Period poverty is something we’ve long been aware of in the developing world, but recently many of us have had our eyes open to horrifying issues being faced right here on our doorstep.

The charity Freedom4Girls, who normally send supplies to Kenya, has for the first time provided towels and tampons to a local Leeds school after girls were found to be truanting whilst on their periods. The media attention led to other schools across the country speaking up about similar problems – with teachers admitting to buying extra out of their own pocket, as well as discovering that pupils use toilet tissue or even socks in the place of real protection.

With towels and tampons available in pound shops and discount stores it’s hard to imagine the desperate situations faced by those pupils who have to improvise every month. But the reality is that this is happening countrywide, and it’s not a simple case of money, either – the stigma around menstruation is also playing its part in the UK’s period problems.

How have we, as one of the most developed countries on earth, got into this state?

Periods aren’t anyone’s priority

Not the supermarkets’, not the food banks’, and not the shelters’. And not ours as donors, either – towels and tampons are frequently left off lists of items to bring as donations even when towels, toothbrushes, paste and deodorant are there. The stigma around periods translates into families simply not getting given what they need.

Stereotypically, periods are talked about like we can avoid them or ignore them. Brands like Tampax market their wares as something we should want to hide; meanwhile, trolls talk about periods as if people can ‘make do’. Whether it’s about buying towels and tampons or putting up with the pain, they insist that things can’t be ‘that bad’.

Well newsflash, folks. There are students lining their pants with socks. This shit is bad.

Period poverty can affect anyone

Like other social issues – such as homelessness and the refugee crisis – mainstream media paints a one-size-fits-all picture of poverty and of families living on benefits. Our best friend Richard Littlejohn was moaning about benefits ‘scroungers’ getting new iPhones as far back as 2010; the idea that everyone struggling with money looks like a Dickensian caricature is nothing new.

It’s ridiculous to assume that families in financial difficulty don’t ever have treats. Would you want a pack of Always Ultra in your Christmas stocking? Didn’t think so. I’m not saying that playstation games and holidays should come above providing basic necessities for your family, of course, but council-housed families passing up pads for cheap vodka? That somewhat oversimplifies the situation.

The shame of asking

Asking for help is so difficult and period poverty is made worse by the stigma surrounding periods in the first place. Imagine the embarrassment of asking a food bank for more of anything, let alone towels and tampons.

Equally, if a pupil doesn’t have a good relationship with their parent or carer, imagine the embarrassment of telling them you need more protection. As we mentioned, social media was quick to tar the schoolgirls’ parents with the ‘scrounger’ brush, insisting that their spend on booze and cigarettes could be cut. But what if those children are suffering silently?

What about those suffering with particularly heavy or painful periods? Some people have reported waiting up to twenty years for a diagnosis for their menstrual problems – what if you have no registered GP or don’t get taken to the doctor when you’re sick?

Is there a solution?

The extent of the UK’s problem with access to menstrual care has horrified many, and since the news broke many educators, parents and politicians have sprung into action. A petition to make tampons and towels free has reached over 63,000 signatures [note: the URL states they should be free ‘for females’ – we believe you should have access to towels and tampons whatever your gender identity.]

Others have rightfully called for menstruation education in schools to tackle the ingrained social stigma around this issue. The solution, really, is about both. We need to make sanitary protection easier to pick up, and easier to ask for. Let’s send the message far and wide: missing school for your period isn’t just a crying shame – it’s a bloody travesty.

Featured image by Ann Wuyts and reproduced under the Creative Commons License