I would say this was when I was in my twenties with some friends, and we were bar hopping. And I knew at the I wasn't really tracking my period very well. So I didn't really, like, anticipate when I was supposed to get it. I just usually knew, like, okay, it's in the beginning of the month, like, within the first week or two, whatever. So we were all sitting on these, like, bar stools that were made of, like, tree stumps.
Anonymous:And I got up, and all of a sudden, I happened to look down, and I had bled 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, thank God, one of them was like super cool. The other one wasn't even paying attention. But I just was like, oh, I gotta go home. And he was just kinda like, what's going on? What's happened? I'm like, I have to leave.
Anonymous:And then finally, was like, I just started my period, and I'm pretty sure it's, like, stained on the back of my light jean shorts. And that sucked because I was basically like, okay, cool. Well, you can pretty much see it. It's I'm wearing light jean shorts. So anyway, that was pretty embarrassing.
Melissa:I am obsessed with finding leaders who are investing their time, money, energy and souls into improving women's health and lives. It really is about improving quality of life. I don't think I'm off the mark in believing that every woman has had a period mishap, at least once in her life. And if you're a normal human being like me, it's more like many, many times not being prepared or being surprised by the occurrence of their period. Again, I think that every one of you have been in those dreaded situations.
Melissa:Maybe being in need of a pad or a tampon made you late. Or maybe it made you distracted from whatever you were doing because you were dreading looking down at your seat or you were just worried what other people were thinking. Thankfully, there's been a successful campaign for broader access to menstrual products over the last decade. There are many different approaches as to how this need is being addressed, and there are incredible companies, nonprofits, advocacy groups educating the world as to why providing menstrual products equates to the exact same benefits as providing toilet paper. It's hygienic.
Melissa:It's efficient. It's honestly respectful. Jennifer Severins is one of the leaders pushing for greater access to period products and thinking outside the box so that menstruating girls and women of all ages don't have to worry about being stuck in a bloody situation. Her team at Egelpads has developed a shame free period product that hangs right in the bathroom stall. It's literally one of those inventions that feels like a no brainer and can really make things easier for so many women.
Melissa:Jennifer, it is so nice to talk to you, and I'm really excited for you to share your passion today with our listeners. Maybe I'll just ask you, who are you and really what spurred your work in menstrual education and period products?
Jennifer:Yeah. Thank you so much for having me. I really appreciate it. You know, I was thinking about this last night, and I was like, how was I kind of introduced into menstruation? I was raised Catholic.
Jennifer:And when I was in class in fourth grade, I was just curious and I raised my hand. And I had a simple question of, Why can't women be priests? And my teacher, who was a woman, she said to me, because women bleed once a month and it's unclean, and we don't want them on the altar because the altar is supposed to be Christ like. And I just sat there mortified, fourth grade, but she didn't stop. She goes, and she goes, when you do get your period, you're gonna have a lot of pain, and that's because everyone is suffering because of Eve's sin, the original sin. And I thought to myself, holy guacamole. Like, I was like, oh my god. And so most of my life, once I got my period, it was suffer. And that's what you do when you're a woman. You just suffer quietly and smile and try to make it through.
Jennifer:What changed things for me was having a daughter. Mhmm. I had a daughter, and she got her period, and she was in so much pain. She was doubled over. And we I'm like, I'm not gonna let her go through this. I went through this. I'm not gonna let her. So we went to the doctor, and they were like, Oh, let's put her on some birth control and tried all this birth And we got to about the two year mark, and she was in so much pain, she's 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.
Jennifer:And when they eventually went in for the scope, she had endometriosis that had spread through not only her uterine lining, but through her bowels. And it took two years to get there. And then I looked and I was like, it takes anywhere from six to ten years for a woman that's going through this to get diagnosed with endometriosis. And I'm like, I have got to do something. I don't know what it's gonna be, but I wanna make the world a better place for people with periods. And so that's what I decided to do about seven years ago.
Melissa:Well, I guess your teacher was right about the pain. Unfortunately, she left her at that point. But I'm sorry that your daughter went through that. And obviously, having you on here, I'm excited and thankful that you're on this mission. Yeah.
Melissa:Thank you. Would you mind telling us about the mission of Egal Pad and what you guys are building? Yeah, absolutely.
Jennifer:So we believe that periods are natural bodily functions, and that period products should be as available as toilet paper. So we created pads on a roll. Looks just like toilet paper.
