Period Poverty in the UK - What Does It Cost?

"One in ten teenage girls has, at some point, been unable to afford sanitary products. One in seven has had to borrow tampons or sanitary towels from a friend because they couldn’t afford to buy their own" - Channel Four News. Period poverty is a serious problem - many women of all ages are being affected by loss in earnings or income and increasing prices. Recently, it was suggested that the average woman spends £500 a year on sanitary products, a figure that has been debated in the press. Channel Four News has recently done a fact check on the figure (linked in the article). What they have found is that the £500 a year figure includes not only sanitary products but also the various ephemera that tends to go along with periods, from painkillers to chocolate. However, a survey of 2,000 plus people who menstruate (linked to in the article) did find that "Respondents [...] spent about £13 a month on sanitary towels, tampons, and/or menstrual cups, a further £8 on new underwear, and £4.50 on pain relief". For many people, these figures are not negligible amounts. Moreover, the social stigma and potential embarrassment of a period 'malfunction' carries with it an even emotional higher cost. However, we can do something to help within our Middlesex community. For example, Norwich University of the Arts has sanitary item dispensers in their toilets, as snapped in the attached image by a recent visitor to that campus. The fact that this dispenser was empty speaks to Jo and I of its necessity. This is what we, in conjunction with MDXSU, would like to see at Middlesex! We would like access to free sanitary products for all staff who menstruate provided by the University. Please help us by sharing this petition and gathering visible support for this vital campaign. Many thanks, Faith & Jo