Hello readers, I am currently writing this from my sick bed after coming down with something so quickly. It may be tonsillitis or maybe just a really horrid cold but either way, I am suffering.

I am lucky though as its fallen on a rare day that my husband is home and I have been confined to my bed with only social media for company. As I was strolling through the endless trash I can across something that angered me and I just had to say something about it.

The Scottish government as going to start providing free Sanitary Products to all low-income children from school. Now the fact they are doing this is not what makes me angry but the comments that were made on the post.

“Waste of money. Most can afford these items…. Bet they all have phones tho..”

“It was a quiet thing in my day, something you took care of yourself”

“What services are being cut to pay for these?’

What a disgrace! I don’t know if this makes any difference but most the messages were from men or “people of a different generation”.

Now in a lifetime the average woman will spend 13 pounds a month, every month over the course of 40 years on “luxury” Sanitary products. That equals to 5000 pounds for something that us Women NEED in everyday life.

We can’t decide not to have a period, its just natural but yet these products are taxed highly as the government doesn’t see them as an essential. Lets not forget that periods are still quite a taboo subject, something often seen as disgusting (well they aren’t nice) but are very much normal. I don’t care now but I remember the horror of getting caught short and gasp having to buy my own pads as a teen…the embarrassment!

Having products available at schools will allow children who just don’t have the access to them from home the change to have normal period experiences.

The project funded by a charity, FareShare will provide access to sanity products at schools, collages and universities in Scotland from this month. Scotland is hoping to be world leaders in tackling period poverty or at least helping other follow suit.

Fareshare will use Hey Girl to provide pads; tampons and reusable cups to ensure a suitable variety and quality. How great is that, even reusable cups! Access to these products should be a basic right but sadly the truth is many just don’t have the money or access to them but then condoms are given out for free.

Yes, yes, yes I know free condoms are great and sex is great and they stop unwanted pregnancies and STI’s but the fact that condoms are free and sanitary products are taxed so high seems so unfair, no?

The truth is 71% of women have had to ask someone else for a tampon and many end up using toilet paper and we all know that is not a good thing! Women on low income have often been forced to make the horrid choice of food or tampons, when families have bills to pay and other expenses 13 pound is a lot of money and this may double or triple depending on how many ladies are in the household. I was am one of 3 girls plus my mum so that makes nearly 50 pounds a month on sanitary products in my household when I was growing up. See it all adds up!!

Some low income families (yes, the ones working) have only 150 pound to run the household after all the bills have been paid so paying 50 pound for something that is such a basic need is a huge chuck of change.

So in conclusion, well done Scotland for getting on the back of this charity and doing the right thing. Periods are part of being a woman; they aren’t a luxury and are defiantly needed, you know, so we can keep the world populated.

This is just the beginning though, homeless women, women in shelters and women who have found themselves in a tough situations don’t have access to basic hygiene products and this is sad and awful all at the same time.

As the colder months are coming in, I have a wee idea for us all. If you can find an old toiletry bag and fill it with items, maybe the small hotel products you pinched but never used, products you were gifted but didn’t like, sanitary products and give them to your local food banks, women shelters or just hand them to the lady sitting begging on the street. Its small but will make a massive difference to someone.

I would love to hear what you all think about this topic? Have you ever found yourself in a spot?