Too poor to buy sanitary towels

the_pen_turner

whoopsadoodles wrote: »

I know some schools here have a basket or whatever in the girls bathrooms from 5th class up. Not sure if it's the standard thing though.

STs can be gotten for a pound and a pack would likely last the average teenage girl's week each month. So £1 a month. It's pretty upsetting to think they can't afford that.

it is pretty shocking to think someone couldn't afford 1 euro a month. most of us probably loose that a month

Zaph

BlinkingLights wrote: »

Am I right in thinking we charge VAT on condoms though?!

The current VAT rate on condoms is 13.5% However you can choose not to have sex, or not to use a condom if you do have sex, so essentially they're an optional purchase rather than a necessity.

nosilver

dev100 wrote: »

It will end up that way here eventually too. We copy everything from the Brit's and we seem to be following the health care model from the US .

Thankfully I can't see that ever happening, though I do think its a little too generous here, but not to an excessive level.

Cupcake_Crisis

Zaph wrote: »

That's outrageous. It's a basic necessity for half the population, and while I don't necessarily agree that they should be free, except for those who genuinely can't afford it, could you imagine the uproar if they started charging those sort of prices for other basic necessities like bread or milk?

I nearly fell out of my standing when I first moved here. Tampons are more expensive again. A pack generally contains 10-12 pads so a woman could EASILY go through 2 packets per cycle, costing about $20 just to menstruate. Now imagine your a woman who is still menstruating, with 2 daughters who are also menstruating, the cost gets ridiculous!

freshpopcorn

the_pen_turner wrote: »

it is pretty shocking to think someone couldn't afford 1 euro a month. most of us probably loose that a month

Now I don't mean to generalize here but in my experience those who'd actually suffer and find hard to buy the basics are generally quite people who say nothing and just hope to scrape enough money together or get things off friends and family. In my experience those who run off to papers/radio stations can often have enough money to buy luxuries whilst complaining they can't afford the basics.

the_pen_turner

freshpopcorn wrote: »

Now I don't mean to generalize here but in my experience those who'd actually suffer and find hard to buy the basics are generally quite people who say nothing and just hope to scrape enough money together or get things off friends and family. In my experience those who run off to papers/radio stations can often have enough money to buy luxuries whilst complaining they can't afford the basics.

the local ones in my area that are all complaining about having no money are all sitting at home watching sky + on a 42 " flat screen.

the ones that genuinely have no money are out working or trying to scrap together enough to buy the basics.

R.D. aka MR.D

This is about children who are missing school because of their periods and people are turning it into a debate about 'scroungers'. They are children. It takes a good while for a lot of girls to figure out their periods and deal with them mentally/emotionally. I know it took me until my 20s.

Sanitary products should be provided free for any girl of school going age, no questions asked. Even if some girls abuse that system (some will, a lot wont) then at least girls who need it will have access to it.

whoopsadoodles

whoopsadoodles wrote: »

I know some schools here have a basket or whatever in the girls bathrooms from 5th class up. Not sure if it's the standard thing though.

STs can be gotten for a pound and a pack would likely last the average teenage girl's week each month. So £1 a month. It's pretty upsetting to think they can't afford that.

Not around here, you can't!

When my daughters still lived at home, I used to stock up in the nearest big town, or cheaper again, ASDA, if I went into N.I.

I used to get some funny looks at the tills, though!

One eyed Jack

JupiterKid wrote: »

I was on a UK web discussion forum this afternoon and there was a thread about situations where teenage girls weren't going to school because their parents couldn't afford to buy them sanitary towels. Are sanitary towels that expensive? I'm a man and I've no clue but I would have thought that they were a basic necessity, like toothpaste and bog roll.

Quite a few posters on the thread opined that it was a case of bad parenting with some parents prioritising booze and cigs over their daughters' basic needs but one or two posters said that poverty in Britain was so bad for some these days that yes, it was very possible.

Thoughts? And would it happen here?

It happens here, but I'd agree with those people who suggest that it's poor parenting rather than poverty is the cause. Parents who prioritise their own wants over the needs of their children aren't exactly a rarity, and it isn't necessarily an issue of their social class either.

ceadaoin.

Candie wrote: »

There are people who can't spare the money for even the cheapest own brand products in the Western world today. Sometimes it's because they can barely afford to put food on the table - and to some toothpaste is a luxury - and sometimes it's because of chaotic drink/drug abuse by the adults leading to neglect of the children.

In sub-Saharan Africa, 1 in 10 girls who attend school will have to miss it during menstruation as they have no choice other than 'freebleeding'.

In other parts of the world girls are dying in "menstruation huts", where they are banished to for the duration of their period.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/22/asia/nepal-teen-dies-menstruation-hut/

It's crazy how a normal biological function for half the population is treated as such a taboo, even in the western world to an extent.

I do find it shocking that families in the UK can't afford sanitary protection for their children. I think that reusable options such as mooncups or washable pads should be more widely marketed. Cheaper in the long run and better for the environment.

mariaalice

The difference between Ireland and England if you are poor/on benefits is is wide and has widened over the years, I was chatting to someone who teaches in an inner city school in the UK, and they remarked that they would never ask pupils to turn off their phones because it could embarrass those with no phones.

