• Home
  • Health & Wellness
  • Disclaimer
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice
Podcast
  • Home
  • Health & Wellness
  • Disclaimer
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice
24/7 Health News
No Result
View All Result
Home Article

The pandemic made period poverty worse in the UK – but also led to new ways to combat it

February 2, 2022
in Article
0
The pandemic made period poverty worse in the UK – but also led to new ways to combat it
file 20220202 19 aym3ds

Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock

Despite the UK being one of the most developed countries in the world, there are still thousands of people in Britain who are not able to afford or access period products or menstrual health services – what’s known as “period poverty”. The pandemic has only made this worse.

When the UK entered its first lockdown in March 2020, all “non-essential” workplaces were closed. This included many places that had been providing free period products, education and healthcare for those experiencing period poverty, including schools.

Shortly afterwards, children’s charity Plan International UK released a report showing the impact that this was having. It highlighted how the closure of support services and stockpiling was making it more difficult for people to find tampons, pads and other period products that were affordable.

Our team then conducted research to see how things evolved from this point. Over 18 months (July 2020 to December 2021), we collected data from 34 UK services providing period products, menstrual health education or menstrual health support to find out how they adapted. We also surveyed 240 people across the UK who had experienced period poverty during the pandemic to find out how they had been affected. Here’s what we found.

Where did all the period products go?

Access to period products did indeed become more of a problem during lockdown, with our findings echoing what had previously been reported by Plan International UK and the media. Of the people we surveyed, 85% had experienced difficulties accessing products during lockdown. This lack of products was at the heart of most people’s experiences of period poverty.

But this wasn’t just because they couldn’t afford them. The people we spoke to also couldn’t find products in the places they usually got them from. Places that had provided free products, like schools, were closed, and shops and supermarkets were running out of affordable options.

Empty shelves in a supermarket
Along with certain foodstuffs and toilet paper, period products were also stockpiled early on in the pandemic.
Orlowski Designs LLC/Shutterstock

Period poverty services also told us of how “new groups” needing help getting products had appeared because of the pandemic. NHS staff were contacting services for products as their workplaces didn’t provide them during long shifts. People who had lost their jobs or been furloughed now needed support because they couldn’t afford products. And period products were often missing in packages provided by food banks or for clinically extremely vulnerable people that couldn’t leave their houses during lockdown.

To meet this increase in demand, new ways of providing products appeared. Period poverty services created “take what you need” boxes, which offered products for free in public places. They also started doorstep deliveries or posting products to people’s home addresses, while social media and community groups communicated where people could get products from.

Support services found that connecting with and supporting new groups and communities was actually a huge benefit of lockdown, and many of the solutions they came up with during the restrictions were kept up after they lifted. Services supporting schools told us that a particular positive was the opportunity to promote reusable period products, with requests for these increasing during lockdown.

But it’s not just about products

Services also told us that plenty of people contacted them for menstrual health advice during lockdown, in the absence of easily accessible healthcare. We were told how accessing GP appointments had become difficult and that people felt they shouldn’t “bother” their doctors about their menstrual health, as it wasn’t as important as COVID.

Of the people we spoke to who had experienced period poverty during lockdown, 75% stated they had needed support or advice about their menstrual cycle while restrictions were in place. Yet only 20% actually sought support from a medical professional. Some didn’t have access to safe and private spaces to be able to attend online or telephone appointments with their GP but were offered no alternative form of consultation.

This highlights that during the pandemic, as in times beforehand, period poverty has been about more than just period products themselves. Rather, it is a problem of unequal access to all aspects of period-related support.

Should there be further lockdowns in this or a future pandemic, our research suggests that the need for support to deal with period poverty is likely to increase. This need will be there so long as there isn’t a central strategy and policy to address period poverty across the UK.

Having a robust, consistent approach to tackling all elements of period poverty is the best way to make sure people’s needs are met. It’s what the UK should be aiming for – pandemic or no pandemic.

The Conversation

Gemma Williams received funding for the Periods in a Pandemic research project from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), part of UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) rapid response to COVID.

