Period poverty and not being able to afford sanitary products

[youdothebestvoices]

I recently saw something somewhere about the tax that is on feminine hygiene products (tampons, pads) and although the tax has been scrapped, this was never reflected in the cost of the products, and therefore the companies are just making more money without benefits being passed on to the consumer. This is unfair, of course.

This prompted a wider discussion around period poverty, and I suggested people try to switch to reusables if possible. Better for the environment, better for your pocket long term. I've been using them for about a year and I've probably saved around £70 this year and they're all going strong, no staining, I'll probably have them for several years before I need to think about replacing. I got a bit of stick for this saying how are people meant to be able to afford reusables if they can't afford disposables.
I think a starter pack of reusable pads will cost around £30 - £40, which includes everything you generally need for one full period, and individuals will cost somewhere in the region of between £3 - £7. There is also the option of making your own. A box of disposables will be somewhere between £1 - £7 depending on the brand you choose.
A reusable cup is circa £20 and there are other options too.

I really don't care if somebody chooses to use disposables, I opted for reusables once I realised how much I'd save long term, that I could get them customised for my flow (meaning I use three times less pads per day), better for the environment, less likely to give you thrush. Regardless of this, they aren't for everyone, that is fine.

But here is a serious question, and I am sorry if this comes from a place of privilege. Has anyone ever met anyone (in the uk) that cannot afford sanitary products? I am sure that there are people that can't, but how common is period poverty?

I can't say that I have met anyone who struggles to afford them. We are a working class household, I know several people that are on UC and receive other benefits, but none of them have ever said they struggle to buy sanitary products (this does include households with multiple women in), several of them have also opted for using period pants, cups, or similar, because they feel the initial cost is worth it longer term. Some that use disposables have just said they buy extra when they are on offer.

I'm really sorry if this is a thoughtless post and I also know that not everyone will chat to people about how easy they find it to purchase feminine hygiene products but I genuinely want to know how common this is, because I don't think I actually do know.
If you are somebody who has struggled to purchase these in the past, or now, I don't want this post to cause any offence as I genuinely want to understand if this is a common issue.

If you want to vote:
YABU - period poverty is really common
YANBU - I don't think I have met somebody who struggles with purchasing these

We don't realise how progressive Scotland actually is until threads like this...

It's a wonderful initiative. I get the local authority to arrange delivery of my period products to my front door.

It's sadly very common but not something people talk about.

It leads to girls missing school and women listing work because they sent afford it.

Yes, it is still the price of ten packs of pads from Tesco, and many people are going to want a pad as a backup until they get the hang of it. Assuming you can use them on their own reliably once you know what you are doing?

It is a thing. I work in a very MC firm, but it hires lots of students and apprentices. We have a variety of sanitary products freely available in the female changing rooms, which I think is a great initiative.

I think it should be mandatory for employers who are paying female employees below a certain threshold to provide the same.

I've looked at this thread, with a wry smile. I'm probably older than most on here.

My mother grew up in the 30s/40s and she used to talk about the days before disposable sanitary products.

Thry used to have to make pads - sew oblongs with padding in. No washing machines, no dryers, no outdoor facilities. Poverty. They used to boil them on a stove top.

This was even more chaotic during the war years.

She said she literally cheered when Dr Whites introduced a belt and disposable sanitary towels.

It might have been more expensive - but it freed girls and women up from the faff and humiliation of trying to make, wash, and home made pads.

Virtue signalling over the planet is great when you can afford it. Meanwhile, let's just push for free/affordable sanitary products for everyone that needs them.

Why try to make life harder? 🙄

Someone asked what did people do in the days before disposables.

One thing to consider that

Why?

She's so brave wearing her £5k dress

Thanks for sharing but your house was bought for how much and why was your partner on min wage?

^just curious by the way. I don't understand how this all happens.

How is that relevant to a thread on period poverty?

Thanks for sharing your story about a terrible time in your life when you were really poor but actually I would like to ask you really intrusive questions in an abrupt manner about your finances despite the fact I don't know you

.... in the days before disposables girls would have started puberty/periods later and probably used cloths/home made sanitary protection that needed to be washed frequently. I imagine those in poverty would have dealt with it in fairly unsanitary conditions.
While I have nothing against reusable San pro (I use it myself) I'm not sure looking back to times when women were more marginalised, had less of a voice and less choice is the way forward.

