September 20, 2025 • 28 mins
This conversation explores the need for broader access to menstrual products — a basic necessity that’s still treated as optional. We share a story of a period mishap many women can relate to, followed by an interview with Jennifer Severns of Egal Pads, who is leading a movement to make period products as available and stigma-free as toilet paper.
We can't stop talking about:
- The design breakthrough of “pads on a roll” — a simple, sustainable solution that hangs right next to toilet paper in stalls at schools, airports, and stadiums.
- How stigma and silence around menstruation fuel challenges for girls and women — unnecessarily missing life events.
- Why menstrual equity is both a dignity issue and a business case: when women have what they need, they can stay at school, at work, and in the game.
Connect with Jennifer:
LinkedIn: Jennifer Severens
Visit: Egal: Pads on a Roll
Have an idea or story to share? We’d love to hear from you! Visit: her-house.com/your-stories — 100% anonymous submissions welcome.
Contact: melissa@her-house.com
Visit: her-house.com
Instagram: @herhouse.forwomenshealth
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Melissa (00:02):
It's Her House built for women's health, and we're
talking about innovations thatare shaping the future of
women's health care, answeringunder research topics, and at
the end of the day, fueling abetter quality of life for
women. I'm Melissa D'Lea, andafter years of frustration,
venting to my mom, and tradinghorror stories with friends, I'm
(00:22):
so excited to see awareness andinvestment actually transforming
how our bodies are understood,how we're diagnosed, and how
women are cared for. In eachepisode, we share stories from
real women like you, your mom,your sister, friends, and we
interview experts who aretackling women's health
challenges head on.
Anonymous (00:44):
I would say this was when I was in my twenties with
some friends, and we were barhopping. And I knew at the I
wasn't really tracking my periodvery well. So I didn't really,
like, anticipate when I wassupposed to get it. I just
usually knew, like, okay. It'sin the beginning of the month,
like, within the first week ortwo, whatever.
So we were all sitting on these,like, bar stools that were made
(01:05):
of, like, tree stumps. And I gotup, and all of a sudden, I
happened to look down, and I hadbled through my jean shorts
right on the tree stump.Couldn't miss it. And because it
was wood, it, like, soaked in.So I couldn't even, like, wipe
it off real quick.
And my two guy friends, thankgod, one of them was, like,
super cool. The other one wasn'teven paying attention. But I
(01:28):
just was like, oh, I gotta gohome. And he was just kinda
like, what's going on? What'shappened?
I'm like, I have to leave. Andthen finally, was like, I just
started my period, and I'mpretty sure it's, like, stained
on the back of my light jeanshorts. And that sucked because
I was basically like, okay,cool. Well, you can pretty much
see it. It's I'm wearing lightjean shorts. So anyway, that was
pretty embarrassing.
Melissa (01:50):
I am obsessed with finding leaders who are
investing their time, money,energy and souls into improving
women's health and lives. Itreally is about improving
quality of life. I don't thinkI'm off the mark in believing
that every woman has had aperiod mishap, at least once in
her life. And if you're a normalhuman being like me, it's more
(02:14):
like many, many times not beingprepared or being surprised by
the occurrence of their period.Again, I think that every one of
you have been in those dreadedsituations.
Maybe being in need of a pad ora tampon made you late. Or maybe
it made you distracted fromwhatever you were doing because
you were dreading looking downat your seat or you were just
(02:36):
worried what other people werethinking. Thankfully, there's
been a successful campaign forbroader access to menstrual
products over the last decade.There are many different
approaches as to how this needis being addressed, and there
are incredible companies,nonprofits, advocacy groups
educating the world as to whyproviding menstrual products
(02:57):
equates to the exact samebenefits as providing toilet
paper. It's hygienic.
It's efficient. It's honestlyrespectful. Jennifer Severns is
one of the leaders pushing forgreater access to period
products and thinking outsidethe box so that menstruating
girls and women of all agesdon't have to worry about being
(03:18):
stuck in a bloody situation. Herteam at Egalpads has developed a
shame free period product thathangs right in the bathroom
stall. It's literally one ofthose inventions that feels like
a no brainer and can really makethings easier for so many women.
Jennifer, it is so nice to talkto you, and I'm really excited
(03:39):
for you to share your passiontoday with our listeners. Maybe
I'll just ask you, who are youand really what spurred your
work in menstrual education andperiod products?
Jennifer (03:50):
Yeah. Thank you so much for having me. I really
appreciate it. You know, I wasthinking about this last night,
and I was like, how was I kindof introduced into menstruation?
I was raised Catholic.
And when I was in class infourth grade, I was just curious
and I raised my hand. And I hada simple question of, Why can't
(04:11):
women be priests? And myteacher, who was a woman, she
said to me, Because women bleedonce a month and it's unclean,
and we don't want them on thealtar because the altar is
supposed to be Christ like. AndI just sat there mortified,
fourth grade, but she didn'tstop. She goes, and she goes,
(04:33):
when you do get your period,you're gonna have a lot of pain.
And that's because everyone issuffering because of Eve's sin,
the original sin. And I thoughtto myself, holy guacamole. Like,
I was like, oh my god. And somost of my life, once I got my
period, it was suffer. Andthat's what you do when you're a
(04:55):
woman.
You just suffer quietly andsmile and try to make it
through. What changed things forme was having a daughter.
Melissa (05:03):
Mhmm.
Jennifer (05:03):
I had a daughter, and she got her period, and she was
in so much pain. She was doubledover. And we I'm like, I'm not
gonna let her go through this. Iwent through this. I'm not gonna
let her.
So we went to the doctor, andthey were like, oh, let's put
her on some birth control andtried all this birth. And we got
to about the two year mark, andshe was in so much pain. She's
(05:27):
like, I can't do this anymore,and she's just crying. So it
took two years of us, like,going in and saying, Hey, this
isn't right. This isn't right.
And when they eventually went infor the scope, she had
endometriosis that had spreadthrough not only her uterine
lining, but through her bowels.And it took two years to get
there. And then I looked and Iwas like, it takes anywhere from
(05:50):
six to ten years for a womanthat's going through this to get
diagnosed with endometriosis.And I'm like, I have got to do
something. I don't know whatit's gonna be, but I wanna make
the world a better place forpeople with periods.
And so that's what I decided todo about seven years ago.
Melissa (06:06):
Well, I guess your teacher was right about the
pain. Unfortunately, left her atthat point. But I'm sorry that
your daughter went through that.And obviously, having you on
here, I'm excited and thankfulthat you're on this mission.
Jennifer (06:18):
Yeah, thank you.
Melissa (06:19):
Would you mind telling us about the mission of ego pads
and what you guys are building?
Jennifer (06:23):
Yeah, absolutely. So we believe that periods are
natural bodily functions andthat period products should be
as available as toilet paper. Sowe created pads on a roll. Looks
just like toilet paper. Thereare 40 pads that are on a roll.