Jennifer:There are 40 pads that are on a roll. You can put them right next to the toilet paper if you have one of those double toilet paper rolls. And we also have a dispenser. And each of those rolls 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.
Jennifer:They're not those big old diapers that you find in some of those coin operated monstrosities. Just a very simple idea, and they last four to six hours, which gets you just enough time to go back to class or back to the office and get on with your day.
Melissa:So What are the most ridiculous misconceptions people have about dealing with your period? I think that the story that you told about when you were a little girl, wow, that's a lot to handle. But, like, there are funny ones, too.
Jennifer:So as you can imagine, for us to implement a menstrual equity program in any school or office, majority of the people that we're dealing with in facilities are men. Matter of fact, there's about 70%. Now that's changing, but currently 70% are men, usual middle age, and they don't want to talk about periods. They don't want to think about periods. And the only thing that can really kind of get them to understand is to put it back to them and say, you know, hey, maybe you don't menstruate, but you love someone who does.
Jennifer:So whether that's your wife or your daughter or your niece, go ask them if they've ever gotten their period unexpectedly. And I have never had a Jansen man come back to me and say, no. My daughter's like that never happened. Instead, it opened up some really great dialogue. Because I'm gonna tell you, six out of 10 men believe that women can hold it in.
Jennifer:They they literally will say to me, well, can't you just hold it in? And I'm like
Melissa:It's not going pee.
Jennifer:Right? It's not safe.
Jennifer:. Yeah. So that that's a crazy one. There's a lot we've done some international work recently, and there's a lot of stigma out there where, you know, women are even separated from the rest of their family because they're perceived as unclean. There's a lot of communities that believe that you shouldn't go camping because bears will smell like the blood or something. It's like really, really ingrained that, you know, menstruating is dirty and it's unclean. So we have a lot of work to do to kind of change that perspective, I believe.
Melissa:Yeah. I've read about some of those extreme communities, and I think some of it 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 you wouldn't think of are also dealing with those types of, I wouldn't say as extreme stigmas, but challenges.
Jennifer:Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. I mean, twenty six percent of girls will leave school or not go to school because they don't have products. And that's heartbreaking. We've also seen in sports, think about all of our amazing, beautiful, strong girls out there on the soccer fields and such.
Jennifer:One out of three of those girls will quit sports in middle school due to periods, not having what they need, feeling embarrassed. You know, just earlier, we were talking, and I said, I think every coach should have a pad in their first aid kit just in case. And I think that should be a best practice. We're not there yet, but hopefully, we're gonna get there.
Melissa:And quitting sports is so much more than just physical exercise, as a reminder. You know, sports scholarships and all of the confidence and the team building and the friends that you make through sports, quitting over something that, again, is uncontrollable and solvable.
Jennifer:. Absolutely. And, you know, I'm very inspired by the WNBA. They had the biggest increase in fans for 2024. 17,000,000 people became fans. And I see that, and I'm really hopeful that some of those leaders out there in sports, women's sports, will take this on and say, hey, this needs to be a part of when girls are growing up, and we wanna keep them in sports and keep them in school so they have the same opportunities.
Melissa:I love that. Let's go back to Egal specifically. How does it work? What types of locations will people start to see the pads on a roll? Which is the slogan, pads on a roll, which in my opinion is one of those things that it made me think like, why did this not exist before? So, again, where will people see it, and how did the design come about?
Jennifer: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, and sometimes they require quarters. And who has quarters? I have two teenagers, and they're like, yeah. No. They're they're not carrying quarters. I can tell you that right now.
Jennifer:And so our product set, you know, can fit right there next to the toilet paper. We have dispensers. And we first kind of started leaning in with schools. There are mandates for schools, but we're seeing a lot of businesses also lean in and realize this is a necessity. And so you'll be seeing us in airports.
Jennifer:Shout out to Ronnette Hackett, who is the facilities director, a woman facilities director at Denver Airport. She and her team champion this, so it would be in every stall for privacy, dignity, and accessibility. So if you wanna check us out, definitely check us out there. And then we're starting to see stadiums. You think about your experience in a stadium.
Jennifer: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 on the wall that says, Need feminine hygiene products? Go to guest services.
Jennifer:There's no arrows. There's nothing. Don't know, wouldn't you rather them being lying buying merch or a beer than searching for a tampon or a pad? It doesn't make sense. There's also a 50% increase in, you know, women attending pro sports. Thank you, Taylor Swift. So you want to take care of those people. So we're seeing a lot of traction, a lot of different places. You know, schools are still our main focus and colleges, but definitely inspired by a lot of the younger women out there saying, Hey, no, we need something better.
