East Suffolk Council

Statistics

Residents in East Suffolk were invited to have their say on how periods may impact those who experience them.

Our survey was been created to enable the council to gain a better understanding on the hidden impact periods can have on those who experience them.

The aim of the survey was to get a clearer picture of how people in East Suffolk are affected by their periods, so that we can explore ways to provide the necessary support and reduce the stigma associated with the menstrual cycle.

Other facts and figures

• A survey commissioned by girls’ rights charity Plan International UK, exposed the impact that stigmas, shame and silence around periods are having on the lives of teenage girls in the UK.
• According to the Plan International survey, 14% of girls have had to improvise or use makeshift menstrual products due to affordability issues.
• According to a VoucherCodesPro Survey, the average woman spends £18,450 on sanitary products in her lifetime.
• Scotland was the first country to provide free sanitary items to low income families.
• In 2017, 137,700 children across Britain missed school due to period poverty.
• If a female misses school or work every time she has her period, she will be 145 days behind her fellow male students or work colleagues a year.