I think there are possibly some people who potentially could use reusable but might be put off, or not be aware of what's available (I started using a menstrual cup 3 years ago but actually I could have afforded one before that. However I tested it out during lockdown so I was at home)
But I also know that for a lot of people it's not the best option for a number of reasons, including the initial cost and the cost/facility to launder them.

My view is that sanitary products should be like toilet roll and freely available in every toilet. We would never not supply toilet roll because it's absolutely essential to being hygienic and sanitary products should be treated as equally essential. I can guarantee that if men had periods there would be products free to use.

@Wonderingifitstimetogo she decided to share. Why are people So Gate-keeping about what information to share.

She decided to share about a time she couldn't afford period products not how much her house cost and why her husband earns what he did

Someone sharing a little bit of their life with you doesn't entitle you to ask intrusive questions about things that have nothing to do with their post or with you

Do you ask random people these things in conversation in real life

Working at a foodbank shop (people on benefits could sign up and pick 10 items for £2), there were some people there making choices between food and sanitary items in their 10 items. In the end we made it 10 plus 1 sanitary item as that is not a choice anyone should have to make. Do yes. There are people having to make choices that hard.

I tried reusable nappies… cost a lot upfront then so much washing I just couldn’t keep on top of it. With all the stress of being a mum with newborns and a toddler I just needed the easier option. I don’t think reusables are that much cheaper with all the washing but I do prefer the reduced landfill. Dd1 uses period pants. I’ve not bought them for me because I want to lose weight and don’t want pants that wont last. Dd is still growing though so not cheap.

@Wonderingifitstimetogo yes why not.

Same with the loo roll and stealing. As a student in the early 00s I was absolutely broke. No parental support and very high living costs left me with very little other than rent in my final year, I regularly used to walk miles to uni and go without food. I used loo roll and too stole or made excuses to get pads from friends ‘oh no i wasn’t expecting my period, have you got a spare pad’ etc.

I use period pants now but no way could I make that work back then for loads of reasons. I never had the upfront cost for the pants and if I did I couldn’t have bought enough pairs so I’d constantly have to wash and dry them which I couldn’t afford/didn’t have the time too. The drying in particular is a problem over winter. They take an age to dry and if it’s too cold and wet to hang them out then you have a long wait, so need quite a few pairs.

Although I was skint, I certainly was not struggling as much as many women currently are, so from my limited experience I can absolutely see how they are prohibitively expensive.

Back when I lived in the UK I ws another who couldn't afford sanitary towels/tampons. I used to use toilet paper pads I made for when I was 'light' and save pads for my heaviest days/limit changes.

When talking about random subjects you pry as to why someone's partner is on minimum wage in real life? Wow, that's one way to interact I guess.

I have severe endometriosis. On lighter flow days, I use either period pants (M&S) or reusable pads (Cheeky Wipes). Due to past trauma, I can't use menstrual cups. On peak flow days, I get heavy bleeding with gushes and clots. Those days, reusable pads are out of the question (I'd have to carry around a massive wet bag) and the period pants wouldn't be enough. So I use a disposable pad and period pants. Sometimes still not enough.

I am mindful of the environment but reusables don't always work- for financial reasons and for cases like mine, where there is gynaecological issues.

I think it's also important to remember that a lot of finding suitable reusable's is trial and error.

I have purchased a starter pack of reusable pads (£30), a mooncup (£20) and some reusable tampons (£25) none of which have worked for me or made me feel safe / secure when on my period. So I am back now with my trusty disposables.... £75 down and still being criticised and racked with guilt that I am destroying the environment. How much more should I spend on trying different brands? Shapes? Products?

I think the trial and error people mentioned is a huge barrier. Even if people can in theory make the finances stack up for the up front being poor means you don't have a safety net. You can't take the risk.

As many have patiently explained it's also privilege to have space to keep them, to wash them, to dry them - loads of circumstances where they don't work for people. Which increases the risk as you can't always transition to sole use. I have reusable and in general I get on with them. But I don't take them to work, there isn't anywhere to put them. I am fortunate to have a garden that I can dry them in and a heated airer I can turn on. What if you don't? I have access and no concerns about washing at 60 degrees if I feel it's needed. I live in a household where no one is icked out by them.

Poverty isn't specific to a particular item - and given the rates of poverty at the moment of course you know people in poverty. They just haven't told you