Period poverty

[ChocolateAndMoreChocolate]

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

OP if you'd like to PM me your address I will happily Amazon prime you a menstrual cup or a pack of reusable pads, whichever you'd find most useful :)

Someone sent you money didn’t they OP?

Who remembers good ol’ Margaritte?

cat, are you aware that around four years ago a woman managed to obtain what amounted to hundreds of pounds from various sources by pleading poverty on here?

Are you aware that two years ago a woman lied about being in a refuge at Christmas and as a result had Christmas to order?

It isn’t being a thundercunt. It really makes mumsnet a shit place. I’ve been skint and I can’t post about it here, why, because now people would automatically think I was begging. There’s loads of good advice and support that now can’t be accessed for that very reason.

MN - where not appearing stupid is FAR more important than helping someone out who may need it.

Yeah understanding internet safety makes me a thundercunt

@Babdoc The good old days eh?

Thankfully the rest of us don’t think the olden days, when we all died in childbirth, weren’t quite so glorious.

The reusable pads and fancy period pants are very expensive. They might save money in the long run but they’re not suitable for everyone and you have to have the money to fork out for them in the first place. Everyone I know who uses them can only use them at the beginning and end of their period when it’s not so heavy.

Even on a very tight budget I was never without protection. We are all in funds at some point - just buy 2 packs when on offer.

Many girls in Africa, Asia and India don't have sanitary towels. They manage with a few strips of cloth. It's a problem the world over. That said, I sympathise OP. In the interim use bunched up tissue paper. It's what I do if I'm fought short when I'm out and about

For the PP who said there should be moon cups handed out in school- they are doing this now. I work in a school in Glasgow which Hey Girls supports: there are disposable pads, cups and packs of 6 reusable, bamboo pads all available in every bathroom. Just so you know that things are beginning to change.

We, as a staff, are also starting up a scheme where we donate toiletries/ mini toiletries to be available to both boys and girls. Having a deodorant/ shower gel/ shampoo can be the difference between coming to school or not.

Who is paying for that?

@hashtagthathappened yes. I've been on Mumsnet for almost 14 years now.

Heaven forbid I'm out a few quid.

You don’t mind being scammed then? Ok. There’s a few MLMs with your name on, I think. And a Nigerian man has left you all his money.

around four years ago a woman managed to obtain

Someone. Maybe a British woman. Maybe a Nigerian teenager. Maybe a Russian middle-aged man. Who knows? Because anyone can say anything on the internet, and be whoever they want to be.

(If you're referring to a previous poster with a flowery M name, that was shocking. People happily posting money, goods and vouchers.)

For heavens sake. People were offering to send her some tampons - hardly scam of the century, was it?

And next time it’s the electricity and then it’s the baby needs formula milk and then the kids need school uniforms.

Whether OP is a troll or looking for contributions or not I would like to remind people the period poverty is actually something that lots of teenage girls experience (and I am sorry if you hate the term, if it makes you feel better the deprivation they face also encompass financial, educational, housing and just bloody family life and future life chances). I work in child protection in a deprived area and although most people do not believe it; these days there is not a spare 10p in the budget. Rolling up socks of loo paper is not ok. These lovely young girls already feel shit about life. I have lone parents who can hardly breath due to terminal lung conditions now being denied PIP as they could find a job sitting down, victims of life threatening domestic violence with PTSD basically being told to get over it. Etc, Etc and the system has already failed them as many were care leavers or have suffered significant abuse or neglect themselves. I think it is okay to want their children to have a better start in life, including sanitary protection. Would any one really want their child to use loo roll or old sock?

@snoopdogsbitch I think that's brilliant. While you can get these things in the food bank I can imagine lots of teens wouldn't ask and would go without instead. At least in your set up it's easy and anonymous

Still like to know how it’s funded!

Hi folks

Can we have a bit of peace and love, please?
Personal attacks are not on. Thanks.

Hashtag, there's a world of difference between a MNetter opting to send someone a couple of quid in the full knowledge that she might be sending it to a scammer but electing to still carry on to a vulnerable, gullible person who falls foul of a romance scam genuinely believing the scammers

The poster made it very clear that it was the staff bringing it in. What difference does it make to you how it's funded ?