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.

My periods are currently lasting between 8 and 18 days (thanks to the implant) and I dint spent £25 per period. Ridiculous.

I have to use Tampax Super Plus and long pads, and I have to change every 2 - 4 hours, day and night. A period can go on for 3 or 4 weeks. Supermarket own brand just aren't absorbent enough.
I might have a period in 2 weeks time, or not for 6 or 8 weeks or longer, I have no way of knowing when, so have to keep stock in.

Then there's the cost of painkillers, replacement knickers, nappy sacks for the waste and laundry. Especially sheets and towels - I sleep with a towel under the sheet. I also have a second sheet under the first so at night I can just whip off the top sheet and the beds already made.
I never thought I'd say this, but I'll be glad when I've passed the menopause.

Can I point out if you have such heavy flows ladies you need to go and see your GP and get your iron levels checked. And vitamin D.

My periods used to be crazy insane heavy. Then I had loading doses of vitamin D for something else and my hormones and periods have somehow magically regulated too. Apparently they are connected.

I absolutely believe the women on here changing tampons every hour. I’ve done it myself for ten days straight.

Oh I believe it. I just am gobsmacked that the doctors fob people off when this is clearly a serious and dangerous issue that interferes with quality of life. They won't let women give blood more than every 16 weeks because it can cause anemia. Some on here would be losing about 4 times that amount- the equivalent of donating a pint of blood every month. That's really dangerous.

So many women's health issues that aren't taken seriously.

As for replacing knickers I find a salt soak a bio wash work wonders and yes I do have period pants I won't just throw away it's wasteful

I'm with you. 1 pack of tampons. One or two panty liners.

Must admit I have had everything checked and rechecked and just told I'm too sensitive to my own hormones. Which doesn't help when each period is like being in labour in terms of pain and blood loss. Being put on the mirena coil AND taking progesterone only pill plus Cipramil And substantial quantities of mefenamic acid does help, but does not get rid of everything. All my gps I've seen have just told me to suck it up - I wish!

My 2x 50p Aldi pack and 20p paracetamol box does the trick . Thankfully I always come on Friday nights which is when I get hideous cramps through the night and then over the weekend so no time off work.

Off topic I know, but if you soak soiled under wear in cold water before washing you can get out the worst stains. Also with any stubborn stains a normal bar of soap does the trick no need for expensive stain removers.

G1ngerpig - if mumsnet let you give hugs, I would
Have flowers instead

I literally dread mine...

Oh bugger it, let’s have cake and wine

What are people’s thoughts-are they the answer to period poverty?

For some, they won't be, but most women can use them. I think they should at least be included as an alternative in the information given out at schools and there should be more awareness-raising around them and they should be routinely stocked in supermarkets. For those who are able to use them, they save money, but they are also better because they don't involve putting bleached cotton inside your body. I have definitely noticed since using mine that my periods have become much easier and less unpleasant. It might be a coincidence, but when I used tampons in the past, as soon as I put the first one in, I would be hit with cramps and nausea. I still get some pain, but nowhere near as bad and I do wonder if it's because I am no longer using tampons.

I buy branded night time sanitary towels and use 2-3 packs per period. Costs around £10 in total.

For every woman who is spending £25+ a month in sanpro, there'll be someone with a moon up, or very light periods. I can't see how £25 could possibly be the average figure.

Yes, some women bleed like they've been stabbed, and it goes on for 2 weeks. Others (me included) bleed pretty lightly for 2 days, and have never leaked even using the small tampons. I don't even get through a box a period. I do need a fair amount of painkillers, but they cost 35p a pack.

Most people are surely in between, with periods lasting maybe 5 days, some heavy and then lighter days. Most peoples periods aren't either extreme.

My mum showed me that after my first period Lily. It's like a little miracle the way the blood lifts out in cold water

I agree this MP will lose credibility over this. I used to use about 15 plus tampons and some liners and painkillers and having just added this up it is around £5.
I expect with extremely heavily periods it is much more. But on avaerage I expect woman spend anything from 3-10 quid.

2 packs of sanitary towels, 1 pack of panty liners, though they sometimes last two months. More loo roll, that’s it. Pain killers I have in so don’t buy especially though do use them.

thank you for the advice RomeoBunny

Accupuncture can have also surprisingly helpful results!

Yes you are U. A year ago I'd have agreed, after my third child I could easily hit £25.

Implant, coil, pills won't touch the flood that falls out of me. I have to have the super plus tampax and change hourly for the first 2 days. Overnight I have some pads for my bed, a tampon (changed 3 times overnight) and sanitary towels. The nhs prescribes me strong painkillers, takes some of the edge off. My period can last 8 days, it's only by day 4 I can change them 4 hourly.

The hot water bottles, head pads, prescription, additional painkillers, pads, tampons and bed pads cost a fortune.

I'm being considered for surgery, I need until it's been a year after childbirth and I need to try more pills to be considered. I'll be costing the NHS a fortune as well as myself.

Suggesting cheap tampons for a heavy flow is basically like suggesting toilet paper.

Does she have gold plated tampons?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-42013239

This calculator is based on 13 periods a year, 22 pads or tampons a cycle, 13p per pad or tampon. Comes to £37 a year.

I guess my periods are of a medium heaviness (I get through about six super tampons on the first day, three a day for the next two days, then towels for a few days). I don't spend more than £1 a month on sanitary protection. I buy Sainsbury's Basics towels and Wilko's cheapest tampons and they're fine for me (cheap doesn't automatically mean poor quality).

And I've tried a mooncup, that just wasn't practical due to work and such an awful amount of blood.

Oh and the cost of vanish to remove all the stains from underwear and jeans must count

I usually buy the big packs of pads which generally last me 2 and a bit periods + the night time one which cost around £1.50 as I generally buy them in offer which in total cost me 3.50/£4 every 2 months, it probably costs more to stuff my face the week before which is usually a tell sign it’s coming 😂

Mine has lasted 9 days so far and has been sickeningly heavy, I probably have spent £8. It would probably be less but the only pads I like are Always Infinity Pads. I needed more of the overnight ones due to how heavy the period has been.

I do agree that that figure sounds high for the average woman but I can see how it could be that expensive for someone who does have very heavy long periods. I feel really lucky after reading this thread. When I did have periods (pregnancy/breastfeeding no periods yay ) I would probably spend between £5-10 a month as I like to use tampax rather than generic.
There's no way in hell though that period products should be taxed as a luxury item.. but of course it is it's a womens problem.