You can put them right next tothe toilet paper if you have one
of those double toilet paperrolls. And we also have a
(06:44):
dispenser. And each of thoserolls are individually wrapped,
I like to say like a Band Aid.So imagine a Band Aid, you pull
it, they last four to six hours.They're not those big old
diapers that you find in some ofthose coin operated
monstrosities.
Just a very simple idea, andthey last four to six hours,
which gets you just enough timeto go back to class or back to
(07:05):
the office and get on with yourday. So
Melissa (07:08):
What are the most ridiculous misconceptions people
have about dealing with yourperiod? I think that the story
that you told about when youwere a little girl, wow, that's
a lot to handle. But, like,there are funny ones too.
Jennifer (07:18):
So as you can imagine, for us to implement a menstrual
equity program in any school oroffice, majority of the people
that we're dealing with infacilities are men. Matter of
fact, there's about seventypercent. Now that's changing,
but currently seventy percentare men, usual middle age, and
they don't want to talk aboutperiods. They don't want to
(07:38):
think about periods. And theonly thing that can really kind
of get them to understand is toput it back to them and say, you
know, hey, maybe you don'tmenstruate, but you love someone
who does.
So whether that's your wife oryour daughter or your niece, go
ask them if they've ever gottentheir period unexpectedly. And I
have never had a Jan San mancome back to me and say, no. My
(08:03):
daughter's like that neverhappened. Instead, it opened up
some really great dialogue.Because I'm gonna tell you, six
out of 10 men believe that womencan hold it in.
They they literally will say tome, well, can't you just hold it
in?
Melissa (08:17):
It's not going it's not going pee.
Jennifer (08:19):
Right? It's not safe.
They cannot. Yeah. So that's acrazy one. There's a lot we've
done some international workrecently, and there's a lot of
stigma out there where, youknow, women are even separated
from the rest of their familybecause they're perceived as
unclean. There's a lot ofcommunities that believe that
you shouldn't go camping becausebears will smell like the blood
(08:43):
or something.
It's like really, reallyingrained that, you know,
menstruating is dirty and it'sunclean. So we have a lot of
work to do to kind of changethat perspective, I believe.
Melissa (08:56):
Yeah. I've read about some of those extreme
communities, and I think some ofit is, know, maybe historically
backed by religion or tradition.But even, you know, in your own
backyard in an American society,schools and environments,
younger girls that maybe youwouldn't think of are also
dealing with those types of,wouldn't say, as extreme
(09:18):
stigmas, but challenges.
Jennifer (09:20):
Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. I mean, twenty six
percent of girls will leaveschool or not go to school
because they don't haveproducts. And that's
heartbreaking. We've also seenin sports, think about all of
our amazing, beautiful, stronggirls out there on the soccer
fields and such.
One out of three of those girlswill quit sports in middle
(09:42):
school due to periods, nothaving what they need, feeling
embarrassed. You know, justearlier, we were talking, and I
said, I think every coach shouldhave a pad in their first aid
kit just in case. And I thinkthat should be a best practice.
We're not there yet, buthopefully, we're gonna get
there. And quitting sports is somuch more than just physical
exercise, as a reminder.
You know, sports scholarshipsand all of the confidence and
(10:05):
the team building and thefriends that you make through
sports, quitting over somethingthat, again, is uncontrollable
and solvable. Yeah, absolutely.And, you know, I'm very inspired
by the WNBA. They had thebiggest increase in fans for
2024. 17,000,000 people becamefans.
And I see that, and I'm reallyhopeful that some of those
(10:27):
leaders out there in sports,women's sports, will take this
on and say, hey, this needs tobe a part of when girls are
growing up, and we wanna keepthem in sports and keep them in
school so they have the sameopportunities.
Melissa (10:40):
I love that. Let's go back to EGAL again specifically.
How does it work? What types oflocations will people start to
see the pads on a roll? Which isthe slogan, pads on a roll,
which in my opinion is one ofthose things that it made me
think like, why did this notexist before?
So, again, where will people seeit, and how did the design come
about?
Jennifer (10:59):
Yeah. Yeah. And it's really different. Right? Like,
we're used to these big, bulky,if you're lucky, big, bulky
machines in the bathroom, andsometimes they require quarters.
And who has quarters? I have twoteenagers, and they're like,
yeah. No. They're they're notcarrying quarters. I can tell
you that right now.
And so our product set, youknow, can fit right there next
to the toilet paper. We havedispensers. And we first kind of
(11:22):
started leaning in with schools.There are mandates for schools,
but we're seeing a lot ofbusinesses also lean in and
realize this is a necessity. Andso you'll be seeing us in
airports.
Shout out to Ronnette Hackett,who is the facilities director,
a woman facilities director atDenver Airport. She and her team
(11:44):
champion this, so it would be inevery stall for privacy,
dignity, and accessibility. Soif you wanna check us out,
definitely check us out there.And then we're starting to see
stadiums. You think about yourexperience in a stadium.
You're paying $200 a ticket,sometimes more. If you're in a
suite, it's even more than that.And there's no period products.
They literally have a sign onthe wall that says, Need
(12:06):
feminine hygiene products? Go toguest services.
There's no arrows. There'snothing. Don't you know,
wouldn't you rather them beinglying, buying merch or a beer
than searching for a tampon or apad? It doesn't make sense.
There's also a 50% increase in,you know, women attending pro
sports.
Thank you, Taylor Swift. So youwant to take care of those
(12:28):
people. So we're seeing a lot oftraction, a lot of different
places. You know, schools arestill our main focus and
colleges, but definitelyinspired by a lot of the younger
women out there saying, Hey, no,we need something better.
Melissa (12:40):
I'm a huge sports fan, so I can totally relate. And I
think that most of our listenerscan also relate. If you're a
woman, you know this. You're inthe public restroom, whether
it's a sports event or a concertor a club or a state fair,
anything, and like, Does anybodyhere have a tampon? Right?
This is happening through justwomen being generous with each
(13:00):
other.
Jennifer (13:01):
Yep. That's where you realize, oops, I for the most
part, oops, I just got myperiod. It should be right
there. You shouldn't have toyell over, and we've all done
this, you know. Hey.
Hey. Does anybody have you know?Or are you supposed to pull your
clothes back on, go out andfight with some machine if
you're lucky? And if there'slong lines, like, how it's just
(13:21):
a horrible experience.
Melissa (13:22):
Or I have to go home. I have to leave the work meeting.
I have to leave the concert. Ihave to miss the ninth inning or
the end of the
Jennifer (13:31):
game because my pants are bloody. This doesn't make
sense. So we believe it shouldbe in the stall and available as
toilet paper. Like, what we'rereally about.
