Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

Period poverty

305 replies

ChocolateAndMoreChocolate · 23/07/2019 12:44

AIBU to remind you period poverty exists?

Came on this morning, did not have any sanitary items. Asked my DM to send me £5 until payday (Friday). She could only PayPal so I tried to withdraw the funds and I’m on a 72 hour wait!

So no view of having sanitary items for 3 days... and now I also hate pay pal Sad

OP posts:
BlackCatSleeping · 23/07/2019 15:40

I used to be really broke, but always bought a big packet of cheap san pro on pay day so I never ran out.

These kinds of threads never go well.

AbsentmindedWoman · 23/07/2019 15:42

Honestly, it's jaw-dropping that some posters cannot comprehend that some others might have NO money. At all. Literally can't understand that there are folks out there who do not always have a spare fiver.

shieldmaidenofrohan · 23/07/2019 15:54

Absentminded, I think that there are plenty of people who have never experienced poverty, either in a personal capacity or working with it. They have absolutely no comprehension that some people have literally nothing but the clothes they are standing in, a kettle and some pot noodles

fudgesmummy · 23/07/2019 16:31

I’m the coordinator for The Red Box Project in my area, I have boxes full of sanitary products in my spare room 😁
If someone local to me needed some I would be more than happy to give some to them, do you know if there is a Red Box Project in your area?

user1486131602 · 23/07/2019 16:32

Jaqueshammer

So many people seem to have missed the point. Especially those who have never been in real need. I also offered to send some for tomo.

The poor girl who posted this, must have been embarrassed, then to be berated by women for something that is natural is shameful.

chocolateAnd more chocolate

My offer is still there, if you need some sanitary products I will gladly send some in time for tomorrow. Pm me.

Thegreymethod · 23/07/2019 16:44

That old chestnut.... you've managed to afford internet blah blah blah..... Internet isn't really a luxury is it? You need it these days for all sorts of reasons. You have no idea why the OP is a bit skint this month, she might be quite comfortable usually and has been caught short this moth. Give her a break.

ethelfleda · 23/07/2019 16:46

What a horrible thread. It has descended into people not only berating the OP, but also mocking people like JacquesHammer for offering to help!

Just think... what if it isn’t a scam, eh? Maybe it is. But it might not be. And i would also rather be a fiver short and be considered naive than someone who wouldn’t have the kindness to ever offer help to anyone.

Derbee · 23/07/2019 16:51

I accept not everyone has extra money lying around. However, the OP is in a position to have her mum send her £5. Surely it’s shortsighted to spend it on sanitary products which will run out rather than buying a menstrual cup and having nothing else to spend on sanitary products for a year.

Fair enough, not everyone is wealthy. But you can help your own finances in certain ways by being sensible surely?

shieldmaidenofrohan · 23/07/2019 16:53

However, the OP is in a position to have her mum send her £5. Surely it’s shortsighted to spend it on sanitary products which will run out rather than buying a menstrual cup and having nothing else to spend on sanitary products for a year.
Mooncups start at £21.99. Not £5

shieldmaidenofrohan · 23/07/2019 16:55

I can buy an awful lot of boxes of tampons for £22 - and not everyone likes the idea of a mooncup

Derbee · 23/07/2019 16:56

@shieldmaidenofrohan Mooncup is a brand. Non branded menstrual cups are available for £2.48 on Amazon (with free delivery)

A PP has mentioned others available on eBay for £1.97 delivered

If you are very tight on don’t have to buy branded items

wigglybluelines · 23/07/2019 16:57

I also hate the term Period Poverty and I have been skint enough to not be able to afford sanitary products, so anyone about to shout about privilege can fuck right off.

Period poverty is indeed just poverty. I feel very uncomfortable about calling it period poverty, I can't quite put my finger on why, but its frequent use among the woke makes me think there must be an agenda behind it.

When I was too broke to have tampons I used toilet paper.

When we were too broke to have toilet paper in the house we used to used newspaper as toilet paper, but I didn't go about saying I was in toilet poverty, I just got on with it.

(Thankfully I don't think I ever ran out of toilet paper on my period, but if I had done, I would have found a solution).

The issue was lack of money, not fucking period poverty.

AngrySquid · 23/07/2019 17:01

OP if you’re in Cardiff I can try to drop some pads to you tonight
(Don’t care to be told I’m a mug, I’m sure scammers don’t deal in Bodyform!)
Hope you’re ok Flowers

wigglybluelines · 23/07/2019 17:04

Amazon menstrual cup (takes a while to deliver, so for next period) - only £1.66 including delivery.

