Pop-up stalls displaying eco-friendly and organic menstrual products will appear in high schools and in Douglas.

Hannah Grove of Love Life, which delivers sex education lessons in island schools, is on a mission to show women that there are more options than just disposable tampons and period pads.

The stalls will show five different types of menstrual cups, a cup steriliser, different sized reusable sanitary pads, a reusable tampon applicator, organic disposable pads, organic tampons and some period pants.

Hannah said it will give women a chance to see, touch and ask questions about the different products.

’A few years ago I helped make packs of reusable pads for Manx charity Developing Orphans! which helps orphans in Uganda. We sent 100 packs of five pads to girls there,’ she said.

’They had been using rocks and straw, which was leading to infection and they were missing out on their education as they were too embarrassed to go to school.

’I thought: "if they’re using washable ones, why are we using disposable ones?".’

She was concerned to find ’period poverty’ exists here with girls not being able to keep up with the prices of period products, which led to them missing out on school.

The average amount spent on tampons and pads per period is £7 to £10, Hannah said. However, with reusable and washable alternatives this would reduce cost over time.

The Douglas mum-of-three said: ’We need to normalise periods, it doesn’t have to be a taboo. It’s become something used to embarrass people and I find that completely unacceptable.’

Through her job, she’s realised how women - particularly the younger generation - know little about the range of products out there.

’In Strand Street I’ve found three shops that sell only a few alternative sanitary products. It’s ridiculously limited,’ she said. ’Lots of people freak out about the idea of alternatives like "moon cups". Until you see them, you think "actually it’s not that weird".

’The pop-ups will have washable pads in different sizes. They’re better for us. Not many people are aware of the ingredients in disposable tampons and pads, like bleach. You’re having that [bleached cotton] against your skin constantly during your period, which is not particularly good for your body.’

As the island is looking to reduce its plastic use, she believes it’s worth consider plastic-friendly sanitary options.

’I got in contact with Bill Dale of Beach Buddies after he posted that they found around 7,000 tampons on Ramsey Beach in just one clean-up.

’Since they put in the new sewage system there, they have only found two sanitary products since. However, there is still a cost to the island when processing it and having it taken to be incinerated.

’Something like a moon cup can be as much as £40 each, but this will pay for itself in the long run as it lasts for about 10 years.’

Hannah is aiming to visit all five secondary schools by the end of the academic year and will have a pop up in Strand Street, Douglas, on March 7 from 10-4pm. For more details, follow ’periodpopup’ on Instagram.