Melissa (13:41):
Are there other things that organizations are taking
into account? Like, if you werea business and you're thinking
about providing this. Obviously,are different scales. Stadium's
probably on the bigger end, butother small businesses.
Jennifer (13:52):
Yeah. Absolutely. So when I think about just about
any place, but a lot ofbusinesses like to say, okay. Is
this going to help withproductivity? Yes.
It is. Eight out of ten women,when they're at work, get their
period accidentally. If theydon't have something, just like
you said earlier, ninety sixpercent of those women will
leave work. Think if you're in afactory. You're in the middle of
(14:12):
nowhere.
That is going to cost thebusiness. So sometimes if you
have to put it in that kind ofcontext as well, do you want
these people leaving, thenthey're not producing, therefore
it equals money, so on and soforth. So sometimes you have to,
if, you know, it's not just it'sthe right thing to do, but
sometimes you have to put it inbusiness terms as well. And it's
(14:33):
different for each industry.
Melissa (14:35):
That is such a good point, that being in a remote
area or being in an environmentthat's not a traditional office
setting makes just as much senseto have those products
available.
Jennifer (14:44):
Absolutely. And I, you know, I want to figure we
haven't figured out a way yet,but I want to figure out a way
to get into hospitals. You thinkabout you go to a hospital,
you're stressed, and a lot oftimes, that stress does bring on
your period unexpectedly. Samething with travel and airports.
And I wanna take care of thenurses.
Think about they're on theirfeet. It should be in their
(15:06):
bathrooms. It should be rightthere. They should and a lot of
those nurses, because they're sodedicated, they'll just bleed
through their pants, and they'relike, it is what it is. Like,
it's we we just need to change.
We need to change the way thatwe're going. And I think it'll
come. It's just not as quicklyas we'd like. Nurses are the
toughest people ever.
Melissa (15:22):
They are. I know. I think I've heard nurses say
similar things along like, it iswhat it is. Like, oh, I'm one
hundred and twenty pounds. I'mgoing to carry this three
hundred pound patient. Like,what? Yeah. While you have blood
running down your leg.
Jennifer (15:33):
Right? It's a it's yeah. It's amazing.
Melissa (15:36):
What are the positives that you guys are seeing with
ego once it's in the place wherewomen can access it
conveniently?
Jennifer (15:42):
Yeah. So, you know, going back to a lot of people
just don't understand that it isproblem, right, the people in
charge and men. One of thethings that we do is we provide
a QR code sticker. And I'm thedispenser? Correct.
Okay. And so everybody has theirphone. It's a very captive
audience in the in the stall.And, at first, was like, you
(16:02):
know, who's gonna do this?Right?
Like, who's gonna scan a QR codewhen you're sitting on the
toilet? And it turns out a lot alot of people, like hundreds, if
not thousands a day. And they'relike, thank god this was here. I
thought I was gonna have to callmy dad. I was in the middle of a
test.
Or you get, you know, my flightwas canceled, and, you know, the
sign says go to Hudson News.Well, Hudson News is closed, and
(16:23):
thank God this was here. And,you know, just those stories
that you collect. And thenyou're able to take that up to
the decision makers and say,hey, you know, wake up. This is
a real issue and a real problem,and this is solving that issue.
So, you know, more and morewomen, you know, like what
you're trying to do, using yourvoice and not just being that
(16:43):
quiet person like I was growingup, you know, just suffer and
smile through it, but literallyusing your voice and having your
voice heard is so important.
Melissa (16:52):
I agree with that. And there is nothing for you to feel
wrong or bad that you did whenyou were younger. Like, you are
because of your generation andthe work that you're doing, it's
making it better for the next,and that will continue to
snowball. That's another thingthat we wanna do on the show, is
have a conversation, have thesetopics, not be taboo mean, you
even mentioned feminine hygieneproducts. We could probably dig
(17:14):
into that terminology for thirtyminutes.
Yeah.
Jennifer (17:17):
It makes it sound so gross.
Melissa (17:18):
There's nothing wrong with saying that. Period.
Period. There's nothing wrongwith That's tradition. Right.
Yes. Exactly. Switching gears alittle bit back to the product.
I've personally become a bitmore aware of sustainability
challenges around plastic andnondisposable products. I I
think we've all seen the signsin the stall.
(17:40):
These aren't flushable. Don'tclog the pipes. How is EGAL
thinking about that, and what'son the horizon?
Jennifer (17:46):
So we're constantly, you know, gathering feedback
from our customers, and there'sa huge push in The UK and
Europe, as an example, aroundsustainability. And we have
taken our pad, and the outsideof the pad, the wrapper, is now
paper, and it's completelybiodegradable. All of our
packaging is a lot less. We'reone of the most sustainable
(18:07):
products out there. And then theinside, you'll hear a lot of
talk about organic, organic,organic.
I just ask people to look intothat. We are actually using
sugarcane waste, so plant waste,to build our pads. We wanted to
test them in The UK and Europebecause there's regulations
there demand it, and it's thesame quality. It lasts the four
to six hours. It has thecomfort.
(18:28):
So now we're going to bebringing it to The States. We
did look into a flushable padwith a company that's working on
it in The U. K, and it is notwhere it needs to be. Not only
that, but when I think aboutthat, yes, that's the ultimate
goal. Every pipe system in everybuilding is different.
There's different regulations.And so we do still want to stay
(18:48):
away from flushable, but we'reconsistently listening and
trying to make things more andmore sustainable in how we
manufacture. So we're moving inthe right direction and pretty
quickly.
Melissa (18:58):
I guess that's just something else for people who
are implementing these types ofproducts to keep in mind. You
know, how can you put the trashcan in a convenient place? How
can you just make sure thatyou're looking big picture?
Jennifer (19:09):
Absolutely. There's a lot of really great disposal
solutions that are coming out.There's one called Santopod,
completely touchless, very tinyand small. So we wanna quickly
get into the market. Right?
So when you think about afacilities manager, they go in,
they have to make sure there'stoilet paper, they can make sure
there's pads on a roll at thesame time. And then having a
disposal unit that's completelytouchless and easy to get rid of
(19:33):
the product makes a lot ofsense. Most of us, there's
nothing in the stall or there'ssome kind of creepy, I don't
know, box at the bottom, youknow, that's rusted out, I think
you know. So but there's somereally innovative products like
SantaPod out there that arereally trying to make a
difference with that.
Melissa (19:49):
Again, making people more comfortable and more
accessible. Yeah. So there'sbeen a lot of work to get here.
Groundwork, again, it's acombination of companies and
organizations.
Jennifer (20:01):
Lawmakers, as you mentioned, have also been a part
of the conversation. What is thelatest? So really excited that
there's over 28 schools thathave mandated that period
products need to be provided toK-twelve schools. We're seeing
colleges and universities alsofollow suit. But what we're
(20:21):
finding is if places cannot getit passed at the state level
Texas then the cities arepassing it, right?
