New UK period poverty poll: One in 10 struggle to afford period products

•  More than one in ten (11%) women and people who menstruate in the UK said they had struggled to afford period products for themselves or a dependent in the last year, a new poll by ActionAid UK has revealed

Period poverty is forcing women and people who menstruate in the UK to resort to potentially unsafe methods of managing their period, from wearing single-use pads or tampons for longer than recommended, to making do with paper or newspaper instead.  
 
A new poll by international charity ActionAid UK found that more than one in ten (11%) women and people who menstruate struggled to afford period products either for themselves or a dependent in the last year, revealing that period poverty remains a pervasive problem in the UK.  
 
Of those people, almost two thirds (64%) said they had to prioritise buying food instead, while two in five (40%) had to prioritise spending on gas or electricity. It comes as the price of essentials remains well above pre-pandemic levels and the cost of living tops the list of concerns for the UK public.  
 
Now, with fears rising that the ongoing military escalation in the Middle East – sparked by the US and Israel’s attacks on Iran – could drive up the price of food and other essentials in the UK and globally, the issue risks becoming even further entrenched.  
 
Worringly, the poll revealed that women experiencing period poverty are resorting to coping strategies that could put their health at risk. More than a third (36%) of those who struggled to afford period products wore single-use pads or tampons for longer, putting them at risk of infection. Others were forced to rely on potentially unsafe DIY alternatives, with more than a quarter (27%) using tissues or cotton wool and 6% using paper or newspaper instead.  
 
In a particularly alarming finding, the survey revealed that period poverty is excluding some women from public life altogether: almost a quarter (22%) of people who were unable to afford period products said they stayed at home as a result.  
 
While the poll surveyed people in the UK only, period poverty is an issue without borders and affects many of the women, girls and communities that ActionAid works with around the world.  
 
Ruby Raut, Founder & CEO of WUKA, said: “I lived through period poverty myself over 20 years ago in Nepal, and it’s unacceptable that in 2026, this is still a reality. In one of the richest countries in the world, people are still going without basic period products. That is not just shocking, it’s a failure. Period poverty is holding people back from school, from sport, from living their everyday lives. It puts health at risk and limits potential, all because of something as basic as a period. Access to period care is not a luxury; it’s a fundamental right. And until everyone can manage their period with dignity, we have more work to do.”  
 
Missed potential 
 
Having a period should never cost someone their education, livelihood or their social life, but ActionAid’s poll revealed that – in the UK today – women and girls are still being held back because of their periods.  
 
More than a third of survey respondents (35%) said they had missed or avoided exercising or taking part in sport as a result of being on their period in the last 12 months. Meanwhile one in ten (12%) had avoided or missed working from the office and 10% from going to school, university or college. Almost a quarter (24%) said they had missed out or avoided socialising with friends. 
 
The main reasons given for missing out on activities was being in pain or discomfort (77%) and experiencing side effects like fatigue or anxiety (63%). However one in five (20%) said it was because they did not feel comfortable wearing the uniform, kit or clothing required, indicating that workplaces and sports clubs could be doing more to ensure their clothing policies are inclusive.  
 
Only 2% of respondents said they missed out on activities because they were anxious about being bullied or teased due to their period, which could be a positive sign that some of the stigma and shame that has historically surrounded menstruation in the UK is finally starting to fade.  
 
No one should face discrimination simply for having a period, but in many countries around the world, women and girls face restrictions due to the shame and cultural taboos that persist around menstruation.  
 
Ruby, who was born in Nepal, experienced this first hand when she was sent away to a hut during her first cycle – a practice called chhaupadi which is illegal but continues to be practised in some communities.  
 
Ruby said: “I’ve seen firsthand how deeply period poverty affects lives, and that’s why this partnership matters to me. I’m proud to be standing alongside ActionAid to demand period justice for all and to help bring about a world where menstruation is treated with dignity, where no one is held back from learning, working or socialising because of their period, and where sexual and reproductive rights are respected.” 
 
A global issue 
 
Period poverty is not just being unable to afford period products, though in many places the high prices of pads and tampons is a major issue: in Malawi for example, a single pack of pads can cost more than a whole day’s pay. It’s also about lacking access to clean water, bathrooms and private spaces.  
 
More than 400 million children globally lack decent toilets at school, according to data from the WHO and UNICEF, and just over half that number, 220million, don’t have a toilet at school at all. Meanwhile many of the millions of women and girls who are displaced each year due to conflict or climate disasters are forced to seek safety in hugely overcrowded shelters or refugee camps without sufficient bathrooms, clean water or essentials like soap.  
 
Yet all around the world, women and girls are coming up with their own solutions to combat period poverty, as well as the deep-seated structural inequalities that perpetuate it. ActionAid's local partners are setting up girls’ rooms in schools where students can access period products and advice, are teaching girls to become advocates for period justice and educate their peers about their rights, and distributing emergency period products, soap and underwear to women and girls directly when a humanitarian crisis hits. 
 
In Rwanda, ActionAid runs a summer camp for girls where they learn about their bodies, menstruation and health, build their confidence and come together to advocate for their rights. They also learn how to make their own reusable period pants, so that they don’t have to pay for new products every month.  
 
Daniella, one of the more than 100 girls who attended the most recent three-day camp in Nyanza, southern Rwanda, said the training would help girls like her who have experienced period poverty. She said: “One problem is not having money for [period] pads...It was always a struggle for me that I often had no pads, I had to use pieces of cloth just to get to school.  
 
“But ActionAid showed us how to make reusable pads with suitable fabric. Now I can sew my own. So when I go back to school, I won’t face that problem again.” 
 
Yvette, another student who attended the camp, agreed, saying: “I used to think that pads are disposable and should be thrown away after one use- but I learned that we could make reusable pads when there is no money to buy new ones – finding solutions ourselves. 
 
Yvette continued: “Poverty affects girls, especially by preventing them from accessing pads or the soap to wash them. The first solution is to make reusable pads, which we can use multiple times, and this will help us. When girls have the power to choose things that benefit them, society functions better.” 
 
Reusable period products are not only much more environmentally friendly than single-use ones; ActionAid’s survey found that around half (49%) of women and people who menstruate surveyed in the UK believed they were more cost-effective than disposable products.  
 
Taahra Ghazi, co-CEO at ActionAid UK, said: “Everyone should have access to period products and hygienic spaces so they can manage their periods safely and with dignity, but millions of women and girls around the world, including here in the UK, experience the injustice of period poverty. And yet everywhere women and girls are fighting to change the policies and practices that perpetuate poverty and challenge the harmful taboos and stigma that keep periods shrouded in shame.  
 
“We’re proud to be partnering with WUKA this year to raise awareness of period poverty and support the women and girls around the world who are working to end it.” 
 
To help support our fight against period poverty, donate here.  
 

                                  [ENDS] 

 
Ruby Raut, Founder and CEO of WUKA, and a spokesperson from ActionAid UK are available for interview. Please contact the press office to arrange at uk.media@actionaid.org or on 07753 973 486 
 
More photos, quotes and examples of ActionAid UK’s work to end period poverty around the world are available on request.