'Let's talk. Period.' is a new project committed to ending period poverty in the UK

Published: 4 July 2018

The project is led by Brook in partnership with girls’ rights charity Plan International UK.

Plan International UK’s Break the Barriers report reveals that two fifths of girls in the UK (40%) have had to use toilet roll because they can’t afford proper period products.

Let’s talk. Period. will pilot a P-Card scheme (based on the current ‘C-Card’ scheme which provides free condoms and sexual health advice to 13-24 years old) in seven UK locations.

The P-Card scheme will: 

• Provide free period products to vulnerable and disadvantaged young people who menstruate
• Educate young people about menstruation and their bodies, health, debunk myths around periods and promote period positivity to remove shame and stigma 
• Provide information on all period products including sustainable products, through partnerships with manufacturers 
• Reach out to those living in areas of high deprivation and/or who are homeless or in supported housing (through homeless prevention charity Step by Step)
• Provide training to frontline staff including safeguarding and Child Sexual Exploitation awareness to ensure that staff can identify any other issues that might be affecting young people 

Brook Chief Executive, Helen Marshall, says: 

For more than 50 years Brook has been fighting for young people’s right to access the information and services they need to stay happy, healthy and safe. Through this partnership our sustainable model will change the lives of over 3,500 young people with the provision of free period products and vital education in order to eradicate the stigma and shame surrounding menstruation.”

"Additionally the project will be able to provide a small onwards grant programme for grass roots organisations already working extremely hard to reduce period poverty at a local level.”

Tanya Barron, Chief Executive of Plan International UK said:

Every month girls are being forced to use makeshift period products because they’re struggling to afford them, with more than a quarter of girls (27 per cent) saying they’ve used a product for longer than its intended use because they can’t afford to replace it. It’s disgraceful that in a developed country, girls feel they have nowhere to turn.

“Over the past year the campaign to tackle period poverty has really gained momentum, and now we will harness that energy by developing a community of practitioners, bringing together educators, activists, academics, health professionals and more to share what works.”

Let’s Talk. Period. is supported by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Tampon Tax fund, and will be rolled out in the following locations:

• London: Lambeth, Southwark, Hackney & Barking & Dagenham 
• Liverpool and Knowsley 
• Manchester, Rochdale and Salford 
• Sandwell and Wolverhampton 
• Teesside 
• Cornwall 
• Hampshire
   

For media enquiries please contact Brook's press office on 07789 682831 or email press@brook.org.uk

Notes to editors

Brook believes that young people should have access to great sexual health services and wellbeing support.

Brook provides free and confidential sexual health information, contraception, pregnancy testing, advice and counselling, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections and education programmes, reaching nearly 235,000 young people nationwide every year.
 
Read our Strategic Plan 2017-2020 and learn more about the difference we make in our latest Success Report.