Melissa:I'm a huge sports fan, so I can totally relate. And I think that most of our listeners can also relate. If you're a woman, you know this. You're in the public restroom, whether it's a sports event or a concert or a club or a state fair, anything, and like, Does anybody here have a tampon? Right? This is happening through just women being generous with each other.
Jennifer:Yep. That's where you realize, oops, I for the most part, oops, I just got my period. It should be right there. You shouldn't have to yell 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 and fight with some machine if you're lucky? And if there's long lines, like, how it's just a horrible experience.
Melissa:Or I have to go home. I have to leave the work meeting. I have to leave the concert. I have to miss the ninth inning or the end of the game because my pants are bloody.
Jennifer:This doesn't make sense. So we believe it should be in the stall and available as toilet paper. That's, like, what we're really about.
Melissa:Are there other things that organizations are taking into account? Like, if you were a business and you're thinking about providing this. Obviously, are different scales. Stadium's probably on the bigger end, but other small businesses.
Jennifer:Yeah. Absolutely. So when I think about just about any place, but a lot of businesses like to say, okay, is this going to help with productivity? Yes, it is. Eight out of ten women, when they're at work, get their period accidentally.
Jennifer:If they don't have something, just like you said earlier, ninety six percent of those women will leave work. Think if you're in a factory. You're in the middle of nowhere. That is going to cost the business. So sometimes if you have to put it in that kind of context as well. Do you want these people leaving? Then they're not producing. Therefore, it equals money. So on and so forth. So sometimes you have to, if, you know, it's not just it's the right thing to do, but sometimes you have to put it in business terms as well. And it's different for each industry.
Jennifer:That is such a good point, that being in a remote area or being in an environment that's not a traditional office setting makes just as much sense to have those products available.
Jennifer: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 think about you go to a hospital, you're stressed, and a lot of times, that stress does bring on your period unexpectedly. Same thing with travel and airports. And I wanna take care of the nurses.
Jennifer:Think about they're on their feet. It should be in their bathrooms. It should be right there. They should and a lot of those nurses, because they're so dedicated, they'll just bleed through their pants, they're like, it is what it is. Like, it's we we just need to change. We need to change the way that we're going. And I think it'll come. It's just not as quickly as we'd like.
Jennifer:Nurses are the toughest people ever.
Melissa:They are. I know.
Melissa:I think I've heard nurses say similar things along like, it is what it is. Like, oh, I'm one hundred and twenty pounds. I'm going to carry this three hundred pound patient. Like, what?
Melissa:Yeah. While you have blood running down your leg.
Jennifer:Right? It's a it's yeah. It's amazing.
Melissa:What are the positives that you guys are seeing with Egal once it's in the place where women can access it conveniently?
Jennifer:. So, you know, going back to a lot of people just don't understand that it is a problem, right, the people in charge, and men. One of the things that we do is we provide, a QR code sticker.
Melissa:On the, dispenser?
Jennifer:Correct. Okay. And so everybody has their phone. It's a very captive audience in the in the stall. And, at first, was like, oh, who's gonna do this? Right? Like, who's gonna scan a QR code when you're sitting on the toilet? And it turns out a lot a lot of people, like hundreds, if not thousands a day.
Jennifer:And they're like, thank god this was here. I thought I was gonna have to call my dad. I was in the middle of a test. Or you get, you know, my flight was canceled, and, you know, the sign says go to Hudson News. Well, Hudson News is closed, and thank God this was here. And, you know, just those stories that you collect, and then you'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.
Jennifer:So, you know, more and more women, you know, like what you're trying to do, using your voice and not just being that quiet person like I was growing up, you know, just suffer and smile through it, but literally using your voice and having your voice heard is so important. I agree with that.
Melissa:And there is nothing for you to feel wrong or bad that you did when you were younger. Like, you are because of your generation and the work that you're doing, it's making it better for the next, and that will continue to snowball. That's another thing that we wanna do on the show, is have a conversation, have these topics, not be taboo. Mean, you even mentioned feminine hygiene products. We could probably dig into that terminology for thirty minutes.
Jennifer:It makes it sound so gross.
Melissa:There's nothing wrong with saying that. Period. There's nothing wrong with menstruation.
