What Do ‘Survivor’ Castaways Do When They Get Their Period?
Survivor fans always want to know behind-the-scenes secrets from the CBS reality competition series, including how the show is made and how the contestants survive with limited resources on an abandoned beach. And one main question that frequently arises concerns what the Survivor castaways do when they get their period.
‘Survivor’ cast members have limited resources
Survivor premiered on CBS in 2000, and it was an immediate hit. Viewers everywhere were fascinated by the show’s concept, which revolved around stranding a group of strangers on an island and forcing them to create their own society. They have very few resources, so they must build their shelter and find and hunt for food.
The castaways also don’t have access to a shower or toilet. So they don’t have the same privacy in Survivor as they do at home. And they can only bring one or two changes of clothes and not much else to the island.
Since the producers are strict about what the players can and can’t bring to Survivor, many viewers often wonder what happens if and when they get their period during the game.
Kelley Wentworth revealed what contestants do when they get their period on ‘Survivor’
Kelley Wentworth, who was on Survivor: San Juan del Sur, Survivor: Cambodia, and Survivor: Edge of Extinction, uses TikTok to answer questions about the show, including what would happen if someone got their period.
In one TikTok, Kelley explains, “I was asked to submit a toiletry bag, and then I chose what products I wanted to submit for the show. So I chose tampons. I put them in the bag, and then I actually submitted this bag before I went out on the island. Then, once I got to the island, this bag was there waiting for me. These are my personal products for the show. This is what I pull from.”
“Production does not provide products for you,” she continued. “Of course, if you’re having an emergency, they’re not going to let you bleed everywhere. They’ll give you something. Every woman is allowed a bag like this.”
Kelley added, “I was also on birth control, so my birth control was in this bag as well when I submitted it. I chose to not take the sugar pills so that I wouldn’t get my period on the show. You need to know that a lot of women experience different things. Some have no periods. Some have a lot of periods. Our bodies are going through extreme stress, so it’s totally different for everybody.”
Kelley further clarified the Survivor period situation in a follow-up TikTok.
“There are no bathrooms, there are no outhouses, there is no toilet paper,” she revealed. “But you do get privacy if you need to change your products … There are supplies available to help with the disposal of used products.”
Other ‘Survivor’ cast members reveal what it was like to get their period on the show
During an interview with Insider, several Survivor players described what it was like to get their period during filming.
“I was ending my period the first day that we started, so then I actually had my period again there,” Survivor: Island of the Idols cast member Lauren-Ashley Beck shared. And unfortunately, that meant she ran out of her submitted products. So Lauren had to go to one of the producers to ask for more tampons, which she got 24 hours later.
Andrea Boehlke from Survivor: Redemption Island, Survivor: Caramoan, and Survivor: Game Changers told Insider, “It sucks to change your tampon out in the jungle next to a med box with no supplies or way to fully clean yourself. It’s pretty gnarly.”
And Lauren’s castmate Karishma Patel explained that getting her period while on Survivor worsened her PMS. She said, “You’re hormonal, and you’re also getting extreme levels of fatigue.”
Lauren added, “Periods, in general, are hard to deal with, even when you’re not starving on an island, and you have an actual bathroom and toilet paper.”
Survivor is available to stream on Paramount+.
