When it comes to getting your period at school, we always imagine the worst: Standing up in class with a huge red stain on our pants (yikes!). But in reality, getting your period at school is a minor inconvenience, not a nightmare scenario. There’s no need to sound the alarm bells, and your pants probably aren’t going to be ruined. (The average period only releases 2.7 oz of blood in total, so period stains that soak all the way through your underwear to visibly stain your clothing are incredibly rare.)
Here are our best tricks for how to deal with getting your period at school.
Be prepared
The easiest way to prepare for your period is to have a sense of when it will be arriving. You can track your period through an app, though it's best to research their data privacy policies before you download — Stardust and Clue have good policies. You can also track your cycle manually with your phone's calendar or even a printable period tracker.
Wear period underwear
Period underwear you say? Yes, a miracle product that protects your clothes from unsightly leaks by absorbing your flow — that we just so happen to sell. Kt offers all sorts of period underwear available from full-coverage boxer-briefs to classic bikinis, and even reusable pads. The best part? They're so light and comfortable that you don't even have to be on your period to wear them. (Shop period kits here.)
Our period underwear offers protection for every type of flow — our medium absorbency bikini holds 3 tampons worth of blood and super absorbency holds the equivalent of 8 tampons — protecting you from any horror story scenarios.
Wear them with a menstrual cup or tampon for extra security on heavy flow days or as back up protection when you're waiting for your period to come.
Check your undies regularly
If you don’t own period underwear, that’s okay. Make sure you’re going to the bathroom regularly to check for leaks and to change your menstrual product of choice. Depending on your flow, you should change your pad or tampon approximately every four hours. (Read our handy guide on how to put in a tampon here.) If you use a menstrual cup, you can go up to 10 hours before you need to empty it.
Carry a period emergency kit
Even if you have no idea when your period will arrive, it’s going to be fine as long as you have a period emergency kit on hand. (Our tips on how to build the ultimate period emergency kit can be found here.) Basically, pack some menstrual products and comfort products in a makeup bag (or container of your choice) and keep it in your locker or backpack so you have it on hand whenever you need it.
The 'toilet paper hack’
If you don’t have any period products on hand, there’s always the age-old trick that has been used by generations before you: roll up a wad of toilet paper and stick it in your underwear. It doesn’t feel amazing, but it’s better than bleeding through your pants.
Have an emergency contact
Getting your period at school doesn’t have to be scary, but if your period is heavier or more painful than we’ve accounted for, you might need to call a parent or guardian to bring you some supplies, or come pick you up and take you home. It’s important to take care of yourself whatever way you know best.
If your period is too painful, as in, you think you may need to seek medical attention, do not hesitate to go to the school nurse. (If you're uncomfortable telling your teacher you need to go to the nurse for cramps, you can always say you have a migraine.) For manageable pain, check out our guide to dealing with period cramps at school here.
Join the fight against period poverty
People who menstruate will never be totally comfortable unless they have access to free period products in schools. Look up period equity movements in your region and learn how you can get involved so future generations don’t have to deal with this. Not sure where to start? Read about our #PeriodOvershare donation program and how to participate here.
