Have you ever made a makeshift tampon out of loo roll?
Sure, you know it's probably not great (understatement) for your health, but it's preferable to bleeding through your jeans while you hot-foot it to Boots.
While most of us have been caught out by our periods at some point, for many women and people who menstruate, this is a regular – not to mention traumatic – occurrence.
Ahead of Menstrual Health Day*, GLAMOUR attended a parliamentary roundtable hosted by Bloody Good Period (BGP), a charity which advocates for menstrual equity, including equal access to menstrual care products, educating people about their reproductive health, and eradicating shame around periods.
We heard from an incredible array of speakers, who each shared their powerful perspectives on how the government, healthcare professionals, schools and workplaces can better support those who menstruate. And a couple of hours later, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called a general election – just in time for BGP's latest campaign.
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BGP is calling for the next government to stop period poverty once and for all. But I thought the government had already scrapped the tampon tax! I hear you cry. Well, it's actually slightly more complicated than that.
While the tampon tax – that's the VAT applied to menstrual care products like pads, tampons, and cups – was abolished in 2021 (and period pants in January 2024) in England and Wales, these products are still not accessible to everyone who menstruates.
A 2022 report showed that the abolition of the tampon tax short-changed women and those who menstruate. The report showed that only 1% of the VAT savings was passed to consumers; the rest was retained by retailers. The bottom line? Period products didn't get much cheaper after the VAT was removed.
The ongoing cost of living crisis has exacerbated the issue, with 21% (one in five) of UK women and people who menstruate struggling to afford period products, a third of girls are missing school due to a lack of access to period products; and 20% of people who can't afford period products coping by using makeshift materials, such as loo-roll or sponges.
BGP has launched a petition (which you can sign here) calling for all the political parties to commit to including the following in their manifestos:
- Legislating for free period products in public places across England and Wales
- Continuing the free period products scheme for schools
- Providing accessible menstrual healthcare for everyone
- Ensuring shame-free, inclusive education about periods – so we can all have normal period conversations and get the support, information and products we need.
Rachel Grocott, CEO at BGP tells GLAMOUR: “It's about bloody time that we got comprehensive, meaningful government action on period poverty – making period products freely available for everyone who needs them, normalising menstruation as a topic of conversation, and providing shame-free, inclusive education on periods, for all.
“Scotland and Northern Ireland have made history with their legislation to provide period products, and Wales has published its Period Dignity Strategic Action Plan, which includes improving the availability and accessibility of period products, although this is not yet protected by law.
“England, in comparison, has taken minimal steps which haven't met everyone's needs, and leaves huge groups of women and people who have periods completely unsupported.
“The General Election is our chance to make sure that change actually happens.”
*As per Bloody Good Period's recommendation, we refer to menstrual “health” instead of “hygiene”, as the latter may imply that periods are somehow unhygienic (they are not). Click here for more information.
"Everyone deserves to have a good period, regardless of their status in this country."
For more from Glamour UK's Lucy Morgan, follow her on Instagram @lucyalexxandra.
