Periods Don’t Stop for Pandemics
In the early days of lockdown, an aspect of the pandemic that we all became a little too well-acquainted with was the unprecedented, sometimes hysterical, nation-wide response of the mass-stockpile which monopolised our conversations for weeks. As supermarket queues stretching several miles formed around the country, we began to see the flight of toilet paper from shelves, alongside other household items which we previously took for granted as being in perpetual stock.
What often goes unmentioned, however, is another facet of mass-purchasing that half the population probably hasn't even noticed. The systematic stripping of shelves has not remained the prerogative of the toilet paper and canned goods aisles, but has spread to the toiletries territory too. It was only a few days into lockdown when menstruators across the globe began to notice a severe shortage of period products on the shelves. People turned to online sources, yet even those who resorted to procuring their period products on Amazon found that there were serious shipping delays. It became abruptly obvious: those who could afford to had rinsed the shelves clean of period products.
But what do people do when their period comes around and there is not a single sanitary product in sight? People continue to menstruate amidst the throws of pandemic panic buying, the crimson wave doesn't account for the purse strings tightening because of a Covid-induced furlough. In short: periods most certainly do not stop for pandemics.
As with every other aspect of the pandemic, those who will be disproportionately affected by this are those from vulnerable backgrounds, alongside those whose financial difficulties have been exacerbated by the loss of jobs and wider economic uncertainty which the pandemic has brought about. Those who are usually reliant on free period products, for example from work or school, now don't have access to them. Equally, food banks and shelters have been inundated by an increased number of requests from women who simply cannot accommodate period products in their budget. These sources of distribution have found themselves unable to keep up with the higher levels of demand, and desperately need donations.
Additionally, it has been shown that the pandemic has also disproportionately affected women in other ways, not only by stymying their access to a dignified menstrual experience. Lockdown has prevented women from having access to reproductive healthcare services such as contraception or safe abortions, which is predicted to result in a huge spike in unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortions and pregnancy related-deaths. Women also make up the majority of those working on the frontline of the pandemic: globally, 70% of healthcare workers and, on average, 9/10 nurses are female. With the closure of schools and diminished accessibility of care providers, there has also been a huge increase in unpaid care work. This is most often shouldered by women in usual circumstances; the effects of the pandemic have exacerbated this by a vast degree. All this without even making a dent on the mention of the 700 percent increase in calls to the domestic abuse charity Refuge’s helpline (of course, not by any means an issue which solely affects women - but figures show that 2/3 of reported domestic abuse victims are female).
In “normal” times, 1 in 5 people in Scotland suffer in period poverty. This number has only increased since the start of the pandemic, and as things stand, will only continue to grow. Many who have been stripped of access to period products are forced to resort to substituting hygienic menstrual products with old rags or newspaper, posing a huge potential health risk.
It’s perhaps because of the stigma attached to the topic of menstruation that this issue hasn't been more widely discussed. For the same reason, some women are often too embarrassed at food banks and similar welfare projects to ask for the products they need, meaning that menstrual products become a neglected resource. This again leads people to turn to other, less hygienic, ways of coping with their period, causing an undignified menstrual experience which is often accompanied by feelings of shame.
Lockdown and social distancing measures have limited the access to these resources and have prevented community workers from reaching those who require access to period products. Volunteers at food banks are often older, and have been forced to follow government guidelines to stay at home, reducing the number of volunteers working. It is also vital for young women and girls who are getting their period for the first time during the pandemic to have access to resources and education about menstruation, so that they have the right tools and knowledge to set them on a good path for a positive menstrual experience for the rest of their lives.
This is a vital reminder that not only is this a pressing issue during lockdown, but that the effects of the pandemic will have long term ramifications for those living in period poverty.
How can you help?
There are several ways you can support menstruators from the safety of your home during this time. Now more than ever, if you can afford to, is the time to make the switch to reusable menstrual products. This ensures that you’re leaving the shelves full of period products for others who perhaps don’t have the facilities to use reusable options. It also allows for organisations such as women's shelters to bulk-buy period products to provide for the increased number of those who are dependent on donated period products. There are also numerous personal benefits to making the switch to reusable menstrual products: you'd be helping the Earth by sparing the huge amounts of landfill which single-use products occupy; they don't release the toxins which plastic-based reusable options emit into your body; and, of course, the one-off payment which lasts you at least a couple of years’ use of a reusable option provides you bank account with a welcome monthly relief from overpriced single-use options. Opting for a reusable pad from a business such as Sanitree, who employ local women from vulnerable backgrounds in India to make environmentally-friendly pads, contributes a positive social impact both environmentally and in terms of the global effort to help period poverty, in a way which empowers women in India at the same time.
However, switching to reusable options is of course an adjustment process. If you haven't quite got to grips with your reusable product and are phasing it in alongside mainstream ones, or making the financial commitment isn't an option right now, or you simply just don't get on with reusable products - there are still ways to help, starting with where you shop. Try to shop for your menstrual products with more self-awareness, and consider opting for a brand with a social impact. For example, Hey Girls’ “Buy One Give One” products ensure that for every one of these bought, Hey Girls donate a pack of period products to those who need them. This creates a sustainable route for access to free period products, helping improve the quality of life bit by bit. These products are marginally more expensive than other products on the market, but create huge positive social impact rather than huge numbers of pennies going into corporations’ pockets.
If you really want to go the extra step and do as much as you can to help alleviate the detrimental menstrual impact which the pandemic has caused, you can of course donate! It is safer to donate your money than to try to hand-deliver pads. Several organisations have set up schemes to do the delivering for you, to reduce social contact. Sanitree have set up a JustGiving page, collecting donations in order to donate reusable pads to food banks in Edinburgh, seeking to provide women with safe and reliable menstrual products for both the near and foreseeable future.
The Environmenstrual Campaign, led by WEN (Women’s Environmental Network) has also compiled a fantastic Period Support UK Directory which briefly details wonderful schemes across the UK that have been set up to help from a number of different approaches, and also provides links to the donation pages. This is an easily digestible way to get a brief outline of each approach, to know which resonates with you most and decide where to direct your generous donations. The WEN website also directs you to a number of brilliant resources for reading up on the numerous discriminatory effects of the pandemic, from a number of original angles which you wouldn't necessarily have come across in your daily scroll. You can find the link to these resources here.
Additionally, for campaigns local to Edinburgh, the Hygiene Bank Edinburgh have compiled a helpful list which they are continuously updating, giving information on various ways in which organisations around Edinburgh are helping during the pandemic, and the various ways you can help these efforts. For instance, the Hygiene Bank themselves have partnered with FareShare and Boots in order to deliver over 200,000 essential toiletries as donations to NHS workers and vulnerable people.
The sheer volume of information about the pandemic being presented to us everyday can be incredibly overwhelming and mentally draining, so comprehensive lists such as these are invaluable for drowning out excessive noise and rerouting the spotlight to the needs of those who the virus has had catastrophic effects on. This time has huge potential for reforging a sense of community and mutual support during an otherwise potentially debilitating period.
If you are in a position to, There are a huge number of ways you can use your time at home to support menstruators around the world in trying to sustain some sort of everyday normality, and ensure their menstrual dignity is maintained.
Marina Rabin is a second year student at the University of Edinburgh studying Social Anthropology. She is a member of Sanitree, an Edinburgh and India-based social enterprise which helps provide reusable sanitary products for women who cannot afford them.