Period products are used internally, repeatedly and over many years – yet in the UK they are still not specifically regulated.
That is why Wen, alongside gynaecologists and consultants Dr Karen Joash and Dr Leila Frodsham, are convening a joint clinical open letter calling on the UK government to introduce proper regulation of period products.
A public health issue hiding in plain sight
As clinicians working on the front line of women’s and reproductive health, signatories to the letter see firsthand how environmental exposures can affect health outcomes. There is a growing body of evidence linking period products to exposure to toxic chemicals, including pesticides, heavy metals and PFAS (so-called “forever chemicals”).
Independent testing by consumer organisations, NGOs and scientists has found substances such as glyphosate, lead, mercury and arsenic in tampons, and PFAS and biocidal silver in period underwear. These products are used in one of the most absorbent and hormone-sensitive parts of the body – yet there is no requirement for independent testing or full ingredient disclosure.
As Dr Karen Joash has said, this is
“a public health crisis, not just a reproductive crisis.”
Regulation has not kept pace with innovation
In the UK, women, girls and people who menstruate use an average of 11,000 period products over their lifetime. While the market has rapidly evolved – with the growth of organic disposables, period underwear and menstrual discs – regulation has not.
Period products are currently regulated under the General Product Safety Regulations, alongside everyday consumer goods such as soft furnishings and candles. There is no specific regulatory framework recognising their intimate, repeated and internal use.
This lack of transparency means period products are less well regulated than cosmetics – despite coming into contact with far more sensitive tissue.
A critical policy moment
This call comes at a pivotal time. The UK government is reviewing the Women’s Health Strategy, and new product safety legislation is on the horizon. Together, these processes offer a rare opportunity to ensure that menstruation, reproductive health and environmental exposure are properly addressed in policy.
Addressing toxic exposures in period products would directly support the Strategy’s aims on chronic conditions, menstrual health, equity and economic participation. Gynaecological conditions already cost the UK an estimated £11 billion a year in lost productivity – a figure that reflects both human and societal cost.
Clinical voices matter
Public concern is already clear. Wen’s joint petition with PAN UK calling for regulation of period products has surpassed 80,000 signatures and was delivered to Downing Street and DEFRA in November.
Now clinicians are adding their voices.
This open letter is a collective call from gynaecologists, obstetricians and healthcare professionals for the UK to become a world leader in women’s health by introducing specific regulation for period products – including independent testing, transparency and precaution.
Are you a gynaecologist, obstetrician or healthcare professional?– sign the letter
