Should feminine hygiene products be free?

[PeasOff]

What do you think?

Obviously that would then bring up the logistical side of things such as how to get them/how often you get them ect...

No....

That explains the how, in part, but not the bit about payment

So the idea is that every taxpayer pays for the menstrual products for female nationals in this country? How would they be distributed? because you’d have to stop non-UK citizens getting them, so would you make the pharmacist supply them or would menstruating women get a token to present in supermarkets and other shops?

How would you stop women who aren’t menstruating, but who are of an age when they might, from getting them and selling them on? This isn’t as daft as it sounds because I do remember when women in Ireland couldn’t get the contraceptive pill, women over here would get prescriptions for them and supply them to the sisterhood in Ireland. Which I fully supported.

It does seem awfully complicated. But perhaps women under the age of 50 could get some sort of tax rebate? I don’t know what to do about non-taxpayers.

Details to follow, no doubt.

Read the link I posted. It works in Scotland.

When I had my first baby, most mums had a 5 day hospital stay and we were provided with everything we needed - nappies, breast pads, sanitary towels.
The nappies were crap, the breast pads ok but the sanitary towels 🤪🤪 - they seemed to be made out of shredded cardboard stuffed into a net bag. They were awful.
So, if sanitary products are free, they will be the cheapest, nastiest sanitary products available so most people will still buy a better product. These products are VAT free. I’d like to see free products of a decent quality readily available in all schools and all girls receive a period pack when they start secondary school that includes period pants - or at least a voucher that can be used to buy a couple of pairs.

No.

Should medication be? The list is without end.

You choose to have a baby. You don't choose to have periods

Do you mean prescription medication?

Would be nice. I think Scotland is free.

Why?

It is. 🙂

I think people are misunderstanding how the provision of free sanitary products works in Scotland. They are not provided free of charge to everyone.

Some public buildings like schools, offices, libraries, museums, universities will have baskets in the ladies' with a limited supply for people who are either caught short without anything to use, or who genuinely cannot afford to purchase. The scheme is not supposed to provide everything free of charge to all women.

The whole population doesn't choose to poo but toilet paper isn't free.

It is in public toilets.

Very true!!!

No, not in general but then I read MNet threads where mothers didn't suppprt their daughters or rationed sanitary pads, and think there shpuld be some support in those circumstances. In my grandmother's day young women uswd rags and had to wash them.

Everyone at some point in their lives needs nappies. Some at both ends of life.

Even those that don't choose to have a baby will have themselves needed nappies.

My asthma inhaler should be free, without it I could die.

You can actually access free sanitary products from various places - a Google will tell you where. Morrisons is one that springs to mind.

It's actually one of the v v few good things the SNP have done, imo. I think it's fantastic that our girls/women in schools/ gvnmt buildings/sports centres can access these essential products.

Not necessarily disposables

But someone's parents have decided said nappies are affordable. They would have budgeted for that.

I wish they were, but I can't see how it would be possible.

Btw, it's etc, OP, not ect.

but you're saying that there ARE already inexpensive options, so I don't get the first part of your sentence?

I really don't get the argument that they should be free. Toilet paper isn't, nappies aren't, far more expensive things that people 'need' to function like glasses or medication aren't.

You can get a pack of 8 towels for 41p in asda, and 24 tampons for £1.24. It's hard to see how they can be much cheaper tbh. If people chose to spend £4 on the named brands instead when they are exactly the same, more fool them.

JUST NO
What about toothpaste hair spray spray haircuts
Nothing is free it is paid for by us who WORK and pay TAX

A pack of decent sanitary towels from Aldi are 42p. They’re pretty affordable.

We use washable products in our house. My 2 daughters use period knickers that are washable and I have a selection of washable pads and panty liners. The kids sometimes use those if they need some extra protection but nowadays some brands of period knickers are really quite good.

The idea of the rags from the old days has done full circle and not as horrid as people actually think. Especially with washing machines these days. Our stuff goes in on a cold rinse first and then a cool wash (heat sets blood stains). Washing powder or tablet only and no conditioner. The only downside is that they are expensive to get set up. The cheap cheap ones aren’t great (learned from experience).