Tackling Period Poverty in the UK

What is Period Poverty? 

Our Aim: To empower and educate marginalised communities about their periods, and ensure access to appropriate facilities and products. 

From our research, we know that menstruation is a topic that is difficult to talk about due to the shame and stigma that surrounds it. Because of this, periods are often hidden away, ignored or laughed at. Yet at No More Taboo, we believe that it is important to have open conversations so that people no longer have to struggle with their periods in silence. 

Over the last four years we have run a series of taboo-busting, confidence-building workshops at some of Bristol’s key services for vulnerable people, such as shelters, foodbanks, mental health or drug and alcohol support services, refugee groups and many more. The aim of our workshops has been to broach the topic of periods in a fun, no-nonsense and engaging way, offering a more sustainable method of managing menstruation through breaking down stigma. In the workshops, we facilitated discussions around barriers to healthy, dignified menstruation for vulnerable people and provided in-depth information on reusable sanitary products, an option which has great health and economic benefits. Participants also received a free period hug box, filled with ethical, luxurious goodies such as chocolate and, if they wished, the reusable menstrual product of their choice.

Do you work with a group of vulnerable people who menstruate? 

Do they struggle to manage their periods either emotionally or financially? 

Not sure how to help them have healthier, happier and more affordable periods? 

Through our workshops we have worked closely with organisations and service users to create positive change for people with difficulty accessing menstrual products or who were experiencing issues with their menstrual health. Receiving a reusable menstrual product from No More Taboo has proven to be a much more financially sustainable way of managing periods for many participants, as these products last between 3 and 10 years. They are also unbleached and free of undisclosed chemicals, making them much better for our bodies.

What have groups got out of the workshops?

● An increase in knowledge and confidence about menstruation 

● An open, safe, supportive environment to discuss menstrual health issues  

● An understanding of where and who they can turn to for support

● Feeling valued and listened to

● An opportunity to engage in period clinics, which involve a one-to-one consultation and ongoing support with No More Taboo, as well as the opportunity to receive a free menstrual product alongside a box full of goodies 

From developing our workshops and listening to the needs of people attending them we created our Tackling Period Poverty Staff training and the Period Friendly Scale. To find out more about the impact our workshops have had so far, please see our Impact Report.