We know that the people you speak to at your club might have some questions about providing free period wear. Here are some common questions with our responses - if you have more questions, drop us an email and we will help you with an answer.
Question: Why aren’t girls & women prepared for their period? They know it’s happening every month.
Answer: Period timings can change each month due to a number of factors such as age, health conditions, stress levels, fatigue, how fuelled a female is and how active she is. When a girl first starts her period, it can take some time to fall into a regular pattern. For example, a response to our questionnaire was that after two years of periods, their timing was still unpredictable.
Likewise, the amount of menstrual blood lost can change month on month too. A girl might be prepared for a light flow but find that the flow is heavier this month and so she needs to use more period wear products.
Question: Won’t the free period products scheme be abused? Won’t period products be stolen?
Answer: Firstly, when thieves are considering what to steal, period products are nowhere on that list. If there’s ever a black market in period wear, we’re in real trouble. If period products are taken en masse, it’s because they’re needed. They won’t go to waste and it could be that girls are taking them because they are victims of hygiene or period poverty. In our experience, during the first three months of providing free period wear, there may be a flurry of use but it should calm down after that, when girls and women realise that the products will always be there.
Question: What do we need to provide?
Answer: At a bare minimum, it would be great to provide some good quality period pads also known as sanitary pads. These could be just in a basket or clearly marked bag in the ladies’ toilets or a free dispenser could be installed. Taking into consideration the bare minimum other items that you could include are as follows:
a selection of tampons for different flows - light to super heavy
wipes
a disposal method such as FabLittleBag - these bags are not only great for period wear but also for soiled underwear, if need be.
Question: How much is it going to cost the club?
Answer: That depends on the range and quality of products you purchase. We recommend buying good quality products that do the job from sustainable brands but there are other options. Buying from well-known brands will ensure quality. Cheaper products will be of poorer quality and are likely to ‘fail’ leading to more trips to the toilets, leakages and a lack of confidence in the product, causing anxiety whilst being active.