My name is Raven Laing, I am a woman who has suffered from incredibly heavy periods, enduring heavy bleeding, since the age of 14 and I go through multiple packs of period products during my menstrual cycle. I am not alone in facing heavy and painful periods, yet the financial burden is overwhelming. I find myself in a position where I have to choose between buying necessary food or basic menstrual products because of how much I go through during a cycle, (5packs at most) and my cycles go from 5 to a week or 8 days. With the Nexplanon implant that I was using, had me bleeding for 28 days, my period products cost me £3.50 for the thicker pads/tampons and sometimes more depending on the brand. Bodyform is the cheaper option but they don’t last long. Always is more expensive but I can’t afford them every cycle. so imagine spending almost £100 on just period products alone. Menstruation is not a choice, nor is it a luxury, and it is certainly not something that should be subject to taxation.

In the UK, many women like me are affected by the ongoing cost of living crisis, forcing millions of families and individuals below the poverty line. We should not have to pay for essential products needed to manage a basic biological function. Tampons and pads are necessities, not luxuries, and treating them as such marginalizes and penalizes women for something inherent to our biology.

Consider these alarming statistics: on average, women who menstruate spend thousands of pounds over their lifetime on period products. Moreover, a survey by Plan International UK found that 1 in 10 girls can't afford menstrual products, and that many are forced to resort to using makeshift alternatives, which can compromise health and dignity.

Scotland has set a precedent by making period products available for free to anyone who needs them. It is time for the rest of the UK to follow suit. Implementing free access to menstrual products would make a substantial difference in the lives of countless women and ensure that no one has to choose between essential needs.

We call upon the UK Government and local councils to take immediate action by funding free menstrual products in public places, schools, and health facilities. By doing so, we will promote gender equality and ensure a basic standard of living for women everywhere.

Join me in demanding these essential products be made freely available. Sign this petition and be part of a movement that supports women's rights and dignity across the UK.