Karizma Howard learned about periods in the first grade. Her mother, Kasia Howard, made it a point to teach her what it meant to have a period, how tampons worked and the importance of tracking her cycle.
It’s an education that few children who get periods receive. A study by Always, a period products brand, found that a quarter of the youth surveyed didn’t know why people get periods and how to manage them, and two in every five don’t feel prepared for their first period.
Howard hopes to change these statistics through her period education organization, Red Realities. The organization holds free workshops to teach youth and their guardians the basics of periods, from the different anatomy involved to the period products on the market.
The workshops also help youth and adults get more comfortable talking about periods, whether they’re asking for products or telling a friend they’re bleeding through their clothes.
“When the red dot drops, you won’t be shocked,” Howard said. “That just means when you get your period for the first time, you don’t have to be scared. You don’t have to be overwhelmed; you know exactly what to do.”
Code Red
Red Realities hosts two workshops: Code Red and Code Red Two. Code Red teaches participants about period basics.
“That covers the what, the why, the how,” Howard said. “The why you get it, what happens when you do, and then how to respond to it.”
Code Red starts with five true or false questions about female anatomy and periods so Howard can gauge how educated a particular group is. Then comes the “call it out portion,” where Howard has the group read aloud a list of body parts that includes terms like “vagina” and “breasts.” The goal is to get people comfortable naming the anatomy involved in periods.
Howard uses activities and role-play exercises throughout Code Red to teach participants about hygiene, different period products like menstrual cups, and how to talk about periods with friends and adults.
One of the most crucial elements of Code Red is the period kit. Howard places 10 products on a table, including pads, tampons, liners and sanitary wipes, and asks attendees to select five to include in their kit. She asks why they included each product and makes suggestions if necessary.
Attendees take their new period kits home to carry with them and refill at their discretion.
Code Red Two is a more in-depth course targeting teens. The workshop discusses the full period cycle, including how different parts of the cycle impact their hormones. Howard explains how those hormones affect things like hunger and emotions, and how teens can manage those changes.
Since periods are part of sexual health and the hormones that come with them often impact a person’s sex drive, Code Red Two also features safe sex education. Howard emphasized that everyone benefits from period and safe sex education, so the workshop is also available for those who can’t get periods. The workshop is split by sex to ensure people with periods are still comfortable sharing their experiences.
Workshops are capped at 20 attendees to keep the conversations intimate. Howard hit that maximum capacity within 24 hours for her Code Red workshop on May 2, which she says highlights the need for period education in Fayetteville.
“There are organizations here that give out products, but where are the organizations that teach not just how to use products but about periods in general?” Howard said. “That’s where Red Realities come in. We don’t just give the products. We show up and we teach.”
Red Realities will hold another Code Red workshop on Friday, May 23.
Making the uncomfortable comfortable
Howard openly talks about her period. She’ll tell you how it changed after she lost 30 pounds as part of a health challenge at her church. She’ll describe her experiences using different products and why period underwear is her current favorite.
“God has made your body a particular way, and there’s nothing wrong with God’s given design that he’s given you,” Howard said. “You shouldn’t be uncomfortable with the God-given process.”
Howard’s openness about her period is not common. A poll by Thinx, a period product company, found 58% of adult women felt embarrassed about their periods. Always found that only 41% of Americans were comfortable talking about periods.
These statistics make up what is called period stigma — the discrimination felt by those with periods that includes being called dirty or being encouraged to hide periods.
Period stigma can be dangerous. If someone isn’t told how often they need to change their tampon (every four to eight hours, according to the Food and Drug Administration), they can get toxic shock syndrome. TSS is a rare but potentially deadly illness caused by bacterial infections. Symptoms include high fever, drops in blood pressure and kidney failure.
TSS is most common in people who menstruate, as it is thought that bacteria can easily grow on period products like tampons and menstrual cups if they are inside the body for too long.
While many feel period stigma, the Always survey found 85% of young women agreed that they’d be more comfortable talking about periods if they saw others doing so. It’s why Howard founded Red Realities: to ensure youth were comfortable talking about periods and female anatomy even before their first period hit.
“Our mission is to educate, empower, encourage,” Howard said. “To elevate their [youth] voices in their menstrual cycles and to make the uncomfortable conversations comfortable.”
Howard also emphasized the need for parents and guardians to discuss periods with their children. Besides her mother, Howard’s father, Bryan Howard, Sr., took an active role in helping her through her period. Before heading to the store, he would ask Howard whether she needed any pads. He still asks Howard if she wants an Almond Joy or a Snickers, her go-to chocolate cravings when she’s on her period.
Red Realities offers a course for parents and guardians who want to learn how to talk about periods and sex with their children. Much of the course is role-play and simulates conversations between a parent and child.
“The period journey, whether it’s going to be uncomfortable or whether it’s going to be an exciting time, I think parents and guardians have a major role in that,” Howard said.
Those interested in signing up for a Code Red workshop can do so on Red Realities’ website or Facebook page.
CityView Reporter Morgan Casey is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms. Morgan’s reporting focuses on health care issues in and around Cumberland County and can be supported through the News Foundation of Greater Fayetteville.