And so city of Dallas, city ofSan Antonio, city of El Paso,
they've passed legislation fortheir public places. So for the
workplaces and rec centers andstuff like this, which is
(20:43):
amazing. So people are findingways around this whole, you
know, we're not we don't want tohelp people kind of thing. And
then recently, Washington State,very quietly, passed legislation
where work sites have to makeperiod products available. And I
think that's kind of coming offof Canada, who did the same.
So we're seeing other stateslike New York and Oregon and
(21:06):
California also talk about thislegislation. And so one of the
newest things that we formed isa partnership with a company
named Satellite, and they arethe largest manufacturer of
porta potties. And so oursolution really made sense since
it's so compact and everything.And then thinking about it, they
also provide, you know, theporta potties for concerts and,
(21:30):
you know, Coachella and evenNASCAR. And we're like, wow,
this could really help get thatword out, and we're hoping to
come up with some way tointeract with it.
Melissa (21:41):
Porta potties make a lot of sense. Could also imagine
parks on an as needed basis.Yeah. And with it being on a
roll, is there less servicingneeded? I guess it would just
follow the same servicing astoilet paper roll.
Jennifer (21:52):
Exactly. Exactly. So that makes it easier for the
facilities person instead ofhaving to take apart a machine
and fill the machine. And sohaving it on a roll, they have
to make sure there's toiletpaper. They make sure that pads
on a roll are there at the sametime.
Melissa (22:07):
So you've been in this business for a few years. I'd
love to just know what keeps youmotivated about this particular
mission.
Jennifer (22:13):
Yeah, absolutely. So I love to see the change. I love
to see the fact that I have ateenage boy who could openly
talk about periods and is in ashit Like, he's talking about it
with friends or, you know, Hey,do you need something? And just
like there's just a lot of boysand men, I think, that are kind
(22:33):
of changing their perspective.And I love to see that.
I love to see these, you know,men and boys actually supporting
women. We need more of it. Andthen seeing the young people
using their voices, have anadvocacy program at EGAL called
the Role Model Program. And sothese students, they take on, We
(22:53):
need to put this in place forthe next generation of girls. We
need to have this here.
And so they literally cometogether and form their own
little coalition, and theychampion it up to the parents
and up to the administration.And it's just fun to support
them in that mission. So thatkeeps me going. I see the
change. I see the good.
Melissa (23:12):
So many lessons for those students to learn in
taking on something and evenjust understanding the supply
chain or the maintenance or allthe things that are related to
getting something like this inplace and then the benefits that
come from it. Marketing,advertising.
Jennifer (23:29):
. Absolutely. So, it's very exciting.
It's an exciting time. I loveseeing these new facilities
managers. A lot more of them arefemale. So, there's going to
continue to be change therebecause they get it. We have the
Albuquerque Zoo and Anna.
She's a facilities director, andshe is championing to have pads
(23:49):
on a roll in all stalls,including the men's stall. And
so there was a lot of pushbackat first, but I went in and was
talking to them and, you know,these big burly guys with
tattoos on their necks. And andthey're like, I don't wanna put
these in. People are just gonnaflush them, and I'm gonna have
to deal with the plumbing. Andand, you know, I asked one of
(24:10):
the gentlemen.
I said, hey. You know, do youhave daughters? And he's like, I
have five. And I was like, areone of your daughters in the
third or fourth grade? And he'slike, yeah.
Do you bring her to the zoo? Andhe's like, yeah. All the time.
By yourself? Yep.
And I was like, okay. Did youknow that girls are getting
their periods in third andfourth grade now? And he's like,
what? I was like, yeah. I said,you bring her here, and she
(24:31):
starts a period.
What are you gonna do? You gonnaleave? And he was like, oh, wow.
And it just kinda brought itback in for him, and it made it
personal. And then all of asudden, he was like, okay.
Now I kind of see. I see thisvision. But it's it's how do you
connect that? And then unlessthey can put it into personal
terms, it's almost like there'sstill this, you know, meh. You
(24:51):
know?
That's actually such a goodpoint because I genuinely don't
believe men who are saying thisisn't necessary. They're not
being malicious. It's just theydon't have the knowledge. They
don't have the experience. It's,to our point, over the past
thirty minutes, not talkedabout.
Melissa (25:04):
Yep. I also really strongly believe, and one of the
reasons I'm doing this show, isto encourage and really just
support women to say, it's okayto talk about it. And if you're
dealing with something I mean,we're talking about menstruation
right now, but there are many,many topics. We now live in a
world where you can access a lotof information, and talking of
it amongst your friends, yourfamily, it's a positive thing.
Jennifer (25:25):
Yeah, absolutely. Having those open conversations,
so important. More and more ofit is needed. And it's gonna
lead to empathy, and it's gonnalead to making the world a
better place.
Melissa (25:35):
It's going to lead to inventions. Like ego.
Absolutely. Well, first off,thank you. This is so much fun.
I feel like we could keeptalking forever. Absolutely. And
I'm sure we will. My closing askis for you to give a shout out
to another leader who isinnovating for the betterment of
women's health.
Jennifer (25:53):
Yeah, absolutely. There is somebody who really
inspires me. Her name is DianaNelson, and she is the global
director for Days for Girls. Andwhat they do is they remove any
stigma or limitations associatedwith menstruation for girls.
They've helped over 4,000,000girls.
And not just that. She wentahead and created something
(26:15):
called the Period PositiveWorkplace, in which workplaces
can become certified that theyare providing products for their
menstruators. So she's been areal inspiration. Organizations
are taking a look at this, notonly because, yes, it'll help
with productivity and keeppeople at work, but also because
it's the right thing to do.Thank you.
(26:37):
I'll definitely have to lookinto it. .
Melissa (26:39):
And if people want to get in touch with you or follow
EGAL, what's the best way to doso?
Jennifer (26:44):
Yep. Padsonaroll.com or
Melissa (26:46):
That's easy.
Jennifer (26:46):
Yep. Padsonaroll.com or jen@padsonaroll.com. Feel
free to reach out to me too. Anyquestions.
Melissa (26:53):
Thank you so much, Jen. This was a really great time,
and I know we're gonna keeptalking about so many other
subjects.
Jennifer (26:58):
Yeah. Can't wait. Thank you so much.
Melissa (27:02):
Thanks for listening, and I hope you're able to share
this podcast and what youlearned with others who care
about women's health. Whenever Iget frustrated about health
concern or struggle, I alwaysremind myself that I have more
information than my mother didand way more than my
grandmother's. These innovationsare so important and we can't
stop talking about them becausethose conversations result in
(27:25):
progress for generations tocome. I'd also really love to
hear your stories. The storiesthat end in hallelujah and the
bombers.