Here there would not be a teenager even one from a less well off background who doesn't have a smart phone, they remarked to me that where they teach some pupils would not have a phone let alone a smart phone because their parents are too poor.

JupiterKid

I agree that real poverty might be worse in the UK than in Ireland because of the endless cuts to benefits being made by the Conservatives, and I think it will get a lot worse when the full impact of Brexit is felt. Not good times to be struggling in the UK.

Will there be people out protesting on the streets because of this inequality?

222233

JupiterKid wrote: »

I was on a UK web discussion forum this afternoon and there was a thread about situations where teenage girls weren't going to school because their parents couldn't afford to buy them sanitary towels. Are sanitary towels that expensive? I'm a man and I've no clue but I would have thought that they were a basic necessity, like toothpaste and bog roll.

Quite a few posters on the thread opined that it was a case of bad parenting with some parents prioritising booze and cigs over their daughters' basic needs but one or two posters said that poverty in Britain was so bad for some these days that yes, it was very possible.

Thoughts? And would it happen here?

Yup, it could happen here I find it hard to believe though. Sanitary towels/pads would be the cheaper option in comparison to tampons and having said that not every girl can use tampons. Not to be too graphic either but a sanitary towel may last a girl with a regular flow 4 hours but may last a girl with a heavier flow a fraction of this.

I can definitely understand that people may not be able to afford tampons, as the type you buy may depend on your body, a box of Tampax is generally 4 -6 euro. I estimate my period costs 10euro a month, but understand it could be more expensive for others. Sanitary products are an absolute necessity it's a sad time if one can't afford them, there really should be a free option, there are many brands that are very cheap too from Aldi etc. so it is doable for less than 4 euro a month.. easily.

While periods are definitely an extra expense I find it hard to imagine that people just can't afford them..

nosilver

nosilver wrote: »

Yes. Poverty in parts of Britain is appalling. Social welfare system is third world.

Basic social welfare is about €85 for over 25's, children's allowances are about €23 for 1st child and €16 for other children.

Here jobseeker is €193, children's allowance is €33 per week.

Uk and USA are the two places you don't want to be if you are unemployed

To be fair, the UK is a welfare Utopia compared to the US.

the_pen_turner wrote: »

it is pretty shocking to think someone couldn't afford 1 euro a month. most of us probably loose that a month

It's often a multifaceted issue. Girls in families with extreme challenges can't always ask for money for these things, or if they do then addiction or mental illness or any number of social problems take precedence. Not everyone cares about their children missing school or being distressed or uncomfortable.

There can also be some cultural issues where these things aren't spoken of and the childs needs aren't anticipated. This is much more likely in a very diverse society like in the UK.

It's not always as simple as can't afford products, it's sadly often that it doesn't matter to the person holding the purse strings.

It's also extremely common in the poorest countries in the world. Suggestions about 'stuffing a load of toilet roll up there' does nothing to address the indignity of the situation for children and women in need.

This wonderful man: has brought a viable means of cheaply making pads to the poorest women in rural India, though even the cheapest isn't cheap enough in many areas of the world.

222233

freshpopcorn wrote: »

They sell them in £ Land in the UK for a £. A packet should last you a while.


http://www.poundland.co.uk/health-and-beauty/toiletries/feminine-hygiene

One of those packets would last 2 days or so. The biggest pack of pads is a 16 pack, you are meant to change a pad / tampon every 4 hours - the average period is 5 days in length, that's roughly 30 products a month.

ceadaoin.

ceadaoin. wrote: »

I do find it shocking that families in the UK can't afford sanitary protection for their children. I think that reusable options such as mooncups or washable pads should be more widely marketed. Cheaper in the long run and better for the environment.

To be fair, the poorest families aren't going to be able to fork over £30 for a mooncup for each daughter and mother. I agree it's a worthwhile investment in the long run, but that would be a huge chunk of income for the poorest.

I feel that these products could be made available in local surgeries and health centres for people in receipt of certain benefits. In Ireland, they could be provided for medical card holders with girls of menstruating age, maybe.

I'm not sure how workable that could be mind, but it's the only thing I can think of.

Mrs OBumble

Hunky Monster wrote: »

Or the arguement could be made that our system is FAR FAR too generous.

I've spent a month on our welfare lately. It doesn't even cover the rent.

Maybe too generous for those who get rent allowance but not for the rest of us.

hungry hypno toad

Cupcake_Crisis wrote: »

Can you not get free feminine hygiene products in family planning clinics?

Tbh, they should be free. Or at the very least tax free. The "pink tax" can ask me arse.

Why would they be 'free' for the 95% plus of people who can afford to pay for them?

Mrs OBumble

222233 wrote: »

One of those packets would last 2 days or so. The biggest pack of pads is a 16 pack, you are meant to change a pad / tampon every 4 hours - the average period is 5 days in length, that's roughly 30 products a month.