ShareTweetSharePin
Previous Post

Parkinson’s disease: men who consume more berries and red wine may live longer – new research

Next Post

Cancer drug could help fight HIV – new research

Next Post
Cancer drug could help fight HIV – new research

Cancer drug could help fight HIV – new research

Most Read

What causes stuttering? A speech pathology researcher explains the science and the misconceptions around this speech disorder

What causes stuttering? A speech pathology researcher explains the science and the misconceptions around this speech disorder

December 15, 2022
morning back pain

Morning Again Ache Trigger Is Not the Mattress

October 11, 2021
lower back pain relief exercises

5 decrease again ache aid workouts

October 11, 2021
3 years after legalization, we have shockingly little information about how it changed cannabis use and health harms

3 years after legalization, we have shockingly little information about how it changed cannabis use and health harms

October 15, 2021
Nasal vaccines promise to stop the COVID-19 virus before it gets to the lungs – an immunologist explains how they work

Nasal vaccines promise to stop the COVID-19 virus before it gets to the lungs – an immunologist explains how they work

December 14, 2022
bleeding in gum

When The Bleeding in gum Is Severe ?

October 11, 2021
Good Night Sleep

6 Causes of Good Evening Sleep

October 11, 2021

COVID vaccines: how one can pace up rollout in poorer international locations

October 5, 2021
Ten small changes you can make today to prevent weight gain

Ten small changes you can make today to prevent weight gain

October 12, 2021
Support and collaboration with health-care providers can help people make health decisions

Support and collaboration with health-care providers can help people make health decisions

December 16, 2021
Greece to make COVID vaccines mandatory for over-60s, but do vaccine mandates work?

Greece to make COVID vaccines mandatory for over-60s, but do vaccine mandates work?

December 1, 2021

Multiple sclerosis: the link with earlier infection just got stronger – new study

October 12, 2021
News of war can impact your mental health — here’s how to cope

Binge-eating disorder is more common than many realise, yet it’s rarely discussed – here’s what you need to know

December 2, 2022
Nurses’ attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination for their children are highly influenced by partisanship, a new study finds

Nurses’ attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination for their children are highly influenced by partisanship, a new study finds

December 2, 2022
Kick up your heels – ballroom dancing offers benefits to the aging brain and could help stave off dementia

Kick up your heels – ballroom dancing offers benefits to the aging brain and could help stave off dementia

January 3, 2023
How hot is too hot for the human body? Our lab found heat + humidity gets dangerous faster than many people realize

How hot is too hot for the human body? Our lab found heat + humidity gets dangerous faster than many people realize

July 6, 2022
The promise of repairing bones and tendons with human-made materials

The promise of repairing bones and tendons with human-made materials

January 4, 2022
As viral infections skyrocket, masks are still a tried-and-true way to help keep yourself and others safe

As viral infections skyrocket, masks are still a tried-and-true way to help keep yourself and others safe

December 14, 2022
How regulatory agencies, not the courts, are imposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates

How regulatory agencies, not the courts, are imposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates

October 24, 2021
Heart disease risk from saturated fats may depend on what foods they come from – new research

Heart disease risk from saturated fats may depend on what foods they come from – new research

November 29, 2021
Late night eating may cause greater weight gain – new research points to why

Late night eating may cause greater weight gain – new research points to why

October 12, 2022

10 Things I Learned During My Body Transformation

October 12, 2021

7 Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes

October 12, 2021
Nobel prize: how chilli peppers helped researchers uncover how humans feel pain

Nobel prize: how chilli peppers helped researchers uncover how humans feel pain

October 12, 2021
How air filters can make COVID wards safer for patients and staff

How air filters can make COVID wards safer for patients and staff

December 1, 2021
GPs don’t give useful weight-loss advice – new study

GPs don’t give useful weight-loss advice – new study

December 16, 2022
Four ways to avoid gaining weight over the festive period – but also why you shouldn’t fret about it too much

Four ways to avoid gaining weight over the festive period – but also why you shouldn’t fret about it too much

December 22, 2022
Five ways to avoid pain and injury when starting a new exercise regime

Five ways to avoid pain and injury when starting a new exercise regime

December 30, 2022
Why suicide prevention support is crucial for people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

Why suicide prevention support is crucial for people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

September 28, 2022
Too hot to handle: Climate considerations for youth sport during the hottest years on record

Too hot to handle: Climate considerations for youth sport during the hottest years on record

July 19, 2022
  • Home
  • Health & Wellness
  • Disclaimer

© 2020 DAILY HEALTH NEWS

  • Home
  • Health & Wellness
  • Disclaimer
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice

© 2020 DAILY HEALTH NEWS