Periods are different for everyone and can significantly affect the daily lives of the people who have them. They can be irregular, debilitating, cause severe depression and many other things and the inflexible nature of a chemistry degree can make this hard to deal with.

Understanding and creating an open conversation is vital for decreasing stigma and educating those who don't have periods with the hope that they will consider them in future decision-making.

Join Amy, Charlie, Elba and Manami as they discuss the pressures of an Oxford undergraduate chemistry degree, the importance of representation in decision-making positions, and the need for greater understanding and empathy towards those with periods.

(0:50) Introduction
(2:32) Harmful stereotypes
(5:36) Improving reactions
(9:31) Periods and the impact on studying
(12:14) How the department can continue to improve

About the hosts:

Amy: Hi, I'm Amy and I'm a fourth-year student at St Hilda's College. Having a conversation about the problems posed by periods has taught me a lot and made me feel less alone in facing these problems. I hope listeners have a similar experience.

Charlie: Hi, I’m Charlie and I am a postgraduate student in inorganic chemistry. I am really passionate about EDI work within chemistry and when the project was proposed looking into the impact of periods in chemistry, I was really excited to be involved!

Elba: Hi, I'm Elba and I'm currently a fourth-year student at Worcester! I have loved working on this podcast, it's an issue that is very important to me and I'm glad to have had the opportunity to not only hopefully get the conversation started, but also meet some amazing people on the way!

Manami: Hi, I’m Manami and I’m a second-year undergraduate student at Oxford. I am really passionate about this project because my period has affected my degree and I would like others in this situation to not feel alone!