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.

In the 14 or so hours since I signed this petition it has been signed under 200 times more. How sad.

What's all this about mooncups not needing to be sterilised??

I'm responding to a post by Haffiana at 23:27. For the avoidance of any doubt, I am of the opinion that anything that collects significant quantities of bodily fluids and is inserted into an orifice to do so needs sterilising on a regular basis.

I've only ever sterilised my mooncup about twice, and I've had it for years. It's not like a tampon, it doesn't gather bacteria in the same way, it's a non porous surface. I wash it in hot soapy water, rinse it well and let it dry. I don't sterilise my hands even though I often put a finger in my mouth (sensitive teeth, the dentist told me to rub toothpaste on my teeth after brushing them).

Treacle - it's more analogous to something like dentures, though, isn't it, more than a finger?

Yes, that's true, it's an object rather than a body part.

In that case, I still put things in my mouth without sterilising, like my toothbrush, or a fork etc.

I think that schools should sell very cheap ones. I don't really get why parents don't buy the very cheap ones for children rather than keeping them off school though. Someone has mentioned the Tesco extra value sanitary towels that are 23p for 10. Why don't people buy them?

Signed.

Regarding your list of items that don't need to be sterilised, as you put it.

Tampons and condoms are one-use only and are packaged in individual wrappers to keep them clean until used. Despite this, tampons have to be removed promptly to minimise the risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome.

No, not 'despite this'. A 10 second google will inform you that TSS is nothing to do with how a tampon is packaged. It is connected with a/ absorbancy and length of time it is left in, and b, to a limited degree, cleanliness. The actual mechanism with tampons is not fully understood. The bacteria that causes it, Staph. aureus is found naturally and normally on humans.

Fingers and penises can't be sterilised, because sterilising parts of a living creature is incompatible with health and/or life, but they should be clean before any insertion occurs. Dirty hands or poor intimate hygiene in a male partner are risk factors for UTIs and so on.

Absolutely no idea what you are saying here apart from the obvious. Nothing that goes into a vagina needs sterilising. It is the same with a mooncup. It needs a good wash, that is all.

Considering the amount of adult women who struggle to get moon cups right, no I don't think that's the best option for all. For some, yes.

I can't believe girls in the UK do without adequate sanitary products

Someone has mentioned the Tesco extra value sanitary towels that are 23p for 10. Why don't people buy them?

I am not in period poverty but I will use my location to explain why.

My nearest supermarket is an Asda and I imagine they sell very cheap sanitary towels just like Tesco do. Let's say 25p for a pack of 10.

However, though it is my nearest supermarket, it is still 8 miles away. There is a bus and bus fare there is £6.50 for a return. I have DC, two of whom I have to pay bus fare for, and a child return is £4.90 per child. So these 'cheap pads' have already cost me £16.30 and I haven't gone anywhere yet.

For someone on a limited budget, either employed or unemployed, where every penny is accounted for and decisions such as "heat or eat?" are a reality rather than a catchy newspaper sound bite, £16.30 is a fuckload of money.

My corner shop is in walking distance so is free to get to. They sell a pack of ten Always towels for £3.09 a pack. I have two daughters, they aren't old enough for periods but if they were let's say three packs for each of them per period plus three for myself so nine packs each month. There's £27.81 which is again a fuckload of money for families where they have a severely limited budget and every penny is accounted for.

I don't understand why people don't understand that this is reality for many families.

And there are lots of reasons why people have incredibly limited budgets - unemployment, illness, disability, redundancy, financial abuse, lack of stable employment such as zero hour contracts, being sanctioned by the DWP, and so on. A lack of funds doesn't automatically equal feckless neglectful parent.

And these girls, whose parents either can't or won't provide sanitary protection, their only ticket out of the poverty trap and a life of scraping together just to get by is education. An education they're not going to get by missing a week every month.

There absolutely should be a scheme where free sanitary protection can be provided to these girls. If free condoms can be provided, so can free pads.

