![]() ![]() ![]() I feel embarrassed to walk around…’ confided another young woman from the Solomon Islands. ‘Sometimes, especially when I am not able to clean myself during water cuts. ‘Sometimes I have to forgo buying hygiene products as money will have to be used on food and bills.’ ‘Prices went up as soon as there was a confirmed case of COVID-19 in Fiji,’ one young woman revealed. The health workers interviewed by Plan International said nearly three-quarters (73%) of girls reported having limited access to period products due to stock shortages, half (51%) reported having reduced access to clean water to manage their periods and over half (58%) were unable to afford products because of prices suddenly increasing. ‘When sanitary products are hard to obtain, it means people might resort to using unhygienic alternatives that can increase their risk of reproductive and urinary tract infections.’ ‘In many countries, period products have become scarce and vulnerable girls and young women in particular are going without,’ she explains. ![]() Many of the issues with period poverty existed before the pandemic, but the virus has made the situation worse. ‘Periods don’t stop during a pandemic but managing them safely and with dignity has become a whole lot harder.’ ‘From Kenya to Nepal, Australia, Ireland and Cambodia, COVID-19 lockdowns have caused big problems for people who menstruate,’ says Dr Rosamund Ebdon, Plan International’s Head of Policy. The research, which involved interviews with 61 health professionals about the experiences of girls aged 14-21 in their country, found that problems ranged from stock shortages and price increases, to difficulties in accessing water and basic services. The coronavirus crisis has left many girls and women worldwide struggling to manage their periods, according to a recent survey of 30 different countries by the global children’s charity, Plan International. #LOCKDOWN PERIOD SUN FREE#Scotland has become the first country in the world to provide free period products for all, which will come as welcome news to those who live in the country. ![]()
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