This week (7 and 8 July 2026) academics, researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and charities will gather in Brighton for the largest menstruation research conference ever held in the UK, and one of the largest in the world.
Co-hosted by the Menstruation Research Network and the 4M (Menarche, Menstruation, Menopause and Mental Health) Consortium at Brighton and Sussex Medical School, the conference will explore menstruation as a psychosocial, biomedical and environmental experience across the life course.
For Wen, the conference is an opportunity not only to share evidence, but to help turn research into action.
Helen Lynn, Senior Consultant and Research Fellow at Wen and Honorary Researcher at the University of Exeter, will deliver a keynote address on the need for stronger regulation of period products. During the conference, Wen will also launch an open letter inviting academics, researchers and scientists to support calls for the UK Government to introduce specific regulation for period products.
“Period products are placed in prolonged contact with the highly permeable vulval and vaginal tissues. The vaginal tissue itself is thought to be up to 80% more absorbent than the skin elsewhere on the body. Repeated tests have shown that toxic chemicals are present in period products. Worryingly, we know there are no safe levels of exposure for many of these chemicals, so even small amounts could be harmful. We believe everyone who needs them should have access to safe, sustainable and accessible period products, and we’re calling on governments to take action now”
Helen Lynn, Senior Consultant and Research Fellow, Wen, and Honorary Researcher, University of Exeter
Why regulation matters
Period products are used by millions of women, girls and those who menstruate every month and by billions of people worldwide over the course of their lives. Many will use around 11,000 period products in their lifetime.
Despite this, period products are not specifically regulated in the UK. Instead, they fall under the General Product Safety Regulations alongside a wide range of everyday consumer goods like candles. Unlike cosmetics, there are no product-specific safety standards, no requirement for comprehensive ingredient disclosure and no independent regulatory framework designed for menstrual products.
Meanwhile, independent testing has repeatedly identified potentially harmful chemicals in some disposable and reusable period products, including PFAS (“forever chemicals”), heavy metals, pesticides and synthetic fragrances. While further research is needed to better understand the health implications of exposure in some cases, these findings reinforce the need for greater transparency, stronger oversight and a precautionary approach to regulation.
A growing call for change
Wen is inviting academics, researchers and scientists to sign an open letter calling on the UK Government to introduce specific regulation for period products.
The letter calls on the Government to:
- Recognise period products as a distinct product category with regulation that reflects how they are used.
- Introduce mandatory ingredient and material disclosure.
- Establish independent safety standards and testing.
- Make product safety information publicly accessible.
- Adopt a precautionary approach where evidence of potential harm exists.
These are practical, evidence-informed measures that would improve transparency, strengthen consumer confidence and help ensure everyone who menstruates has access to safe, sustainable and accessible period products.
Building on growing momentum
This call builds on years of work by Wen and our partners to improve the safety and transparency of period products.
More than 81,000 people have already signed Wen and PAN UK’s petition calling for stronger regulation. The open letter adds the collective voice of the academic and research community, recognising that menstruation should be treated as a public health and human rights issue and that regulation should reflect the latest scientific evidence.
As the evidence grows, so too does the case for change. We believe the UK has an opportunity to become a world leader in protecting menstrual health through a regulatory system that puts safety, transparency and prevention first.
Add your support
If you are an academic, researcher or scientist, we invite you to read the open letter and add your name in support.
Together, we can help ensure that period products are regulated in a way that reflects how they are used and the importance of protecting the health of everyone who menstruates.
Read the press release – Calls for regulation of toxic period product chemicals at largest ever menstrual health conference from the University of Brighton and Sussex
Why period products need regulation