Wellthisisshit : InspMorse, you don’t say what your opinion is on this?

Sorry, yes, they are sold to students in multipacks - the toilets are next to a first aid office. They are very popular & students can stock up if need be.

Single towels are available free of charge in emergencies (students sometimes ask for one) but many prefer to buy the multipacks so that they have a supply in their bag & at home.

The cost charged to students is the exact price they cost in Tesco. Yes, Tesco sells 10 x towels for 23p! They're not bad either!

I think it's brilliant! Some girls find getting hold of sanitary products difficult - for whatever reason.

18 Tesco Ultra Towel Regular - (multipack) for 66p.
OR
10 Tesco Everyday Value Press-on towels (multipack) for 23p

I've been thinking about this all day and it breaks my heart.

There were parts of my childhood where we were so poor asking for anything for personal use was unforgivable. My parents (well my mother) weren't bad people then but I don't think it occurred to her whilst in the depths of our poverty that she had daughters.

I did some very bizarre things in order to deal with my periods, I even stole on occasion. I soaked through on a regular basis and was so ashamed once when I soaked through my underwear and jeans that I didn't go to the dentist to have my braces removed. I lived rurally and the orthodontist only visited every 8 weeks, so not only was I in period poverty but my mouth was full of ulcers because I was so ashamed.
I cut the lining out of the frilly pellet above my curtains to fashion some kind of wadding. I hated, hated living like that.

The only thing that got me out of there and poverty was going to school and getting an education.

We need to help these young women.

Someone has mentioned the Tesco extra value sanitary towels that are 23p for 10. Why don't people buy them?

I explained further up on the thread and another poster has also said since then - these shops are not always accessible, especially on a very tight budget. My nearest tesco is an hours bus ride away (around £5 return) and a good 20 min walk from there. And although not now, but I have been in the position where I can't online shop either, no internet compounded by not enough money to buy the minimum amount or pay delivery put that out of price range. It's expensive living 'in the sticks' - just really because of the lack of choice for shops and travel.

Yup, Tesco and Asda both have a £40 minimum order if you want delivery plus the cost of the delivery itself. Not to mention the fact that you need a debit or credit card with which to pay for it.

I find the cheap sanitary pads do leak through very quick not ideal if you are on a heavy period.
Savers often have brands like body form cheap something like a pound for a pack of 12.

Asda own brand pads may be cheap but leak through quick.

Some people do find getting to larger stores difficult which is exactly why our school offers this service to our students.

We go out & buy loads of packs in Tesco so that they don't have to. The nearest store is a 30 min drive away from school (45 min on bus?) so it would be impossible for some students to get them.
I think all schools should do this.

People should also think about donating more sanitary products to food banks.

User I find them ok! I use the biggest ones though!

Signed and shared.

Maybe the people who want to argue about sterilising mooncups could start their own thread and not derail this important one.

Signed and shared

I clearly remember period poverty as a child, making a pad last a day and night, using loo roll (but not too much so it wasn't noticed) and praying for no leaks as my school skirt was only allowed to be washed half termly.

I run a Guide unit in a deprived area now and we have a basket I put out in the toilets with a note saying help yourself. We don't have a great deal of money now but I pay to keep it stocked up.

What else can we do to help this? I donate to a food bank and add a pack of towels each time, unfortunately I'm not in a position to do that as much as I'd like though.
Maybe a scheme or initiative of asking large supermarkets to donate sanitary products to schools or something? I get that it wouldn't be a massive advertising opportunity though so they may not be interested.
The co-op do the donate to local causes thing, where 1% of the value of your shop is donated, perhaps some kind of initiative with them to donate products to local schools instead of cash?
I don't know. Thinking out loud, but I'd like to do something.

Signed and shared, it literally took 2 seconds, please do it, all those reading!

Signed

Signed and shared. I live in an area with a high proportion of FSM children and make