Gold Coast mother Alicia Millier was a keen sportswoman growing up.
Competing at swimming and athletic carnivals brought her "so much joy" but she would always be quietly hoping her period would not clash with competitions.
Painful, irregular and often heavy menstrual cycles sidelined Ms Millier from school as well as sport and, at just 12-years-old, she said it felt embarrassing to explain her absence to teachers.
"I'd start to dread getting my period because the pain was just really unbearable," Ms Millier said.
After six years of feeling "unable to function", Ms Millier sought a second medical opinion, which uncovered extensive endometriosis around her bowel that needed to be removed through surgery.
Endometriosis occurs when tissue that lines the uterus attaches and grows outside the uterus, causing immense pain, menstrual irregularities and fertility issues.
"I just cringe knowing girls are coming up who know they're suffering with endometriosis but are too scared and too embarrassed to say something," Ms Millier said.
Ms Millier's experience is not uncommon.
Period Pride Report
The Period Pride Report — prepared by Dr Jane Connory from Swinburne University of Technology and data analytics company WhyHive — found 48 per cent of the 125,205 respondents missed at least one day of school due to their period.
Gender-fluid, non-binary and transgender people as well as tertiary students and people out of work were more likely to struggle to afford period products.
Affordability was a key issue, with 40 per cent of respondents choosing a less suitable product due to the cost, 49 per cent of people wearing a pad or tampon for more than four hours due to low supplies and 22 per cent improvising with unsuitable absorbents.
Long-held menstrual taboos of shame and secrecy can also prevent people from seeking adequate health care, the report found.
"We also know a lack of conversation about periods can mean people live in period poverty.
"This can be detrimental to the livelihood of those who menstruate."
Share the Dignity managing director Rochelle Courtenay said the report showed education needed to start in schools before the age of 10.
"In Australia, we don't start to educate girls until they're 11 and 12," Ms Courtenay said.
Amanda Wedemeyer is a sessional academic in Griffith University's School of Medicine and Dentistry.
For the past five years, she has rallied the Gold Coast community to donate sanitary items for women in need during Share the Dignity's biannual appeals.
"About 1,800 people sleep rough every night on the Gold Coast and there's also women impacted by domestic violence who are financially controlled and can't access these products," Ms Wedemeyer said.
"Just the very thought of that is what drives me to keep asking people to donate."
As a mother of three boys, Ms Wedemeyer says she is proud that they know "periods are not taboo".
"They have three sisters now too and it's very normal in our house to have sanitary items just in the bathroom," Ms Wedemeyer said.
Donations of sanitary products can be made at Woolworths stores around the country until August 31.