Jennifer:Right.
Melissa:Yes. Exactly. Switching gears a little bit back to the product. I've personally become a bit more aware of sustainability challenges around plastic and nondisposable products. I I think we've all seen the signs in the stall. These aren't flushable. Don't clog the pipes. How is EGAL thinking about that and what's on the horizon?
Jennifer:So we're constantly, you know, gathering feedback from our customers, and there's a huge push in The UK and Europe, as an example, around sustainability. And we have taken our pad, and the outside of the pad, the wrapper, is now paper, and it's completely biodegradable. All of our packaging is a lot less. We're one of the most sustainable products out there. And then the inside, you'll hear a lot of talk about organic, organic, organic. I just ask people to look into that.
Jennifer:We are actually using sugarcane waste, so plant waste, to build our pads. We wanted to test them in The UK and Europe because there's regulations there demand it, and it's the same quality. It lasts the four to six hours. It has the comfort.
Jennifer:So now we're going to be bringing it to The States. We did look into a flushable pad with a company that's working on it in The UK, and it is not where it needs to be. Not only that, but when I think about that, yes, that's the ultimate goal. Every pipe system in every building is different. There's different regulations.
Jennifer:And so we do still wanna stay away from flushable, but we're consistently listening and trying to make things more and more sustainable in how we manufacture. So we're moving in the right direction and pretty quickly.
Melissa:I guess that's just something else for people who are implementing these types of products to keep in mind. You know, how can you put the trash can in a convenient place? How can you just make sure that you're looking big picture?
Jennifer:Absolutely. There's a lot of really great disposal solutions that are coming out. There's one called Santapod, completely touchless, very tiny and small. So we want to quickly get into the market. So when you think about a facilities manager, they go in, they have to make sure there's toilet paper, they can make sure there's pads on a roll at the same time. And then having a disposal unit that's completely touchless and easy to get rid of the product makes a lot of sense. Most of us, there's nothing in the stall or there's some kind of creepy, I don't know, box at the bottom, you know, that's rusted out, I think you know. So but there's some really innovative products like SantaPod out there that are really trying to make a difference with that.
Melissa:Again, making people more comfortable and more accessible. So there's been a lot of work to get here. Groundwork, again, it's a combination of companies and organizations. Lawmakers, as you mentioned, have also been a part of the conversation. What is the latest?
Jennifer:So really excited that there's over 28 schools that have mandated that period products need to be provided to K-twelve schools. We're seeing colleges and universities also follow suit. But what we're finding is if places cannot get it passed at the state level Texas, then the cities are passing it, right?
Jennifer:And so city of Dallas, city of San Antonio, city of El Paso, they've passed legislation for their public places. So for the workplaces and rec centers and stuff like this, which is amazing. So people are finding ways around this whole, you know, we're not we don't want to help people kind of thing. And then recently, Washington State very quietly passed legislation where work sites have to make period products available. And I think that's kind of coming off of Canada, who did the same.
Jennifer:So we're seeing other states like New York and Oregon and California also talk about this legislation. And so one of the newest things that we formed is a partnership with a company named Satellite, and they are the largest manufacturer of porta potties. And so our solution really made sense since it's so compact and everything. And then thinking about it, they also provide, you know, the porta potties for concerts and, you know, the Coachella and even NASCAR. And we're like, wow. This could really help get that word out, and we're hoping to come up with some way to interact with it.
Jennifer: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 servicing needed? I guess it would just follow the same servicing as toilet paper roll.
Jennifer:Exactly. Exactly. So that makes it easier for the facilities person instead of having to take apart a machine and fill the machine. And so having it on a roll, they have to make sure there's toilet paper. They make sure that pads on a roll are there at the same time.
Melissa:So you've been in this business for a few years. I'd love to just know what keeps you motivated about this particular mission.
Jennifer:Yeah, absolutely. So I love to see the change. I love to see the fact that I have a teenage boy who could openly talk about periods and is in a shit 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 boys and men, I think, that are kind of changing their perspective. And I love to see that.
Jennifer:I love to see these, you know, men and boys actually supporting women. We need more of it. And then seeing the young people using their voices, we have an advocacy program at EGAL called the Role Model Program. And so these students, they take on, We need to put this in place for the next generation of girls. We need to have this here.
Jennifer:And so they literally come together and form their own little coalition, and they champion it up to the parents and up to the administration. And it's just fun to support them in that mission. So that keeps me going. I see the change. I see the good.
