Progressing UK regulation in Period Products
In March Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle put forward an amendment to the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill, which aimed to regulate period products within a year of the law being passed.
Shockingly, period products are not specifically addressed or even mentioned!
The amendment received considerable support in the House of Lords, but the amendment was not agreed in the House of Lords. You can read the amendment and briefing.
This is positive news that this aspect of the Menstrual Health, Dignity and Sustainability Act was addressed and there will be other opportunities for the government to show its concern for the health and wellbeing of women, girls and people who menstruate in the UK.
The amendment to the bill is supported by many organisations including:
British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, City to Sea, Fidra, Hazards Campaign, Hey Girls, MCS Aware, Menstruation Research Network, Natracare, Pan UK, Period Positive, Pesticide Collaboration, Savitri Waney Charitable Trust, Soil Association, The Rivers Trust , UK Youth for Nature.
Pledge your support for a Menstrual Act now
Wen is calling for the creation of a Menstrual Health, Dignity, and Sustainability Act in the UK.
From period poverty, to the health implications of toxic chemicals in period products and the environmental impacts of period product waste, the lives of women, girls and people with periods are impacted every day with insufficient regulation to protect them. Here’s some of the reasons we need a Menstrual Act:
- 42% of girls in the UK struggle to afford period products resorting to makeshift items like toilet paper. (1)
- 1 in 10 girls are unable to afford period products leading to 27% of girls in the UK using a period product for longer than recommended because they could not afford a fresh one. (2)
- Bloody Good Period, a charity which provides free period products to those that need them, they provided 119,000 packets in 2022 alone.(3)
- Period products have been found to be a considerable source of exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) such as phthalates, bisphenols and parabens for women. These chemicals are linked to cancer, reproductive and developmental disorders, birth defects, asthma and allergies. This is because the skin of the vagina is extremely absorbent, so the absorption rates are higher. (4&5)
- Disposal of menstrual products – tampons, pads, cups and period pants generates 28,114 tonnes of waste per year in the UK. (6)
- 62% of young women said their education was ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’ in preparing them for periods. (7)
- For 1 in 10 young women, menstrual education was missing altogether and for those who did receive education, up to one in five did not learn about periods until after they had started menstruating. (8)
We urgently need a Menstrual Health, Dignity and Sustainability Act, which encompasses all aspects of menstruation – to safeguard women, girls and people with periods, and the environment.
This proposed legislation, authored by Wen and supported by over 35 leading experts, charities, academics and product producers, aims to tackle pressing issues related to menstruation, such as the health risks of menstrual products, period equity, environmental waste, and the ongoing stigma surrounding menstrual health.
It has been signed and backed by a diverse coalition of advocates – including Baroness Natalie Bennett, Dr. Karen Joash, Consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Girl Guiding and campaign groups including Bloody Good Period.
“It’s time we recognise menstrual health for the critical issue it is. This act represents a vital step toward ensuring dignity, health, and sustainability for women, girls and all those who menstruate. Our goal is to protect menstrual health and the planet by advocating for stronger regulations, better education and encouraging the use of safer, reusable products.”
– Helen Lynn Wen Environmenstrual Campaign Manager and author of the Menstrual Act
“The surge of new reusable period products is great for sustainability, reducing waste, particularly plastic waste, as we come to understand how we have choked our planet and are filling our bodies with microplastics. But, improved regulation remains crucial to ensure that manufacturers don’t use or allow toxic chemicals in the rush to sell us their products. That is why I’m taking through the House of Lords the Consumer Products (Control of Biocides) Bill, which seeks to end all unnecessary use of toxic products, which not only threaten our health but promote antimicrobial resistance, threatening the medicines we need.
– Baroness Natalie Bennett Green Party peer
“Many women and those who menstruate have been unaware of the vulnerability of the vaginal and vulval areas to harmful chemicals, which has limited their ability to make informed health choices. As a gynaecologist, we understand that the high absorption capacity of this region is significant – so much so that we commonly use it for administering medications. This makes it especially concerning when toxic chemicals are present in period wear, potentially causing long-term health issues. Women and those who menstruate need greater awareness and strong legislation to protect them from these harmful effects, ensuring that products used in intimate areas are safe and free from dangerous substances.”
– Dr. Karen Joash, Consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Scientific Advisor to Global Black Maternal Health and Tommy’s Charity
Hon. Tània Verge is an MP in the Parliament of Catalonia and former Minister of Equality and Feminisms of the Government of Catalonia, which in March 2024 launched a global first that institutes the right to menstrual equity. This includes the free distribution of reusable menstrual products through local pharmacies to all girls, women and other menstruating people aged 10-60.
“Governments must guarantee the right to menstrual equity, because sexual and reproductive rights are human rights. Policies such as the free distribution of reusable menstrual products, which Catalonia pioneered in March 2024, have the potential to stir structural changes: eradicating menstrual poverty, putting an end to the social taboos, myths and stigma surrounding menstruation, improving women’s health with free-toxic products, and contributing to the reduction of waste. Gender justice, social justice and climate justice are thus intertwined.”
– Hon. Tania Verge Mestre MP in the Parliament of Catalonia
Read more about the proposed Menstrual Act and see who has signed it to date.
Pledge your support for a Menstrual Act, by signing up here:
