Ria Soni remembers her first period very well.
She was in fifth grade and had a band concert that night. Her section, the alto saxophones, were going to play a solo during “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” from “Toy Story.” She got her period during the school day, and because of health class, she knew she could go to the school nurse and get a pad.
“It was an exciting concert I couldn’t really miss it. But I was unsure how it would be, would I feel uncomfortable?” said the now-21-year-old Rutgers University graduate. “The hardest thing was going home and having to tell my parents about it. Because it was a little awkward.”