Struggle for access to sanitary items

One in four women who responded to a survey have struggled to access sanitary products in the last year.

The research, carried out by Young Scot, surveyed 2,050 people to help the Scottish Government consider the best way to deliver free sanitary products, with publication coinciding with International Women’s Day. The majority of those that answered were at secondary school, college or university.

The Scottish Government has made a commitment to make sanitary products available for free in schools, colleges and universities in Scotland. Of those respondents in school, university or college who had struggled to access sanitary products, 60 per cent couldn’t access the product they needed.

Nearly three-quarters (71 per cent) had to ask someone else for a tampon or towel or use an alternative such as toilet paper (70 per cent). The survey asked how people would prefer to access free products in the future.

The most popular option was to have them available for free in school, university or college toilets, while the least popular option was to have them available from a member of staff. The second most popular option was to receive a card they could use to get free products from shops.

Louise Macdonald, chief executive of Young Scot, said: “No-one should ever have to experience stigma or stress when accessing sanitary products.”