You’re at school sitting in geometry class learning about how to use protractors and then you realize, “I just started my period.” Stressed out, you ask to use the bathroom. You get to the  bathroom to start digging through your bag and then you remember you used your last pad last month. “Shoot,” you say to yourself. “I can just run down to Walgreens real quick.” But you realize you left your wallet at home. “You cannot be serious.” You’re embarrassed to ask somebody for one. The nurse’s pads are so thin you’ll bleed right through  them…If only they were free for everyone and readily available, so you were always stocked up.

Buying feminine products affects women in so many ways. When it comes to buying them, it can get expensive depending on your preferences. Many women use more than one product for more protection, but it adds up.

“It doesn’t really effect my day-to-day life until you don’t have enough money to pay for them then that’s when I kind of bothers me,” sophomore Shirley Rivera-Pogyo said.

No woman asks for their period, it’s just happens. So why pay for that?

“Feminine products are too expensive for something we can’t control,”  freshman Ariana King said.

The cost of period products can get very high, and some women just can’t afford it. This plays a big role on how much a woman spends monthly or some don’t spend money monthly for these products.

“I usually buy two packs so about $11; I always like to stay stocked up,” King Said.

In situations, you’ll have a lot of women in one house, and they could all have different preferences.

“Probably about $100-$150 because me, my sister, and my mom all have different flows, so we all have to get different Feminine products. We all have different preference, “junior Victoria East said.

East High School nurse’s office also has free feminine products for girls who might need them, but they might not be the best quality which can be a big problem.

“I honestly think they are doing a good job since we don’t have to pay for them but I think they should be better quality because how are you going to give out feminine products that aren’t always the best quality, some girls might be embarrassed because the pads that they receive from the nurse might be too thin or too big, and if the school doesn’t have enough money to get them we could always do a fundraiser,” Rivera-Pogyo said.

Between cramps and worrying about leaking, there can be a lot of things you might not be able to do when you are on your period, maybe some things you would have to sacrifice.

“I’ve had to sacrifice doing specific activities with friends like swimming,” King said.

“I lost some clothes because I’ve leaked through, swimming with friends, and my cramps are so bad that sometimes I can’t get out of bed,” East said.