You can leave a voice message bygoing to her -house.com and
clicking your stories. Again,that's her, the dash symbol,
house.com and your stories.Everything is a 100% anonymous
(27:47):
and always will be. I wanna hearabout your period, your doctor's
visits, your PCOS, pregnancy,giving birth, what happens after
birth, being postpartum, raisingyour daughters, caring for your
mothers. I want to hear aboutsexual health, mental health,
weird symptoms, your immunesystem, and seriously any
differences that you recognizebetween women and men, because
(28:10):
we are different down to thechromosomes that encode the
entire maps of our bodies.
People are researching thesetopics and we're going to find
them.
It's Her House built for women's health, and we're
talking about innovations thatare shaping the future of
women's health care, answeringunder research topics, and at
the end of the day, fueling abetter quality of life for
women. I'm Melissa D'Lea, andafter years of frustration,
venting to my mom, and tradinghorror stories with friends, I'm
(00:22):
so excited to see awareness andinvestment actually transforming
how our bodies are understood,how we're diagnosed, and how
women are cared for. In eachepisode, we share stories from
real women like you, your mom,your sister, friends, and we
interview experts who aretackling women's health
challenges head on.
Anonymous (00:44):
I would say this was when I was in my twenties with
some friends, and we were barhopping. And I knew at the I
wasn't really tracking my periodvery well. So I didn't really,
like, anticipate when I wassupposed to get it. I just
usually knew, like, okay. It'sin the beginning of the month,
like, within the first week ortwo, whatever.
So we were all sitting on these,like, bar stools that were made
(01:05):
of, like, tree stumps. And I gotup, and all of a sudden, I
happened to look down, and I hadbled through my jean shorts
right on the tree stump.Couldn't miss it. And because it
was wood, it, like, soaked in.So I couldn't even, like, wipe
it off real quick.
And my two guy friends, thankgod, one of them was, like,
super cool. The other one wasn'teven paying attention. But I
(01:28):
just was like, oh, I gotta gohome. And he was just kinda
like, what's going on? What'shappened?
I'm like, I have to leave. Andthen finally, was like, I just
started my period, and I'mpretty sure it's, like, stained
on the back of my light jeanshorts. And that sucked because
I was basically like, okay,cool. Well, you can pretty much
see it. It's I'm wearing lightjean shorts. So anyway, that was
pretty embarrassing.
Melissa (01:50):
I am obsessed with finding leaders who are
investing their time, money,energy and souls into improving
women's health and lives. Itreally is about improving
quality of life. I don't thinkI'm off the mark in believing
that every woman has had aperiod mishap, at least once in
her life. And if you're a normalhuman being like me, it's more
(02:14):
like many, many times not beingprepared or being surprised by
the occurrence of their period.Again, I think that every one of
you have been in those dreadedsituations.
Maybe being in need of a pad ora tampon made you late. Or maybe
it made you distracted fromwhatever you were doing because
you were dreading looking downat your seat or you were just
(02:36):
worried what other people werethinking. Thankfully, there's
been a successful campaign forbroader access to menstrual
products over the last decade.There are many different
approaches as to how this needis being addressed, and there
are incredible companies,nonprofits, advocacy groups
educating the world as to whyproviding menstrual products
(02:57):
equates to the exact samebenefits as providing toilet
paper. It's hygienic.
It's efficient. It's honestlyrespectful. Jennifer Severns is
one of the leaders pushing forgreater access to period
products and thinking outsidethe box so that menstruating
girls and women of all agesdon't have to worry about being
(03:18):
stuck in a bloody situation. Herteam at Egalpads has developed a
shame free period product thathangs right in the bathroom
stall. It's literally one ofthose inventions that feels like
a no brainer and can really makethings easier for so many women.
Jennifer, it is so nice to talkto you, and I'm really excited
(03:39):
for you to share your passiontoday with our listeners. Maybe
I'll just ask you, who are youand really what spurred your
work in menstrual education andperiod products?
Jennifer (03:50):
Yeah. Thank you so much for having me. I really
appreciate it. You know, I wasthinking about this last night,
and I was like, how was I kindof introduced into menstruation?
I was raised Catholic.
And when I was in class infourth grade, I was just curious
and I raised my hand. And I hada simple question of, Why can't
(04:11):
women be priests? And myteacher, who was a woman, she
said to me, Because women bleedonce a month and it's unclean,
and we don't want them on thealtar because the altar is
supposed to be Christ like. AndI just sat there mortified,
fourth grade, but she didn'tstop. She goes, and she goes,
(04:33):
when you do get your period,you're gonna have a lot of pain.
And that's because everyone issuffering because of Eve's sin,
the original sin. And I thoughtto myself, holy guacamole. Like,
I was like, oh my god. And somost of my life, once I got my
period, it was suffer. Andthat's what you do when you're a
(04:55):
woman.
You just suffer quietly andsmile and try to make it
through. What changed things forme was having a daughter.
Melissa (05:03):
Mhmm.
Jennifer (05:03):
I had a daughter, and she got her period, and she was
in so much pain. She was doubledover. And we I'm like, I'm not
gonna let her go through this. Iwent through this. I'm not gonna
let her.
So we went to the doctor, andthey were like, oh, let's put
her on some birth control andtried all this birth. And we got
to about the two year mark, andshe was in so much pain. She's
(05:27):
like, I can't do this anymore,and she's just crying. So it
took two years of us, like,going in and saying, Hey, this
isn't right. This isn't right.
And when they eventually went infor the scope, she had
endometriosis that had spreadthrough not only her uterine
lining, but through her bowels.And it took two years to get
there. And then I looked and Iwas like, it takes anywhere from
(05:50):
six to ten years for a womanthat's going through this to get
diagnosed with endometriosis.And I'm like, I have got to do
something. I don't know whatit's gonna be, but I wanna make
the world a better place forpeople with periods.
And so that's what I decided todo about seven years ago.
Melissa (06:06):
Well, I guess your teacher was right about the
pain. Unfortunately, left her atthat point. But I'm sorry that
your daughter went through that.And obviously, having you on
here, I'm excited and thankfulthat you're on this mission.
Jennifer (06:18):
Yeah, thank you.
Melissa (06:19):
Would you mind telling us about the mission of ego pads
and what you guys are building?
Jennifer (06:23):
Yeah, absolutely. So we believe that periods are
natural bodily functions andthat period products should be
as available as toilet paper. Sowe created pads on a roll. Looks
just like toilet paper. Thereare 40 pads that are on a roll.
You can put them right next tothe toilet paper if you have one
of those double toilet paperrolls. And we also have a
(06:44):
dispenser. And each of thoserolls are individually wrapped,
I like to say like a Band Aid.So imagine a Band Aid, you pull
it, they last four to six hours.They're not those big old
diapers that you find in some ofthose coin operated
monstrosities.
