1 in 5 women suffer period poverty in Soctland

"nearly one in five women have experienced period poverty – when females struggle to pay for basic sanitary products on a monthly basis, which has a significant impact on their hygiene, health and wellbeing."

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/feb/05/period-poverty-scotland-poll-shows-women-go-to-desperate-lengths

We need universal basic tampons right now! :fuhrer:

Reply 1

Allah is Gangsta

4

Original post by ChaoticButterfly

"nearly one in five women have experienced period poverty – when females struggle to pay for basic sanitary products on a monthly basis, which has a significant impact on their hygiene, health and wellbeing."

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/feb/05/period-poverty-scotland-poll-shows-women-go-to-desperate-lengths

We need universal basic tampons right now! :fuhrer:

Ewwww rags and old clothes. That is sooo gross. Just thinking about it! :argh:

Reply 2

goggleyed

19

wait, don't they have clinics that give them out for free?

Reply 3

DecagonX

6

Surely this is just a case of poverty, £13 a month a pittance to most people.

How?

pads are really cheap if you buy own brand. I don't think they should be given out for free, Scotland already has free prescriptions and dental care and loo roll is as much as a necessity as pads and tampons are. I do disagree with VAT on them though as they aren't really considered a luxury in the developed world anyway, they probably would be in 3rd world countries I guess.

Reply 5

Tiger Rag

22

Original post by CoolCavy

How?

pads are really cheap if you buy own brand. I don't think they should be given out for free, Scotland already has free prescriptions and dental care and loo roll is as much as a necessity as pads and tampons are. I do disagree with VAT on them though as they aren't really considered a luxury in the developed world anyway, they probably would be in 3rd world countries I guess.

Own brand are meant to be quite horrible from what I've heard.

Some women have heavy periods. Some women like me, are on the pill and have periods far more often than once a month for a week...

Original post by ChaoticButterfly

"nearly one in five women have experienced period poverty – when females struggle to pay for basic sanitary products on a monthly basis, which has a significant impact on their hygiene, health and wellbeing."

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/feb/05/period-poverty-scotland-poll-shows-women-go-to-desperate-lengths

We need universal basic tampons right now! :fuhrer:

I disagree with VAT on them as they are in no way a luxury.

However, I wonder if those 1 in 5 cut back on alcohol, **** and other unnecessary things, could afford it? And like other users have asked cant they get them free in clinics?

Original post by Tiger Rag

Own brand are meant to be quite horrible from what I've heard.

Some women have heavy periods. Some women like me, are on the pill and have periods far more often than once a month for a week...

I use them and they are fine :dontknow:

and as someone with pcos before I was on the pill I had a lot of trouble with heavy periods although granted I didn't havethem as often. Tbh idk why people are spending £13 a month, you can get massive packs for less than £3 in places like BandM or home and bargain. I don't have a lot of money either in fact it works out £20 a week to live off after rent although my parent gives me bits of food here and there but even so. I get by by buying what I need not what I nessecarily want. In an ideal world yeh they would be free and I as a girl would ideally like this however in reality i don't as where does that money come from? The NhS is already under funded and stopped giving out stuff like eczema cream on prescription, all of these things are nessecary things to the person they affect. Toothpaste, soap, loo roll, laundry powder are all important for hygiene, where does the line get drawn.

Reply 8

ChaoticButterfly

OP

20

Original post by CoolCavy

The NhS is already under funded and stopped giving out stuff like eczema cream on prescription, all of these things are nessecary things to the person they affect. Toothpaste, soap, loo roll, laundry powder are all important for hygiene, where does the line get drawn.

The lines ecompases more and more until it engulfs everything if I have anything to do with it XD

But it seems like the line must stop at feminine hygein products for some reason. Oh well not like I need them anyway. Now to have a shave with my VAT exempted shaving products :biggrin:

(You can tell men make the rules)

Original post by Jack22031994

However, I wonder if those 1 in 5 cut back on alcohol, **** and other unnecessary things, could afford it? And like other users have asked cant they get them free in clinics?