Melissa:So many lessons for those students to learn in taking on something and even just understanding the supply chain or the maintenance or all the things that are related to getting something like this in place and then the benefits that come from it.
Melissa:Yeah. Marketing, advertising.
Melissa:Absolutely.
Jennifer:Absolutely. So it's very exciting.
Jennifer:It's an exciting time. I love seeing these new facilities managers. A lot more of them are female. So there's going to continue to be change there because they get it. We have the Albuquerque Zoo and Anna. She's a facilities director, and she is championing to have pads on a roll in all stalls, including the men's stall.
Jennifer:And so there was a lot of pushback at first, but I went in and I was talking to them and, you know, these big burly guys with tattoos on their necks. And and they're like, I don't wanna put these in. People are just gonna flush them, and I'm gonna have to deal with the plumbing. And and, you know, I asked one of the gentlemen.
Jennifer:I said, hey. You know, do you have daughters? And he's like, I have five. And I was like, are one of your daughters in the third or fourth grade? And he's like, yeah. Do you bring her to the zoo? And he's like, yeah. All the time. By yourself? Yep.
Jennifer:And I was like, okay. Did you know that girls are getting their periods in third and fourth grade now? And he's like, what? I was like, yeah. I said, you bring her here, and she starts her period.
Jennifer:What are you gonna do? You gonna leave? And he was like, oh, wow. And it just kinda brought it back in for him, and it made it personal. And then all of a sudden, he was like, okay. Now I kind of see. I see this vision. But it's it's how do you connect that? And then unless they can put it into personal terms, it's almost like there's still this, you know, meh. You know?
Melissa:That's actually such a good point, because I genuinely don't believe men who are saying this isn't necessary. They're not being malicious. It's just they don't have the knowledge. They don't have the experience. It's, to our point, over the past thirty minutes, not talked about. I also really strongly believe, and one of the reasons I'm doing this show, is to encourage and really just support women to say, It's okay to 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.
Melissa:We now live in a world where you can access a lot of information, and talking of it amongst your friends, your family, it's a positive thing.
Jennifer:Yeah, absolutely. Having those open conversations is so important. More and more of it is needed. And it's gonna lead to empathy, and it's gonna lead to making the world a better place.
Melissa:It's going to lead to inventions. Like Egal. , Well, first off, thank you. This is so much fun. I feel like we could keep talking forever. Absolutely. And I'm sure we will. My closing ask is for you to give a shout out to another leader who is innovating for the betterment of women's health.
Jennifer:Yeah, absolutely. There is somebody who really inspires me. Her name is Diana Nelson, and she is the global director for Days for Girls. And what they do is they remove any stigma or limitations associated with menstruation for girls. They've helped over 4,000,000 girls. And not just that.
Jennifer:She went ahead and created something called the Period Positive Workplace, in which workplaces can become certified that they are providing products for their menstruators. So she's inspiration. A lot more, larger organizations are taking a look at this, not only because, yes, it'll help with productivity and keep people at work, but also, because it's the right thing to do.
Melissa:Thank you. I'll definitely have to look into it.
Melissa:And if people want to get in touch with you or follow Egal, what's the best way to do so?
Jennifer:Yep. Padsonaroll.com or
Melissa:That's easy.
Jennifer:Yeah. Yep. Pads on a roll dot com or jen@padsonaroll.com. Feel free to reach out to me too. Any questions?
Melissa:Thank you so much, Jen. This was a really great time, and I know we're gonna keep talking about so many other subjects.
Jennifer:Yeah. Can't wait. Thank you so much.
Melissa:Thanks for listening, and I hope you're able to share this podcast and what you learned with others who care about women's health. Whenever I get frustrated about health concern or struggle, I always remind myself that I have more information than my mother did and way more than my grandmother's. These innovations are so important and we can't stop talking about them because those conversations result in progress for generations to come. I'd also really love to hear your stories. The stories that end in hallelujah and the bombers.
Melissa:You can leave a voice message by going 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 and always will be. I want to hear about your period, your doctor's visits, your PCOS, pregnancy, giving birth, what happens after birth, being postpartum, raising your daughters, caring for your mothers. I want to hear about sexual health, mental health, weird symptoms, your immune system, and seriously any differences that you recognize between women and men, because we are different down to the chromosomes that encode the entire maps of our bodies.
Melissa:People are researching these topics and we're going to find them.