Most women in Scotland not accessing free period products

Despite Scotland’s free period products law, research finds reusable period products remain little used, with only 3 per cent in Scotland relying on reusables.

Dominique Haig, a master’s student at Queen Margaret University (QMU), has investigated why take-up of reusable menstrual products stays low, despite the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act 2021 encouraging their distribution.

The findings reveal multiple obstacles – from institutional issues to education gaps and poor infrastructure – that stop organisations properly understanding and meeting the Act’s goals around equity, sustainability, and choice. (Reusable menstrual products include menstrual cups and washable pads.)

Haig, a student in QMU’s Institute of Global Health and Development explained: “We found that while reusable products are technically available across colleges, universities and public organisations, they’re often out of sight – sometimes hidden behind reception desks or restricted to student unions.”

This type of gatekeeping, combined with poor signposting and limited education, means many students, who may be particularly vulnerable to period poverty, don’t even know they have the option of accessing the free sanitary products.

The research discovered that students most likely to benefit from reusable products – including low-income, disabled, and trans/non-binary individuals – encounter major obstacles.

These include:

• Patchy menstrual education and insufficient teacher training, leaving students unaware of their entitlements and product options.
• Parental influence, which can shape attitudes toward menstruation and product choices, especially when stigma or misinformation has shaped communication.
• Inadequate washing facilities and lack of private spaces, which make using reusables impractical in many institutions.

“One teacher told us that students often don’t receive menstrual education until halfway through the school year,” Haig explained.

“By then, their understanding is shaped mostly by what their parents have told them.”

Additionally, student input rarely influenced procurement practices which led to purchases of reusable products that didn’t match students’ needs for quality and appearance – wasting budgets and maintaining dependence on single-use sanitary wear.

“We spoke to one university procurement officer who confirmed that students had to go to a specific location to collect reusable products,” Haig added.

“That alone can be a deterrent, especially if the space isn’t welcoming or inclusive.”

Haig concluded: “The availability of free sanitary wear across Scotland has been an excellent way of improving equality for women across the country.

“However, without targeted interventions, Scotland risks entrenching its dependence on single-use menstrual products, which ultimately undermines the environmental and social equity goals of the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act 2021.

“We are therefore calling for improved menstrual education and teacher training; inclusive procurement processes that reflect student preferences; better infrastructure to support reusable product use; and clearer signposting and more accessible distribution methods.

“This will help protect the dignity of everyone who menstruates and the sustainability of service provision, ensuring every student has real choices.”