New data on UK government’s free period product scheme shows strong take up

28 Jan 2022 --- According to the British Department for Education, the overwhelming majority of UK secondary schools now supply menstrual products to students free of charge. In 2021, the UK government ordered £3.4 million (US$4.5 million) in period products for students in a plan to make sure no student has to sacrifice their education because they are on their period.

Public Health Services Direct, a part of phs Group, is the supplier of the program. The company has streamlined the ordering process so that schools and colleges can order the necessary quantity and type of products they need for free and with no delivery charge.

Major areas for the scheme were the London borough of Redbridge whose schools were the most likely to take up the scheme, and Darlington, which has seen the biggest rise in uptake between 2020 and 2021.

Free period product for young people
The program is targeted at all young people in English public schools, as well as those aged 16 to 19 in youth support organizations. All young girls and people with periods are eligible for free products from the program, no matter if they cannot Period stigma is a major contributor to gender-based inequality globally.afford them, or if they have simply forgotten their own period products at home.

The scheme has been extended to run until 2022, and it is expected in the coming weeks that the government will announce the program’s extension into 2023.

The English government is currently trying to encourage more primary schools to take up the scheme. So far, only 61% of primary schools participate in the free period product program.

Since the scheme began in 2020, at least 13,822 individual organizations have taken up the free products, comprising 94% of secondary schools and 90% of “post-16” organizations.

Members of parliament, including Will Quince, minister for Children and Families, are quite pleased with the outcomes and encourage more schools to take up the program to reduce gender inequality.

Most commonly ordered menstruation items
In 2021, the most commonly ordered product by schools and organizations was the traditional sanitary pad, at 75% of all orders, with 615,064 cases supplied by phs Direct. This is an uptick compared to 66% (458,023 cases) in 2020. 

Orders of tampons, in contrast, went down between 2020 and 2021, with only 22% of orders being tampons in 2021, compared to 32% in 2020. Menstrual cup orders rose slightly from 1% in 2020 to 3% in 2021. 

Nearly half (48%) of all products ordered in 2021 were environmentally friendly or reusable, an increase from 30% in 2020.Access to period products gives students more agency and allows them to get the most out of their education.

Period inequality
According to the United Nations Population Fund, over the course of a lifetime, people with periods can easily spend three to eight years menstruating. Social stigma across the globe can preclude menstruating people from various areas of society, and in many cases, this can result in social ostracization and increased economic vulnerability.

This is especially true for low-income people, who in addition to having a lower social standing may lack the resources to properly care for themselves during their menstruation cycle, leading to things like infections or soiled clothing.

This particularly affects school-aged children who may be forced to skip school when menstruating simply because they do not have access to period products which give people greater mobility and agency on their period. 

Head of public sector at Public Hygiene Services Group, Chris Brown, says schemes like this are a necessity to ensure all learners are able to get the most out of their education.

“The success of this partnership means that thousands of learners across England are able to access the period products to which they’re entitled.” 

“Period products are a necessity, not a luxury, and providing access to these products through schools doesn’t just increase the days learners can be in the classroom, it alleviates stress, increases dignity and protects their health and wellbeing,” he affirms.

Edited by Olivia Nelson