Would need to know size needed (size of cervix - this is a large).

www.amazon.co.uk/TOOGOO-Reusable-Medical-Silicone-Menstrual/dp/B06XK4N9SP/ref=pd_sim_121_1/259-9715820-8286554?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

shieldmaidenofrohan · 23/07/2019 17:05

I think the term period poverty has caught on because it has raised an issue that nobody has really thought of before
Served no offence but I'm not convinced that the grade of silicone supplied for that price would be something I'd be prepared to stick up my fanjo for 3 days - or that it would be very comfortable. It's a bit different but I've seen cheap eBay rips offs of silicone cake decorating moulds much cheaper than the brands they rip off - different grade silicon and the mould isn't quite the same, it has rough edges and bits that don't align. They also may lack ISO and safety considerations. Thanks but no thanks.

wigglybluelines · 23/07/2019 17:05

Or if her mum can give her £3 more, this could be delivered for tomorrow:

Menstrual cup (this one is small)

www.amazon.co.uk/GRRRL-CUP-transparent-alternative-ecofriendly/dp/B0728NVJ7H/ref=sr_1_18?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

Whitecandle · 23/07/2019 17:07

Well after reading all this I've purchased a cheeped branded mooncup... hate the fact it's 'small' or 'large' tho.

Small says if you have no kids and large if you have kids.... I have a 6 month old but feel like I'm tighter down there since a baby so what the hell....

stucknoue · 23/07/2019 17:08

Asda's basic pads are 20p. They are the kind we all used 30 years ago, bulky but effective (all the supermarkets have a value range). Foodbanks often have them. I spend about £3 a month for the three of us (we use a combination), I know money is tight for people but be honest, you didn't waste £1 on anything that wasn't 100% essential in the last month? I'm not doubting poverty or you being caught short this month but as a society it's not a massive problem, debt is - most low income people are struggling because of repayments on debt.

LosingLola · 23/07/2019 17:11

Also, the cheap one linked says the measurements are +/- 3cm. Cups are around 4cm in length, so they're saying it might be 1cm or 7cm. That's a ridiculous amount!

These things are usually measured in mm. So either they've got an inaccurately measured product that probably won't fit, or they don't know what units they've used and so have an inaccurately measured product that probably won't fit.

wigglybluelines · 23/07/2019 17:12

I have a 6 month old but feel like I'm tighter down there since a baby so what the hell

It's about the size of your cervix, not your vagina, you numpty! Grin

AngrySquid · 23/07/2019 17:12

I think I’d chance newspaper/envelopes folded on my knickers over putting a £2 eBay mooncup up my fanny as per Shieldmaiden’s comment.
Also some women can’t get to grips with mooncups (I’ve tried 3 different types, none of them work for me and one I nearly had to go to the GP to get removed!) I do however use reusable pads now.
However I was once a teenager living alone in a bad situation and regularly skint, I’ve faced being unable to buy pads, my only option without bus fare was the local chemist which was £2.50 a pack. £2.50 I didn’t have, I have pcos and v irregular periods and was caught short twice. Imagine being so poor you’re in that situation then sparing £20 for a mooncup on your next payday only to be unable to use it properly and going short that month and still potentially being unable to buy pads/tampons due to the loss of that £20.
Pretty crushing. I’m not convinced the recommendations are all that helpful.
Just help the woman find some fucking pads.
OP, if you’re still here (and I don’t blame you if you aren’t) please let us know vaguely where you are in the country or let someone post you some.

Whitecandle · 23/07/2019 17:13

@wigglybluelines ohhhh😅😅😅 how the F am I gunna get it all the way to my cervix?? When the midwife was checking my cervix I thought she was about 60 foot inside my body lol. I'm soooo clueless about my own body it's quite embarrassing actually 😂

cavalier · 23/07/2019 17:15

I’m glad somebody has raised this
Sanitary products are very cheap these days
Can’t believe reports in the papers
Tissue used instead ... that just wouldn’t work for goodness sake
The cheap shops have loads of cheap products

wigglybluelines · 23/07/2019 17:19

I'm soooo clueless about my own body it's quite embarrassing actually

Ah, don't worry, loads of us are! Sounds like you're going to have a fun game of hunt the cervix when your cup arrives Grin

AngrySquid · 23/07/2019 17:19

@Cavalier- the price of pads in Poundland, savers, Wilko, big supermarkets etc are always raised on these threads cheap shops are often in town centres (which wherever I’ve lived are usually the most expensive areas to live in) so I wouldn’t say the suggestion is that useful for someone poor TBH.
Bus fare can be up to £5 for a return/day ticket but tends to average £3.50 or so in my experience. No one wants to walk for miles especially if you’re potentially going to leak.
It would usually be cheaper to pay £2/3 in the chemist or local premier than pay bus fare plus the cost of the pads.
But it’s all a moot point if you don’t have that few quid