This Morning star Ashley James is continuing her mission to get rid of the stigma surrounding women’s health as she calls for an end to period shame. As part of her ongoing campaigning work, the mum of two has opened up about her own experiences of periods as a young girl growing up in rural Northumberland, and explained why she wants things to be different for her own children.
“Growing up, it was a case of having to hide tampons. I went to school in a tiny village with one shop to buy period products,” she exclusively told us . “We’d stand guard if one of our friends went in to buy period products so we could see if any boys were coming over – that was our biggest fear. So I want to talk about periods as there’s still a stigma and girls and women feel it’s something shameful.”
Ashley, 38, is also urging older women to get their iron levels checked after discovering her own fatigue and lethargy were caused by low iron – and the biggest contributor for women with low iron is heavy periods.
“I felt totally exhausted and thought, “Well, I’m a mum, of course I am – I’m not sleeping’,” she said. “But since having Ada, who’s two now, my periods have been heavy and painful, and I’ve been brushed off a lot.
“This year I thought, ‘It’s time to get my body into a healthier position.’ I had a blood test and found out I had low iron. I’ve learnt that around 30% of women experience lower iron and I bet so many of us just push through.”
She continued, “When I found out I needed iron supplements, that was a whole other headache because I have other postnatal issues such as piles. I had a prolapse and I didn’t want to take a supplement that could make that situation worse.
“But it’s been amazing because it comes without symptoms like constipation. I’ve noticed such a difference in energy and haven’t had any of the horrible symptoms I was worried about.”
Ashley, who found fame on reality series Made in Chelsea, has become a very vocal advocate of issues affecting women and children, and says while many of the topics are emotionally draining, she’s determined to keep going for the sake of daughter Ada and son Alfie, four, who she shares with partner Tommy Andrews.
“I do find it hard,” she admitted. “But we’re in such uncertain times, this is not the time to be silent. I used to say my drive was trying to think about what teenage Ashley would want. Now it’s thinking, what world do I want my kids to grow up in?”.
Ashley also reflected on the Netflix ‘s record-breaking show Adolescence, which sparked a huge conversation about the dangers of social media and toxic masculinity. She said the way the production team – which included Brad Pitt – tackled the subject was “phenomenal”, and she hoped its effects would be long-lasting.
“Any time an atrocity happens, especially when it’s a young man, people say ‘Oh, he was such a nice boy!,” she said. “We still want to believe that men or boys who harm women are monsters. They’re not, they’re someone’s brother, son, mate… I’m so glad everyone’s talking about a very real threat. But it’s a shame it takes a fictional drama for people to want to make change.”
Active Iron is calling on women to speak up about menstrual fatigue. Learn more and find support at activeiron.com/uk
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