Just a very simple idea, andthey last four to six hours,
which gets you just enough timeto go back to class or back to
(07:05):
the office and get on with yourday. So
Melissa (07:08):
What are the most ridiculous misconceptions people
have about dealing with yourperiod? I think that the story
that you told about when youwere a little girl, wow, that's
a lot to handle. But, like,there are funny ones too.
Jennifer (07:18):
So as you can imagine, for us to implement a menstrual
equity program in any school oroffice, majority of the people
that we're dealing with infacilities are men. Matter of
fact, there's about seventypercent. Now that's changing,
but currently seventy percentare men, usual middle age, and
they don't want to talk aboutperiods. They don't want to
(07:38):
think about periods. And theonly thing that can really kind
of get them to understand is toput it back to them and say, you
know, hey, maybe you don'tmenstruate, but you love someone
who does.
So whether that's your wife oryour daughter or your niece, go
ask them if they've ever gottentheir period unexpectedly. And I
have never had a Jan San mancome back to me and say, no. My
(08:03):
daughter's like that neverhappened. Instead, it opened up
some really great dialogue.Because I'm gonna tell you, six
out of 10 men believe that womencan hold it in.
They they literally will say tome, well, can't you just hold it
in?
Melissa (08:17):
It's not going it's not going pee.
Jennifer (08:19):
Right? It's not safe.
They cannot. Yeah. So that's acrazy one. There's a lot we've
done some international workrecently, and there's a lot of
stigma out there where, youknow, women are even separated
from the rest of their familybecause they're perceived as
unclean. There's a lot ofcommunities that believe that
you shouldn't go camping becausebears will smell like the blood
(08:43):
or something.
It's like really, reallyingrained that, you know,
menstruating is dirty and it'sunclean. So we have a lot of
work to do to kind of changethat perspective, I believe.
Melissa (08:56):
Yeah. I've read about some of those extreme
communities, and I think some ofit is, know, maybe historically
backed by religion or tradition.But even, you know, in your own
backyard in an American society,schools and environments,
younger girls that maybe youwouldn't think of are also
dealing with those types of,wouldn't say, as extreme
(09:18):
stigmas, but challenges.
Jennifer (09:20):
Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. I mean, twenty six
percent of girls will leaveschool or not go to school
because they don't haveproducts. And that's
heartbreaking. We've also seenin sports, think about all of
our amazing, beautiful, stronggirls out there on the soccer
fields and such.
One out of three of those girlswill quit sports in middle
(09:42):
school due to periods, nothaving what they need, feeling
embarrassed. You know, justearlier, we were talking, and I
said, I think every coach shouldhave a pad in their first aid
kit just in case. And I thinkthat should be a best practice.
We're not there yet, buthopefully, we're gonna get
there. And quitting sports is somuch more than just physical
exercise, as a reminder.
You know, sports scholarshipsand all of the confidence and
(10:05):
the team building and thefriends that you make through
sports, quitting over somethingthat, again, is uncontrollable
and solvable. Yeah, absolutely.And, you know, I'm very inspired
by the WNBA. They had thebiggest increase in fans for
2024. 17,000,000 people becamefans.
And I see that, and I'm reallyhopeful that some of those
(10:27):
leaders out there in sports,women's sports, will take this
on and say, hey, this needs tobe a part of when girls are
growing up, and we wanna keepthem in sports and keep them in
school so they have the sameopportunities.
Melissa (10:40):
I love that. Let's go back to EGAL again specifically.
How does it work? What types oflocations will people start to
see the pads on a roll? Which isthe slogan, pads on a roll,
which in my opinion is one ofthose things that it made me
think like, why did this notexist before?
So, again, where will people seeit, and how did the design come
about?
Jennifer (10:59):
Yeah. Yeah. And it's really different. Right? Like,
we're used to these big, bulky,if you're lucky, big, bulky
machines in the bathroom, andsometimes they require quarters.
And who has quarters? I have twoteenagers, and they're like,
yeah. No. They're they're notcarrying quarters. I can tell
you that right now.
And so our product set, youknow, can fit right there next
to the toilet paper. We havedispensers. And we first kind of
(11:22):
started leaning in with schools.There are mandates for schools,
but we're seeing a lot ofbusinesses also lean in and
realize this is a necessity. Andso you'll be seeing us in
airports.
Shout out to Ronnette Hackett,who is the facilities director,
a woman facilities director atDenver Airport. She and her team
(11:44):
champion this, so it would be inevery stall for privacy,
dignity, and accessibility. Soif you wanna check us out,
definitely check us out there.And then we're starting to see
stadiums. You think about yourexperience in a stadium.
You're paying $200 a ticket,sometimes more. If you're in a
suite, it's even more than that.And there's no period products.
They literally have a sign onthe wall that says, Need
(12:06):
feminine hygiene products? Go toguest services.
There's no arrows. There'snothing. Don't you know,
wouldn't you rather them beinglying, buying merch or a beer
than searching for a tampon or apad? It doesn't make sense.
There's also a 50% increase in,you know, women attending pro
sports.
Thank you, Taylor Swift. So youwant to take care of those
(12:28):
people. So we're seeing a lot oftraction, a lot of different
places. You know, schools arestill our main focus and
colleges, but definitelyinspired by a lot of the younger
women out there saying, Hey, no,we need something better.
Melissa (12:40):
I'm a huge sports fan, so I can totally relate. And I
think that most of our listenerscan also relate. If you're a
woman, you know this. You're inthe public restroom, whether
it's a sports event or a concertor a club or a state fair,
anything, and like, Does anybodyhere have a tampon? Right?
This is happening through justwomen being generous with each
(13:00):
other.
Jennifer (13:01):
Yep. That's where you realize, oops, I for the most
part, oops, I just got myperiod. It should be right
there. You shouldn't have toyell over, and we've all done
this, you know. Hey.
Hey. Does anybody have you know?Or are you supposed to pull your
clothes back on, go out andfight with some machine if
you're lucky? And if there'slong lines, like, how it's just
(13:21):
a horrible experience.
Melissa (13:22):
Or I have to go home. I have to leave the work meeting.
I have to leave the concert. Ihave to miss the ninth inning or
the end of the
Jennifer (13:31):
game because my pants are bloody. This doesn't make
sense. So we believe it shouldbe in the stall and available as
toilet paper. Like, what we'rereally about.
Melissa (13:41):
Are there other things that organizations are taking
into account? Like, if you werea business and you're thinking
about providing this. Obviously,are different scales. Stadium's
probably on the bigger end, butother small businesses.
Jennifer (13:52):
Yeah. Absolutely. So when I think about just about
any place, but a lot ofbusinesses like to say, okay. Is
this going to help withproductivity? Yes.
It is. Eight out of ten women,when they're at work, get their
period accidentally. If theydon't have something, just like
you said earlier, ninety sixpercent of those women will
leave work. Think if you're in afactory. You're in the middle of
(14:12):
nowhere.
