to think that girls shouldn't be missing school because their families can't afford sanitary products?

[MummyMummyMummyyyy]

.... and to think that mumsnetters could really make a difference to the numbers behind this petition?

https://www.change.org/p/theresa-may-mp-free-sanitary-products-for-girls-on-free-school-meals-freeperiods?recruiter=61821224&utmsource=shareepetition&utmmedium=copylink&utmmcampaign=sharepetition&utmmterm=sharepetition

Like being a teenager isn't hard enough without worrying about things like this.

Signed. I had horrendous periods as a teen and a few occasions had to go home due to leaking through good sanpro. I can't imagine how difficult that had been had I not had those products. I will never understand why sanpro isn't available free like contraception.

Signed. Is there vat on Sanpro products?

Signed

😮 shocked
Signed and shared on the book of face!

When I was teaching the senior grades in primary school, there were usually a couple of girls who had started their periods young. I always kept a supply in my bottom drawer and told them to help themselves without having to ask me. There were a few times that a pile of them would disappear, and I presume it was because it wasn't being supplied at home. One girl in particular was living with just her dad, and told me that he wouldn't buy any for her because he didn't believe that she even had her period, refused to be seen buying it, and wouldn't give her any money to buy her own. Every few weeks I would buy a pack and wrap it in brown paper and put in her tub to take home. No girl should ever be embarrassed or not have sanitary items in this day and age.

This petition really hasn't moved much over the weekend, so one more shameless bump for the Sunday night crowd...

Signed

It's a sticking plaster approach though, schools and government having to fund essentials for children as their parents won't. Tacking the parents and the neglect would be a far more productive use of the money as it would solve other issues at the same time.

Giving away more and more free stuff just sends the message it's ok to opt out of providing.

Signed and shared. We didn't always have access to san pro and it's fucking awful.

I used to steal them from friends bathrooms if they were out. 1 or 2 at a time. And steal lilets from the chemist as my mum would only buy pads as my step dad didn't want us using them.

Wtf it had to do with him I don't know.

My dd had pads in her room from being 9. And as soon as she started I bought her a pack of day and a pack of night ones every time I bought mine. She asked me to stop buying them in the end as she had so many.

But I hate the thought of young girls not having access to sanpro.

I am involved with an organisation who supply boxes of different types, sizes etc., to local schools on the basis that any girl can come and help themselves to however many whole packets of whatever they need, every month, no questions asked. We replenish supplies at the end of each month, mostly donated but the volunteers also buy whatever we are short of.

Mooncups are not the answer in a school loo! Really they are not.

Our school has a basket in each set of girls' loos with tampons and pads. Not sure if school pays or whether donated but they are there for people to use if unexpected arrival or basic need and actually no-one seems to take the mick

Signed.

I often didn’t have access to sanpro as a teen and it was horrible. I had heavy periods and I would try to make a towel last a couple of days if I could. Other times I didn’t have towels at all. I put cotton wool or tissues in my kickers. I remover being worried about leaking during one of my GCSE exams and couldn’t concentrate properly. No girls should have to go through that.

• remember obvs.

I am almost certain there was a petition on this last year (which was when we decided to set up a group locally). We cover ten secondary schools, not enough really but it is a start.

Signed!

Thanks for posting OP. I honestly did not know that this was an issue.

I used to wrap loo roll around my knickers.

I developed a whole pattern of doing it so it would last as long as possible. I used to wrap it around just my pants, or with a pad underneath.

If I had a sanitary pad, I’d try and use loo roll on top of it and keep changing that to make the one pad last days. Not terribly hygienic looking back! But I couldn’t buy any, so needs must...

I wish a charity would hand out mooncups instead. It would solve the whole issue of spending money every month for your entire reproductive life on disposable products.

What do you think our take up rate of moon cups would be then? Can you imagine yr7s and below, or any secondary pupil dealing with it in a communal loo situation. A girl from a family who doesn’t make sanitary protection a priority because they can’t.

Back in the real world we are helping local girls. What are you doing to help Haffiana?

I've only just got a mooncup and I'm in my early 40s. There's no way I would have used one as a teen / pre-teen. They are great in many ways, but there's a certain amount of logistics needed to use them properly, from the sterilising process, to (ideally) having a sink near the toilet for rinsing and washing hands, without getting into the fact you need to be very confident about sticking stuff up yourself to use them properly.

So whilst we shouldn't overlook mooncups, they are not the answer to the problem of school girls without access to sanpro supplies

So carrying on with disposables rather than using something that is

Zero monthly cost
Eco friendly
No known risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome
Far more comfortable to use

is better? Why is it impossible to comprehend that maybe young people might PREFER a solution that has so many positives?

There is no education provided about mooncups as an alternative and that includes local education authorities and the cubicle design in school toilets. It can be fixed. Why are you so set on a 'solution' that just perpetuates the status quo for generations of low income girls to come?

You don't need to sterilise mooncups any more than you need to sterilise tampons, fingers, penises etc etc. Education, education.

As I said. What are you doing other than moaning on here.

Moon cups are not the norm, disposable protection is the norm. Providing moon cups would have girls using wads of loo roll, just like before.

Many of our schools are using prefab buildings well past their sell by date, cutting teaching staff and other staff. Do you really think our authorities have money to spend redesigning the loos to afford moon cup use?? Unreal.

The school office has them. They are donated by sanpro companies. Unfortuantley you cant give out the tampons (TSS), I used to arrange for a refuge to pick those up

Is there an actual real rule that is not just your schools policy saying you can’t give out the tampons?

our local school nurses give them out as do our YOT.

I used to stuff my vag with loo paper, then wad up another swathe to tape to my undies, just in case. It didn't stop the flooding, tho, nor did it stop my dad belting me and throwing me down the stairs of our block of flats for using too much toilet paper. Pretty tough on a 12-y-o.

Thanks to all the PPs, including compassionate teachers, who have taken practical steps to help girls in need. You've inspired me to see if I can set up something similar in my area.

My mum was a child in Cheshire during WW2 and she remembers sn aristocratic male forking out his own money to buy sanitary items for girls and women involved, in whatever way, in the war effort. I wish I could remember his name. If he were alive now, I'd like to shake his hand.

Signed

Bumping because this is hugely important.
I have personal experience with both needing in the same way and also providing.
Women and girls are NOT worthless in our society, we must meet their basic needs.