To say a period does not cost £25

[jinjkl]

I hear the story on the radio about MP Danielle Rowley standing up in parliament to speak out about period poverty.

Good on her - it shouldn't be a taboo subject and I feel for the homeless women or those in poverty who cannot afford basic luxuries. But I can't agree with her statement that each period costs £25, and that women spend £500 a year on sanitary products.

You can buy a 20 pack of supermarket own brand tampons for £1 and that lasts a whole period. Even if you buy Tampax you won't be spending more than £3. Sanitary towels are about the same.

You can pick up some painkillers for under £1. I know some women have extreme periods which require prescription medication, but this is uncommon and it still wouldn't cost anywhere near £25.

Some would probably argue it's the cost of replacing soiled knickers, but the whole period poverty campaign is centred around sanitary protection, not giving women women to buy new knickers after a period (I wish!)

I want sanitary protection to be free as much as the next person, but I just can't abide by these exaggerations. Any woman knows they don't spend £25 every month on their period, and if you are spending this much there is something seriously wrong.

No need for the outrage over the cost...eating food is also essential and costs me a dam sight more.

Pretty sure that the need for food is universal and affects all, not to mention the fact that there are food banks and measures in place to try and ensure people eat enough food.

No need for the outrage over the cost...eating food is also essential and costs me a dam sight more

Yup. They're absolutely the same.

Well, considering we'd die without food and we still need to pay for it, cannot see why sanitary protection is especially worthy, except in the case of under 18s being able to access it.

Supermarkets sell tampons for under a pound a pack, is it?

It depends what absorbancy you need, mate! Morrisons, Tesco, et al sell non-applicator tampons for that price in regular, super, and super-plus.

However, some of us need Super Plus Extra (very heavy flow 15-18g) and/or Ultra (extremely heavy flow 18-21g). For that, you need to pay branded prices, and moreover, the greater the absorbancy, the fewer you get per packet.

For Lillets Super Plus Extra, you get 14 per pack, and for Lillets Ultra, you get ten.

However, they are heavy; so I always use tampons and pads, and

That last line shouldn't have been there.

As an aside, I find that for my heavy periods these thin pads like Bodyform and Always are useless and I've gone back to good old fashioned bricks! Nice and long and thick. Of course they don't sell them in my supermarket, so I have to spent money traipsing about to Home Bargains and Wilkinson's where they do sell them. Money...

Well, considering we'd die without food and we still need to pay for it, cannot see why sanitary protection is especially worthy, except in the case of under 18s being able to access it

Ok. So you want a loaf of bread. You can choose the cost of the type of loaf you want.

A lot of women CANNOT choose the cost because they're forced to manage the hand they're dealt by biology.

Dangers of cheap supermarket tampons:

www.look.co.uk/news/aldi-tampons-208911

Whisperer At least the bricks will definitively not be scented!

My DD has been unable to go on a school trip today due to a hideous period.

There is - of course - the cost of that...

A lot of women CANNOT choose the cost because they're forced to manage the hand they're dealt by biology

You do realise that prescription medicine is not free don't you? Many people who aren't exempt from paying struggle to afford that!

You do realise that prescription medicine is not free don't you? Many people who aren't exempt from paying struggle to afford that

Uh huh. I was responding to your initial analogy regarding food but sure, you want to bring in another straw man?

For people who are on certain benefits they get exemption from prescriptions. That doesn’t extend to san pro

My point is that we all have things to pay for which are essential to life.

My point is that we all have things to pay for which are essential to life

And yet some women can’t. Which then has knock on effects to their working life.

@Graphista

"you clearly HAD the choice not everyone does! I even wore a precautionary pad on my wedding day - can you imagine? "

I used the word chosen precisely for that reason - even the most regular women have times of their lives when their periods are very unpredictable.

And yes, actually I can imagine. It's awful. I have to wear a pad every single day of my life now due to massive complications from cancer (which was of course diagnosed late due to be clearly being a hysterical woman who wasn't really in pain). And there is now a daily risk of poo and well as blood and urine. So I always wear black granny pants, large enough to contain my pad, and I rinse 'damaged ones' in cold water before washing. I very rarely throw them out. I simply couldn't afford to do that.

I can understand replacing stained outer clothes but it doesn't matter if your pants are stained as long as they are clean. Nobody sees them.

Mirena stops periods though.

In some women, it does NOT. It is not a magic bullet for every single woman. That's a complete myth. For about 10-15% of users it causes very adverse side effects that make it unusable for them.

Am I the only person grossed out by the thought of a mooncup? All the stagnant blood! But my periods are very very heavy so it's probably not suitable. I go through about 8 tampons and towels (I have to double up) every day for 6 days, and then I spend extra on stain remover, painkillers etc. I also buy disposable knickers as I was sick of leaking onto my cotton ones. So I reckon it costs me £20 per period, I can see how someone might spend £25

Mirena did not stop my periods one bit.

Sorry if it’s been answered upthread - but how does £25 per period amount to £500 per year. Are there 20 periods in a year?

Mirena (like any method actually) is variable - it can work brilliantly or cause unbearable effects. Most contraceptive options are the same, works for one and dreadful for others.

Mirena generally reduces period heaviness but it can lead to unpredictable bleeding and spotting as well, or have no effect on periods at all. While the amount of hormones are low in it, some women are sensitive to it. It’s also often unpleasant to have inserted and there’s a small risk of infection or perforation as well.

There’s no magic bullet that’s easy, side effect free and suitable for all women for heavy periods. What SHOULD happen is proper medical follow up to determine the individual cause and then action as needed.

However, that’s obviously not happening.

I have a set of black cotton period pants. Then you don’t have to worry about stains. They’re not granny though - M&S high leg.

Am I the only person grossed out by the thought of a mooncup? All the stagnant blood! But my periods are very very heavy so it's probably not suitable. I go through about 8 tampons and towels (I have to double up) every day for 6 days, and then I spend extra on stain remover, painkillers etc. I also buy disposable knickers as I was sick of leaking onto my cotton ones. So I reckon it costs me £20 per period, I can see how someone might spend £25

I felt similarly til I spent some time in Gynae and was told by my consultant to give one a go (I have Endo so my periods are ridiculously heavy - I get out of breath walking up the stairs when it's at it's heaviest because i'm so exhausted, yet go to the gym daily and am otherwise totally fit and well). It has been an absolute game changer for me. There's a bit of a learning curve at the start and a bit of getting over the 'ick' factor, but it's been the best thing for my periods. They're still as heavy as ever but less painful than when I used tampons and I don't dread them and worry about flooding constantly any more.

Am I the only person grossed out by the thought of a mooncup?

Nope! I can't see how practical it is in a public place -that include toilets at work - either.

I poop everyday several times per day sometimes with urgency. I go through a hell of a lot of toilet paper... should that be free too? To those suggesting I have medication to stop it.. I do and pay for my prescription but that doesn’t help. I could shower I hear you say.. but I’m on a water meter too.

yanbu OP, £2 at most here!!