That is going to cost thebusiness. So sometimes if you
have to put it in that kind ofcontext as well, do you want
these people leaving, thenthey're not producing, therefore
it equals money, so on and soforth. So sometimes you have to,
if, you know, it's not just it'sthe right thing to do, but
sometimes you have to put it inbusiness terms as well. And it's
(14:33):
different for each industry.
Melissa (14:35):
That is such a good point, that being in a remote
area or being in an environmentthat's not a traditional office
setting makes just as much senseto have those products
available.
Jennifer (14:44):
Absolutely. And I, you know, I want to figure we
haven't figured out a way yet,but I want to figure out a way
to get into hospitals. You thinkabout you go to a hospital,
you're stressed, and a lot oftimes, that stress does bring on
your period unexpectedly. Samething with travel and airports.
And I wanna take care of thenurses.
Think about they're on theirfeet. It should be in their
(15:06):
bathrooms. It should be rightthere. They should and a lot of
those nurses, because they're sodedicated, they'll just bleed
through their pants, and they'relike, it is what it is. Like,
it's we we just need to change.
We need to change the way thatwe're going. And I think it'll
come. It's just not as quicklyas we'd like. Nurses are the
toughest people ever.
Melissa (15:22):
They are. I know. I think I've heard nurses say
similar things along like, it iswhat it is. Like, oh, I'm one
hundred and twenty pounds. I'mgoing to carry this three
hundred pound patient. Like,what? Yeah. While you have blood
running down your leg.
Jennifer (15:33):
Right? It's a it's yeah. It's amazing.
Melissa (15:36):
What are the positives that you guys are seeing with
ego once it's in the place wherewomen can access it
conveniently?
Jennifer (15:42):
Yeah. So, you know, going back to a lot of people
just don't understand that it isproblem, right, the people in
charge and men. One of thethings that we do is we provide
a QR code sticker. And I'm thedispenser? Correct.
Okay. And so everybody has theirphone. It's a very captive
audience in the in the stall.And, at first, was like, you
(16:02):
know, who's gonna do this?Right?
Like, who's gonna scan a QR codewhen you're sitting on the
toilet? And it turns out a lot alot of people, like hundreds, if
not thousands a day. And they'relike, thank god this was here. I
thought I was gonna have to callmy dad. I was in the middle of a
test.
Or you get, you know, my flightwas canceled, and, you know, the
sign says go to Hudson News.Well, Hudson News is closed, and
(16:23):
thank God this was here. And,you know, just those stories
that you collect. And thenyou're able to take that up to
the decision makers and say,hey, you know, wake up. This is
a real issue and a real problem,and this is solving that issue.
So, you know, more and morewomen, you know, like what
you're trying to do, using yourvoice and not just being that
(16:43):
quiet person like I was growingup, you know, just suffer and
smile through it, but literallyusing your voice and having your
voice heard is so important.
Melissa (16:52):
I agree with that. And there is nothing for you to feel
wrong or bad that you did whenyou were younger. Like, you are
because of your generation andthe work that you're doing, it's
making it better for the next,and that will continue to
snowball. That's another thingthat we wanna do on the show, is
have a conversation, have thesetopics, not be taboo mean, you
even mentioned feminine hygieneproducts. We could probably dig
(17:14):
into that terminology for thirtyminutes.
Yeah.
Jennifer (17:17):
It makes it sound so gross.
Melissa (17:18):
There's nothing wrong with saying that. Period.
Period. There's nothing wrongwith That's tradition. Right.
Yes. Exactly. Switching gears alittle bit back to the product.
I've personally become a bitmore aware of sustainability
challenges around plastic andnondisposable products. I I
think we've all seen the signsin the stall.
(17:40):
These aren't flushable. Don'tclog the pipes. How is EGAL
thinking about that, and what'son the horizon?
Jennifer (17:46):
So we're constantly, you know, gathering feedback
from our customers, and there'sa huge push in The UK and
Europe, as an example, aroundsustainability. And we have
taken our pad, and the outsideof the pad, the wrapper, is now
paper, and it's completelybiodegradable. All of our
packaging is a lot less. We'reone of the most sustainable
(18:07):
products out there. And then theinside, you'll hear a lot of
talk about organic, organic,organic.
I just ask people to look intothat. We are actually using
sugarcane waste, so plant waste,to build our pads. We wanted to
test them in The UK and Europebecause there's regulations
there demand it, and it's thesame quality. It lasts the four
to six hours. It has thecomfort.
(18:28):
So now we're going to bebringing it to The States. We
did look into a flushable padwith a company that's working on
it in The U. K, and it is notwhere it needs to be. Not only
that, but when I think aboutthat, yes, that's the ultimate
goal. Every pipe system in everybuilding is different.
There's different regulations.And so we do still want to stay
(18:48):
away from flushable, but we'reconsistently listening and
trying to make things more andmore sustainable in how we
manufacture. So we're moving inthe right direction and pretty
quickly.
Melissa (18:58):
I guess that's just something else for people who
are implementing these types ofproducts to keep in mind. You
know, how can you put the trashcan in a convenient place? How
can you just make sure thatyou're looking big picture?
Jennifer (19:09):
Absolutely. There's a lot of really great disposal
solutions that are coming out.There's one called Santopod,
completely touchless, very tinyand small. So we wanna quickly
get into the market. Right?
So when you think about afacilities manager, they go in,
they have to make sure there'stoilet paper, they can make sure
there's pads on a roll at thesame time. And then having a
disposal unit that's completelytouchless and easy to get rid of
(19:33):
the product makes a lot ofsense. Most of us, there's
nothing in the stall or there'ssome kind of creepy, I don't
know, box at the bottom, youknow, that's rusted out, I think
you know. So but there's somereally innovative products like
SantaPod out there that arereally trying to make a
difference with that.
Melissa (19:49):
Again, making people more comfortable and more
accessible. Yeah. So there'sbeen a lot of work to get here.
Groundwork, again, it's acombination of companies and
organizations.
Jennifer (20:01):
Lawmakers, as you mentioned, have also been a part
of the conversation. What is thelatest? So really excited that
there's over 28 schools thathave mandated that period
products need to be provided toK-twelve schools. We're seeing
colleges and universities alsofollow suit. But what we're
(20:21):
finding is if places cannot getit passed at the state level
Texas then the cities arepassing it, right?
And so city of Dallas, city ofSan Antonio, city of El Paso,
they've passed legislation fortheir public places. So for the
workplaces and rec centers andstuff like this, which is
(20:43):
amazing. So people are findingways around this whole, you
know, we're not we don't want tohelp people kind of thing. And
then recently, Washington State,very quietly, passed legislation
where work sites have to makeperiod products available. And I
think that's kind of coming offof Canada, who did the same.
