Now that kids have access to just about anything on the Internet, let me direct your attention to something very worthwhile. I’ve heard plenty a horror story about the daughters of repressed mothers or forgetful fathers finding blood between their legs and being totally unprepared. For those girls whose flow arrived before sex ed and didn’t get “the talk” in time, Camp Cranky is an interactive site for girls that explains what their period is and how it works.
On the site you can visit the Nurse to learn about how your period works. The nurse doesn’t shy away from telling it like it is and she is totally positive: “if you haven’t had a period yet, the mucus in your panties just tells you that you will probably get one soon. Yay!”
If you head to the Outhouse you can read or listen to poems about periods. At the Tuck Shop girls can read about period products, from the usual assortment of pads and tampons to alternatives like reusable pads, menstrual cups and sea sponges. The Bonfire is a place for girls and women to share the stories of their first menstruation through videos and audio clips.
Camp Cranky also connects visitors to HURU International, where individuals can sponsor a period. For $25 HURU sends a period pack to girls in Nairobi whose families don’t have enough money to provide them with sanitary products. A lot of girls don’t go to school when they are menstruating, so a period pack including some re-usable pads, soap and some new underwear helps them to participate.
Created by Vanessa Matsui and Liane Balaban with Jenna Wright, the site is only the first phase of CRANKYTOWN, an interactive village themed around menstruation and menopause. It will be a place for women of all ages to share stories and get information about their bodies in a fun and positive atmosphere.
Photo: Kourosh Keshiri
