can access it in this cupboard or at this office. Yeah, you know, so they don't want to do it for the whole building because that that's out of their scope, but they want to make sure they're employees. And then I will tell you today, again, as I was analyzing the data, one of them said, Yeah, our traveling salespeople, we realize they don't, they might have a surprise. So they put together little packets for them. And they said, now when they're on the go, they can keep it in their car so that they also don't have to worry. So it's neat to see employers thinking wider or outside the box, right?

SPEAKER_00 34:51

To think outside the box. It's interesting that you say that because we've worked with um several construction companies and there there are females that work construction and they have honey buckets. And several conversations have been well, do you even have tampons in the honey buckets? Uh you know, tampons and pads. Do you have Pure L that they can at least use to wash their hands? And they just weren't even thinking about that. So it really is thinking outside the box to make sure that your employees have access so that, right? They see they're valued, they're seen, they're heard, they feel safe, they're not thinking about it all day long. Um, and obviously there's a financial business case for the business as well, as you've mentioned, with that return on investment. So very good and very easy. Everyone can do it. Um, Diana, we know we can find periodpositiveworkplace.org online, daysforgirls.org, if they want more information on days for girls.

Best Advice And Final Takeaways

SPEAKER_00 35:52

But I'm gonna um not get I'm not gonna um let you off the hook without asking you the question that we ask every one of our guests, what the best piece of advice is that you've ever received.

SPEAKER_01 36:04

That is a deep question. Oh my goodness. Um I feel like I've gotten so, so much good advice. Um, but one that kind of is top of mind, and this kind of comes because I um my family situation, we move a lot. We've been overseas internationally, and I've always kind of told my my family, someone told me as we started that lifestyle, home is where you hang your hat. It isn't necessarily a structure, it's wherever your family gathers. And now that means even more. Now that my kids are married and living all over the the US, um when we gather, wherever like this whether we're wherever we're gathering, whether it's in our home or not, where we're together, that's where home is. And so, and I think that um as life changes and adapts, you know, wherever you are is is great, and you make it the best that you can. And um, and don't look back, just enjoy the time and don't wish you had this or that. Yeah, this is it. This is where I'm at at this point, and it's great. Yeah. So that's helped me a lot.

SPEAKER_00 37:10

Oh, I love that. We're not looking in the rearview mirror, we're looking at the windshield, and home is where you hang the hat. It's great advice. Well, Diana, thank you so much for being here for this conversation. It's important. Um, and of course, I get to chat with you. So always good to see you, my friend and audience. Until we meet again, go find joy in the journey. Take care. Thanks, April. Thank you for listening to the Medovia Menopause podcast. If you enjoyed today's show, please give it a thumbs up, subscribe for future episodes, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend. Modovia is out to change the narrative. Learn more at Medovia.com. That's M I D O V I A.com.