Periods are shame magnets. Anyone that’s ever menstruated knows this. They are hardly EVER talked about and, when they are, it’s either at the butt of a joke or over a vague yet glorifying menstrual product commercial. With a lack of conversation or support on the topic, its no wonder women don’t try to explore having different “menstrual experiences." Some women figure out how to love their vaginas early on, but to put it lightly, I was not one of those women. I am just now coming to terms with my lady-hood (no pun intended) and I have THINX Period Panties to thank for it.

When I got my first period, my mother gave me some sanitary pads and a whole lot of comfort. I remember crying A LOT, although I can’t remember what I was crying about exactly. I’d imagine I was afraid and uncomfortable, not having control over what was happening to my body. After a couple of years, I decided to switch to tampons and couldn’t have been happier. I felt I had more freedom to wear the clothes I wanted and to do all of the activities I wanted too. I stuck with them until my 20s, not giving them a second thought until I go on a big kick to make my lifestyle more environmentally friendly. I tried menstrual cups, reusable sea sponges, reusable fabric pads. I was exhausted from all the options and none of them were as convenient and reliable as tampons. I decided to give up the search for a while and forgot about it until I saw an advertisement for THINX period panties on the internet. I thought what the heck and bought a pair, figuring I’d have a cute pair of undies, at the very least. I was SHOCKED at how different my periods were!

I had been so afraid to feel my flow happening all of those years, that I had attached a slew of feelings and ideas about my period simply by trying to hide it. I thought it was dirty and gross and shameful. I bought a pair of THINX every month until I had enough of them to last me an entire cycle and I threw away all of my other menstrual products. So, listen…at this point, I wasn’t thinking I was having some kind of transformative experience. I was just thrilled to get rid of my tampon budget and be creating a little less waste every month.

Something changed in me though. Without an intention of doing so, I was giving my body permission to be itself, in all its glory. The underwear was so reliable that I wasn’t afraid of leaking and I could go an entire day without going to the bathroom to “change out." I had a piece of my life back that I hadn’t even realized I was missing and, to top it all off, I felt more confident! Now, this is just speculation, but I think that, on some subconscious level, the idea of needing to penetrate myself with foreign, chemical-ridden products on a regular basis to appease society’s idea of hygiene really took a toll on my self-worth. I know that might sound all hippie-dippie, but I can’t explain any other way the psychological shift that happened after giving up conventional menstrual products. So, whatever your reasons may be, I highly recommend giving period panties a try. There are a few different brands, but I can only speak for THINX because it is the only brand I have tried. Buy one pair and see how you like it. They even have styles for the gender non-conforming bleeder. Even if you decide that period panties aren’t for you, always remember that, as a woman, you are a badass warrior queen for bleeding half to death 450 times in your life and still getting your ass to work in the morning.