Your name - what should we call you?
Marie

What do you prefer - He/she/them or something else?
She/her

Your age:
32

What do you do for a living?
Currently working as a project manager in the creative industry; I will be going freelance as a copywriter soon.

Where do you live?
Aarhus, Denmark

When did you start menstruating?
I got my first period when I was 11 years old.

What’s your earliest menstruation memory?
It’s actually the day I got my period. It was my Dad’s 50th birthday and we were getting ready for the big celebration, so I remember it pretty clearly. I was so confused, but my dad got very emotional (one of the very few times I’ve seen him like that). As I remember, it hit him how fast I was growing up.

What words would you use to describe your feelings around your period those first period years?
Shame. Secretive. Hidden. Painful. Misunderstood.

Have they changed? How do you perceive your period now?
Natural. Annoying/inconvenient but natural. Now I actively work to break the taboos that I feel still surround it, and I love seeing small changes everywhere that support this.

How do you feel the days leading up to your period and during?
I actually don’t necessarily feel a big difference from any other day; I no longer have menstrual cramps and pain, and since I live alone, no one is pointing out how moody I’m acting. Sometimes I just eat a little extra Toffifee or enjoy a glass of wine and hang out on my sofa

What’s your go-to period product?
Currently, a menstrual cup. Though I use pads at night during the heavy days.

Finnish the sentence: “The world would be a better place for menstruators if only…”
menstrual care products were readily available (and affordable) to all - this would also go a long way to break the taboos and, in the long run, promote feminism!