“I didn’t pack a single pad or tampon for camp this year in order to manifest my period away. Um, it didn’t work. I got it anyway,” an anonymous Senior Camper shared when asked to explain the measures she’s taken to avoid her annual camp period. It didn’t work. But at least she didn’t have to go through cramps and headaches alone—it turns out, almost her entire bunk got their period within the first few days of camp as well, regardless of their usual cycle calendars. There’s no proven scientific explanation for the commonly experienced phenomenon of period-syncing—yes, even syncing through pheromones has been disproven. But a lack of scientific logic doesn’t stop a number of girl bunks from almost unanimously getting a visit from Aunt Flow each and every year.
I, too, was a victim of this mysterious period phenomenon. When I visited the nurse for my daily painkillers to aid my cramps, Nurse Ruth exclaimed, “Another one? I’ve had so many girls get meds for cramps today!”
The silver lining of the camp period phenomenon is, indeed, being surrounded by a community of others who share the same fate. For younger campers who might not have gotten their period yet—or those who are getting it for the very first time—being surrounded by bunkmates and older campers with advice, comfort, and experience with periods can be a blessing. An anonymous Lower Camper shared that “hearing about older girls at camp getting their periods is comforting. It makes it less scary when people talk about it casually.” The nature of camp, meaning 200 of us disappearing into our own camp bubble, lends itself to open and comfortable conversations, like about periods, that are oftentimes, in other settings, taboo, avoided, or scary, especially for younger campers.
But comfort discussing female anatomy shouldn’t be limited to our camp bubble; in fact, stigma around periods has much deeper roots of misogyny. Portraying normal, female functions as disgusting and taboo often influences women and girls, especially those going through puberty, to feel self-conscious and uncomfortable in their own bodies. This isn’t to say periods aren’t usually physically uncomfortable and painful—because they almost always are—but adding feelings of social embarrassment is what often makes girls find shame rather than strength in their womanhood. The camp-period-phenomenon not only makes periods less scary for younger campers, but it can also show us how to bring the period-conversation out of our camp communities or normalize discussions about female anatomy.
Besides having conversations, knowing every tip and trick can make periods a lot less scary. For one, the nurses’ office always has a variety of pads and tampons in the bathroom cabinet to use when in doubt. For another, the nurses’ office is also always in large supply of painkillers and heating pads that can help with cramps. Lastly, trust your counselors and camp community—we’ve all been there, either getting our first period or getting a period during camp—and a whole community is here to support you. ✎
