I am femtech entrepreneur who loves to travel, experience new cultures, food and people. I recently moved back to Seattle after London and backpacking the world 6 months ago and am all about people getting in touch with their humanity, themselves and having an equal opportunity at life—particularly through period equity.
Tell us about your first period. Were you excited? Freaked out?
If I remember correctly, I was 11 years old and saw a little brown spot when I went to the bathroom after school. I was definitely perplexed because I wasn't sure what that meant and had to embarrassingly ask my Asian mother to take a look at my underwear to verify (she used to be a nurse). I remember that even though we had sex ed class to provide us the theory at school, I still had a lot to figure out what having a period meant for me.
What was your period like when you were in high school (pain, etc)?
I was always very sporty so that kept them relatively short 3-4 days and only felt a bit of tugging around my ovaries right before I would have my period. It was only as I got older, my periods got longer and then it became more of a hassle, particularly as I travelled a lot for work up to a handful of countries a week during my 20s and early 30s. With longer periods also came more intense period pain where there are times I have to take medication. As I grew up in a homeopathic household, any western medication has a strong effect on my body.
Have you struggled with fertility?
Unknown at this point in time. I have had regular periods every 28 days for exactly one week. I have not thought of fertility as I have not sought to have children yet.
Anything you wish you knew 10 years ago?
- That every period you have each month can be different from one to the next.
- There is no such thing as "normal"
- It's the first physical condition that can take someone out of "living their life" to "being on the sidelines and observing life" instead
- There is no one with all the period answers as information/research with womxn has been limited historically
- Every human being exists because of the cycle, there should be no shame in it
Catch up with Rachael and her team at Project Untaboo and on instagram @projectuntaboo_ where they are creating a more equitable world by de-stigmatizing and normalizing periods.
