LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Middle school is already a tough time for girls and body changes can make things even more awkward. One Lexington preteen decided she wanted to make a difference for her peers at Tates Creek Middle School.
"A lot of girls think it's a thing they should shun, or whisper about, but I think they need to learn it's a normal human thing, and if they need help, they should ask for it," said Rosie Katz, an eighth grader at TCMS.
She's talking about periods and accessing hygiene products at school.
"We have them in the community service center and the nurse's office, but we wanted to make sure they were in the bathrooms for the girls to handle it in there," Katz told LEX 18.
In January, Katz launched a GoFundMe for a class project. She raised more than $1,000—enough to buy thousands of tampons and pads, two free-access dispensers, and art supplies to create colorful posters for the bathrooms.
"So that when the girls walk into the bathroom, they think positive things not negative things, and they feel good about themselves," she said.
According to the United Nations Population Fund, period poverty is the struggle many low-income women and girls face trying to afford menstrual supplies. In her GoFundMe, Katz wrote:
"Why is a middle school girl talking to you about periods? Maybe you think I should feel embarrassed or that I shouldn't talk about this topic. Well, I'm not embarrassed and I AM talking about it, and here's why:
Fact: Middle School girls miss more days of school than boys.
Fact: Girls would rather miss school than go to school while menstruating if they lack access to hygiene products. 25% of girls say they have missed class because they didn't have access to pads or tampons.
Fact: Most girls feel stressed or embarrassed at school because they don't have access to hygiene products.
Fact: 61% of girls have worn tampons for longer than four hours at school.
Fact: More than 60% of the students at Tates Creek Middle School are considered economically disadvantaged.
Fact: Period Poverty is real."
The project has been so successful, Katz says she'll keep it going in high school.
"Actually, just yesterday, one of my friends came up to me and said, 'You just saved my life. I just started my period, and I used your products in the bathroom,'" she said.
