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'Periods don't stop in a pandemic': charities call for help as lockdowns spark shortages, price hikes

Plan International distributed 615 menstrual hygiene kits to girls and young women as well as 1,020 bars of soap to vulnerable households in Kafue District, as part of the Covid-19 response in Zambia - Plan International
Plan International distributed 615 menstrual hygiene kits to girls and young women as well as 1,020 bars of soap to vulnerable households in Kafue District, as part of the Covid-19 response in Zambia - Plan International
Coronavirus Article Bar with counter
Coronavirus Article Bar with counter

Periods do not stop during pandemics, and millions of women and girls worldwide are facing severe shortages, price hikes and increased stigma, several charities have warned.

Almost three-quarters have experienced restricted access to the necessary products, according to a survey of health professionals in 30 countries worldwide by the children's charity, Plan International.

Almost 70 per cent have restricted access to facilities to change, clean and dispose of period products, 58 per cent have seen an increase in price, and just over half a lack of access to information, services, and even clean water.

One in four reported increased stigma and shaming during their periods.

Rose Caldwell, chief executive of Plan International UK, said: "Periods don’t stop for a pandemic, and whether we’re talking about girls in the UK, Rwanda, Australia or Nepal, the coronavirus crisis is making it harder for girls and young women to manage their periods safely and with dignity.

Many of the issues we're seeing existed before the pandemic, but the virus is making the situation worse."

In Nigeria's Borno State, 1,400 adolescent school girls were provided with dignity kits to help them manage their periods during the lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The girls also received training on how to use the kits, which included six pairs of pants, a reusable sanitary pad kit and four bars of soap.  - Plan International
In Nigeria's Borno State, 1,400 adolescent school girls were provided with dignity kits to help them manage their periods during the lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The girls also received training on how to use the kits, which included six pairs of pants, a reusable sanitary pad kit and four bars of soap. - Plan International

The Plan survey followed Menstrual Health Alliance research, chaired by WaterAid India, released last month which found that nearly a quarter of women were unable to access any sanitary products at all.

Many of the 67 organisations surveyed that made or distributed sanitary products or education had been re-diverted to face masks, and only a quarter were still operating fully, it found.

Ms Caldwell said women and girls having to 'make do' with whatever they could find posed a real health threat and increased the risk of infection.

“Period stigma is both a cause and consequence of gender inequality and can have a serious impact on girls’ life chances. It’s therefore critical that governments and health agencies prioritise menstrual hygiene management in their response to the coronavirus crisis and treat sanitary products as essential items during the pandemic and beyond," she added.

The Plan survey of professionals working in health and sanitation services, released to coincide with World Menstrual Health Day, echoed findings from the UK, where over half of the girls questioned have had to use toilet paper as a result of being unable to afford or access sanitary products during lockdown.  

Women's health issues under lockdown
Women's health issues under lockdown

In the new research, Paul, a water sanitation and hygiene programme officer in the Solomon Islands, said that the lack of toilets, soap and private areas - as well as pads - was a huge challenge.

"Most of the time during menstruation, girls have to spend the whole day in the river or water taps washing just to ensure water to control their bleeding," they said. Others said the use of traditional cloth napkins, and insufficient facilities to clean them, provided "ample" scope for bacterial infection.

A woman from Fiji told Plan: "Prices went up as soon as there was a confirmed case of Covid-19. Sometimes I have to forgo buying hygiene products as money will have to be used on food and bills."

Plan appealed for funds to protect vulnerable populations from the impacts of coronavirus, including distributing menstrual hygiene kits. Water Aid has been working on similar packages, including providing 30,000 sanitary pads and posters with messaging on how to stay safe from infection to the government, which has distributed them at shelters, youth centres and to vulnerable girls who would usually rely on schools to access period products.

Thérèse Mahon, Regional South Asia Manager at WaterAid and Coordinator for the Global Menstrual Health and Hygiene Collective, said improving access to clean water was crucial to the long-term management of the pandemic, and not to slip back on the gains made in improving global menstrual health.

“As we emerge from lockdown and develop long-term solutions to the crisis, now is the opportunity for governments to prioritise the provision of clean water, good sanitation and hygiene – not only critical in the fight against coronavirus but also essential for women and girls to manage their periods,” she said.

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