Drinkers are great for the treasury though. It would probably be a net gain for the tax man TBO.

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 9

Notoriety

22

So poor that they have to use a sock instead?

Reply 10

Tiger Rag

22

Original post by CoolCavy

I use them and they are fine :dontknow:

and as someone with pcos before I was on the pill I had a lot of trouble with heavy periods although granted I didn't havethem as often. Tbh idk why people are spending £13 a month, you can get massive packs for less than £3 in places like BandM or home and bargain. I don't have a lot of money either in fact it works out £20 a week to live off after rent although my parent gives me bits of food here and there but even so. I get by by buying what I need not what I nessecarily want. In an ideal world yeh they would be free and I as a girl would ideally like this however in reality i don't as where does that money come from? The NhS is already under funded and stopped giving out stuff like eczema cream on prescription, all of these things are nessecary things to the person they affect. Toothpaste, soap, loo roll, laundry powder are all important for hygiene, where does the line get drawn.

Not everyone has a B&M or Home Bargain near them. I don't.

Original post by Tiger Rag

Not everyone has a B&M or Home Bargain near them. I don't.

Try poundland then or wilko or poundworld. Nationally most people would probably have some variety of cheaper shop near them and if they don't that goes beyond the argument of sanitary pads, that is the argument of affording anything but not everything is going to be given for free unless there were sky high taxes and then people would moan about that

Reply 12

DecagonX

6

Original post by Tiger Rag

Not everyone has a B&M or Home Bargain near them. I don't.

How about Amazon?

Reply 13

AperfectBalance

21

I mean we should remove VAT on them but I dont honestly see how so many coud not afford such a cheap Item, as people have said before I wonder how many of these people were in this situation through their own fault

Reply 14

MrFreeze3000

4

Don't see why this is an issue, just man up and deal with it.

Reply 15

username521617

17

Original post by Jack22031994

I disagree with VAT on them as they are in no way a luxury.

However, I wonder if those 1 in 5 cut back on alcohol, **** and other unnecessary things, could afford it? And like other users have asked cant they get them free in clinics?

Original post by AperfectBalance

I mean we should remove VAT on them but I dont honestly see how so many coud not afford such a cheap Item, as people have said before I wonder how many of these people were in this situation through their own fault

Last time I checked, the full 20% VAT is applied to most toiletries, including toilet paper, hand soap and toothpaste, whereas tampons are only at the 5% VAT rate. The term "luxury" is obviously pretty meaningless in the UK tax system as it can apply to just about anything.

Regardless, that amount of tax is so small it's bearly noticeable.

Reply 16

AperfectBalance

21

Original post by Dandaman1

Last time I checked, the full 20% VAT is applied to most toiletries, including toilet paper, hand soap and toothpaste, whereas tampons are only at the 5% VAT rate. The term "luxury" is obviously pretty meaningless in the UK tax system as it can apply to just about anything.

Regardless, that amount of tax is so small it's bearly noticeable.

I know, I just hope it shuts up the people that complain about how much they cost when it is very cheap

Reply 17

Lovesick

8

Original post by CoolCavy

I use them and they are fine :dontknow:

and as someone with pcos before I was on the pill I had a lot of trouble with heavy periods although granted I didn't havethem as often. Tbh idk why people are spending £13 a month, you can get massive packs for less than £3 in places like BandM or home and bargain. I don't have a lot of money either in fact it works out £20 a week to live off after rent although my parent gives me bits of food here and there but even so. I get by by buying what I need not what I nessecarily want. In an ideal world yeh they would be free and I as a girl would ideally like this however in reality i don't as where does that money come from? The NhS is already under funded and stopped giving out stuff like eczema cream on prescription, all of these things are nessecary things to the person they affect. Toothpaste, soap, loo roll, laundry powder are all important for hygiene, where does the line get drawn.

Probably these women don't have a penny left out of less than subsistence level benefits, having to put money in gas and electric meters, feeding the kids and themselves, paying the required contributions to council tax bills etc etc etc. You think you have very little, they might have nothing.