So we're seeing other stateslike New York and Oregon and
(21:06):
California also talk about thislegislation. And so one of the
newest things that we formed isa partnership with a company
named Satellite, and they arethe largest manufacturer of
porta potties. And so oursolution really made sense since
it's so compact and everything.And then thinking about it, they
also provide, you know, theporta potties for concerts and,
(21:30):
you know, Coachella and evenNASCAR. And we're like, wow,
this could really help get thatword out, and we're hoping to
come up with some way tointeract with it.
Melissa (21:41):
Porta potties make a lot of sense. Could also imagine
parks on an as needed basis.Yeah. And with it being on a
roll, is there less servicingneeded? I guess it would just
follow the same servicing astoilet paper roll.
Jennifer (21:52):
Exactly. Exactly. So that makes it easier for the
facilities person instead ofhaving to take apart a machine
and fill the machine. And sohaving it on a roll, they have
to make sure there's toiletpaper. They make sure that pads
on a roll are there at the sametime.
Melissa (22:07):
So you've been in this business for a few years. I'd
love to just know what keeps youmotivated about this particular
mission.
Jennifer (22:13):
Yeah, absolutely. So I love to see the change. I love
to see the fact that I have ateenage boy who could openly
talk about periods and is in ashit Like, he's talking about it
with friends or, you know, Hey,do you need something? And just
like there's just a lot of boysand men, I think, that are kind
(22:33):
of changing their perspective.And I love to see that.
I love to see these, you know,men and boys actually supporting
women. We need more of it. Andthen seeing the young people
using their voices, have anadvocacy program at EGAL called
the Role Model Program. And sothese students, they take on, We
(22:53):
need to put this in place forthe next generation of girls. We
need to have this here.
And so they literally cometogether and form their own
little coalition, and theychampion it up to the parents
and up to the administration.And it's just fun to support
them in that mission. So thatkeeps me going. I see the
change. I see the good.
Melissa (23:12):
So many lessons for those students to learn in
taking on something and evenjust understanding the supply
chain or the maintenance or allthe things that are related to
getting something like this inplace and then the benefits that
come from it. Marketing,advertising.
Jennifer (23:29):
. Absolutely. So, it's very exciting.
It's an exciting time. I loveseeing these new facilities
managers. A lot more of them arefemale. So, there's going to
continue to be change therebecause they get it. We have the
Albuquerque Zoo and Anna.
She's a facilities director, andshe is championing to have pads
(23:49):
on a roll in all stalls,including the men's stall. And
so there was a lot of pushbackat first, but I went in and was
talking to them and, you know,these big burly guys with
tattoos on their necks. And andthey're like, I don't wanna put
these in. People are just gonnaflush them, and I'm gonna have
to deal with the plumbing. Andand, you know, I asked one of
(24:10):
the gentlemen.
I said, hey. You know, do youhave daughters? And he's like, I
have five. And I was like, areone of your daughters in the
third or fourth grade? And he'slike, yeah.
Do you bring her to the zoo? Andhe's like, yeah. All the time.
By yourself? Yep.
And I was like, okay. Did youknow that girls are getting
their periods in third andfourth grade now? And he's like,
what? I was like, yeah. I said,you bring her here, and she
(24:31):
starts a period.
What are you gonna do? You gonnaleave? And he was like, oh, wow.
And it just kinda brought itback in for him, and it made it
personal. And then all of asudden, he was like, okay.
Now I kind of see. I see thisvision. But it's it's how do you
connect that? And then unlessthey can put it into personal
terms, it's almost like there'sstill this, you know, meh. You
(24:51):
know?
That's actually such a goodpoint because I genuinely don't
believe men who are saying thisisn't necessary. They're not
being malicious. It's just theydon't have the knowledge. They
don't have the experience. It's,to our point, over the past
thirty minutes, not talkedabout.
Melissa (25:04):
Yep. I also really strongly believe, and one of the
reasons I'm doing this show, isto encourage and really just
support women to say, it's okayto talk about it. And if you're
dealing with something I mean,we're talking about menstruation
right now, but there are many,many topics. We now live in a
world where you can access a lotof information, and talking of
it amongst your friends, yourfamily, it's a positive thing.
Jennifer (25:25):
Yeah, absolutely. Having those open conversations,
so important. More and more ofit is needed. And it's gonna
lead to empathy, and it's gonnalead to making the world a
better place.
Melissa (25:35):
It's going to lead to inventions. Like ego.
Absolutely. Well, first off,thank you. This is so much fun.
I feel like we could keeptalking forever. Absolutely. And
I'm sure we will. My closing askis for you to give a shout out
to another leader who isinnovating for the betterment of
women's health.
Jennifer (25:53):
Yeah, absolutely. There is somebody who really
inspires me. Her name is DianaNelson, and she is the global
director for Days for Girls. Andwhat they do is they remove any
stigma or limitations associatedwith menstruation for girls.
They've helped over 4,000,000girls.
And not just that. She wentahead and created something
(26:15):
called the Period PositiveWorkplace, in which workplaces
can become certified that theyare providing products for their
menstruators. So she's been areal inspiration. Organizations
are taking a look at this, notonly because, yes, it'll help
with productivity and keeppeople at work, but also because
it's the right thing to do.Thank you.
(26:37):
I'll definitely have to lookinto it. .
Melissa (26:39):
And if people want to get in touch with you or follow
EGAL, what's the best way to doso?
Jennifer (26:44):
Yep. Padsonaroll.com or
Melissa (26:46):
That's easy.
Jennifer (26:46):
Yep. Padsonaroll.com or jen@padsonaroll.com. Feel
free to reach out to me too. Anyquestions.
Melissa (26:53):
Thank you so much, Jen. This was a really great time,
and I know we're gonna keeptalking about so many other
subjects.
Jennifer (26:58):
Yeah. Can't wait. Thank you so much.
Melissa (27:02):
Thanks for listening, and I hope you're able to share
this podcast and what youlearned with others who care
about women's health. Whenever Iget frustrated about health
concern or struggle, I alwaysremind myself that I have more
information than my mother didand way more than my
grandmother's. These innovationsare so important and we can't
stop talking about them becausethose conversations result in
(27:25):
progress for generations tocome. I'd also really love to
hear your stories. The storiesthat end in hallelujah and the
bombers.
You can leave a voice message bygoing to her -house.com and
clicking your stories. Again,that's her, the dash symbol,
house.com and your stories.Everything is a 100% anonymous
(27:47):
and always will be. I wanna hearabout your period, your doctor's
visits, your PCOS, pregnancy,giving birth, what happens after
birth, being postpartum, raisingyour daughters, caring for your
mothers. I want to hear aboutsexual health, mental health,
weird symptoms, your immunesystem, and seriously any
differences that you recognizebetween women and men, because
(28:10):
we are different down to thechromosomes that encode the
entire maps of our bodies.
People are researching thesetopics and we're going to find
them.
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