Access to free period products: baseline survey results

Profile of period product users

It is important that provision of free period products reflects current preferences and routines of menstruating people. As a result, in order to understand current affordability and usage of period products of those who need to use them, the survey included a range of questions on: ability to afford period products; period products normally used; preferred period products; and, average spend per month on period products.

Over the past 12 months, nine in ten (91%) of respondents were able to generally afford period products (Figure 1).

QA3. Over the past 12 months, which of the following best describes your ability to afford enough period products to allow you to continue with your day-to-day activities as normal?

Base: All adults 16+ who bought their own period products (1199)

Respondents who struggled to afford period products over the past 12 months to enable them to continue with their day-to-day activities^[5] were more likely to be^[6]:

• Living in a lower income household (24%, compared to 4% for those living in a higher income household).
• Disabled (19%, compared to 6% for those with no disability).
• Unaware of access to free period products (15%, compared to 7% for those aware of period products).
• Living in rural areas (14%, compared to 8% for those living in urban areas).

This highlights the need for the Act given that sub-sections of the Scottish population were found to be unable to obtain enough period products to meet their needs.

In order to provide those who menstruate with products that meet their needs, it is crucial to understand the products that are most typically used. Most respondents stated that they normally use disposable products (Figure 2). The most commonly reported period product was single use sanitary towels or liners (81%). The least commonly reported period products were menstrual cups (13%) and reusable pads (14%).

QA6. Which period products do you normally use?

Base: All respondents (adult and children) (1400)

Current usage reflects general preferences too, suggesting that most respondents were able to use their preferred period product. The preferred period product for the majority of all respondents were single use products (82%). 52% reported single use sanitary towels or liners as their preferred period product and a further 30% reported tampons as their preferred product (Figure 3).

QA7. And which of these is your preferred period product?

Base: All respondents (adult and children) (1400)

There were some marked, and statistically significant, differences in preference by age. Reusable products were more likely to be preferred by young people compared to other age groups. For example, 41% for young people with this falling in each subsequent age group, 18% in 16-34, 12% in 35-44, 11% in 45+. For young people single use sanitary towels or liners (52%) and period underwear (27%) were the preferred period products. For adults, the most commonly reported preferred period products were single use sanitary towels or liners and tampons (52% and 30%, respectively).

In relation to monthly expenditure on period products, the majority of adults spend up to £10 per month on period products (82%). One in ten (11%) reported spending between £11-20 per month and a small minority (2%) of respondents reported spending over £20 per month on period products (Figure 4).

QA8. On average, how much do you spend on period products for yourself each month?

Base: All adults 16+ who bought their own period products (1199)