Haaaa you really wake up every 4 hours at night to change? I don't think so....

Recommendation is every six hours for tampons. Flow isn't constant thru the 5 days.

Here a pack of 14ish pads is 89c in Dunnes.

endacl

Cupcake_Crisis wrote: »

Can you not get free feminine hygiene products in family planning clinics?

Tbh, they should be free. Or at the very least tax free. The "pink tax" can ask me arse.

Can razor blades be free too?

Victor

Candie wrote: »

In sub-Saharan Africa, 1 in 10 girls who attend school will have to miss it during menstruation as they have no choice other than 'freebleeding'.

I do proofreading.

A thesis I did a few months ago raised this point. In the area studies, some of the local schools provide scholarships for some of the girls that include bikes (so they don't get pestered on the way to school) and sanitary pads.

endacl

endacl wrote: »

Can razor blades be free too?

While I definitely do take your point, the lack of razor blades isn't keeping boys out of school, leaving them exposed to infection, or the cause of up to 70% of reproductive disease in the developing world. It's not quite like with like.

Victor

Victor wrote: »

I do proofreading.

A thesis I did a few months ago raised this point. The local schools provide scholarships for some of the children that include bikes and sanitary pads.

Not universally, and it still leaves the bottom 10% of school goers - not every girl goes to school regularly - at home because of the lack of hygiene products.

There are enormous swathes of the continent without a local school, never mind one that offers scholarships.

charlietheminxx

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Haaaa you really wake up every 4 hours at night to change? I don't think so....

Recommendation is every six hours for tampons. Flow isn't constant thru the 5 days.

Here a pack of 14ish pads is 89c in Dunnes.

Sorry to anyone who thinks this is to much information but errrr when I was a teenager I used Super Plus tampons and pads and still had to get up at night every 3 hours for 5 out of 6 days. It was like that until the doctor prescribed me the pill to help. Even now I still have to do a change every 3 hours for the first 2 days. I'm not going to argue the products are generally unaffordable but a lot of women have very heavy periods, most of the women in my family suffered the same way I did, it's not terribly uncommon.

At the age of 29, and on the pill still, I use about 2 packets of tampons and a pack of liners every month. I feel very fortunate I've never had to worry about the cost.

PixiePoxbottle

A lot of schools have supplies at the office, all you have to do is ask. Also, when I was younger and would forget sanitary towels, I'd just use tissue. Not ideal but it did work. Anyway, I'm more surprised that the parents can't afford to invest in even reusable sanitary products.

BlinkingLights

As I see it, a small % of people may be on welfare even though they don't need to be but most people aren't.

When we were peak boom, unemployment rates here were very small and I don't think most people are overly keen to sit on welfare for no good reason.

I would rather pay tax and know that there's a system there to prevent that kind of poverty than to get a tax reduction knowing it meant some poor kid could afford the basics.

I just think somethings are worth paying for and I firmly believe that is the case with paying for a welfare state.

Manage it protect from abuse but always ensure it's there.

It's the difference between a society that values all its people and one that values nothing except money.

It's a bit like living in a big mansion while the rest of your street, town or village is falling to bits. I don't really think I could do that.

steddyeddy

Poverty is a huge problem in the UK. I always say you can measure a society by how they treat their worst off and the UK isn't on a good path. The Tory government is basically staffed by people who never had to worry about money. They won't feel the effects of the cuts they make on the poorest in society and it doesn't look like they care.

People like that subscribe to the myth that the poorest in society are the author of their own misfortune and the Eton lot are there through hard work. Things won't change until they're voted out and unfortunately Labour aren't a great opposition at the moment. Basic sanitary items should be made more affordable or given out free in schools.

RDM_83 again

Zaph wrote: »

That's outrageous. It's a basic necessity for half the population, and while I don't necessarily agree that they should be free, except for those who genuinely can't afford it, could you imagine the uproar if they started charging those sort of prices for other basic necessities like bread or milk?

Milk and Bread are both pretty expensive in Canada, dairy cattle numbers are artificially restricted AFAIK.

Actually this is a topic that came up with the Canadians I worked with they were moaning about how its so discriminatory that they charge tax on them but tax only adds maybe a dollar or two to the cost, the bigger issue which most Canadians I've met ignore which seems to apply to loads of stuff is that the market in terms of competition is basically broken here in terms that every sector seems to be dominated by 2-4 companies that don't compete, focusing on the tax issue ignores the bigger problem.

snowflaker

http://deadstate.org/youll-never-see-privilege-the-same-way-again-after-looking-at-this-comic/

trixychic

I came from one of these families. As a teen I would use plenty of tissue in my knickers till I got to school and visted the bathroom after every class.

We also never had shampoo or bodywash, often using aqueious cream to clean ourselves and our toothbrushes were never changed... just chucked in the wash and put back.

Funnily enough we always had money for dog food (for the 2 dogs and 2 cats we had) and mums fags and cans....

Anyways I suppose the point is that that level of poverty is very real in Ireland and has been for a while.