We share everything you need to know about period poverty, where you can find free period products, and how you can support great organisations helping those in need

Periods. Nobody enjoys them. For people who menstruate, we can expect around 40 years worth of visits from aunt flow, expecting to spend around £5,000 on sanitary products. But with such varying experiences of menstruation (periods lasting anywhere from two to seven days on average, every 21 to 35 days in a typical cycle), it’s not only our physical experience that differs from person to person: it’s whether or not we can afford period products every month.

Scotland became the first country in the world from 15 August 2022 to provide free period products to everyone who needs them. It made us ask: how common is period poverty? What can we do if we’re experiencing financial difficulties and need access to free menstrual products? And how can we all help support accessible sanitary products for people who menstruate?

What is period poverty (and how common is it?)

The term ‘period poverty’ refers to problems or a lack of access to period products (pads, tampons, menstrual cups) due to the financial cost. This can impact girls, women, nonbinary individuals, and trans men, at any point in their lives.

The knock-on impact can be missed time at school, college or university; job insecurity due to missed days at work; as well as negatively impacting their sense of wellbeing and social connection. Some people may experience feelings of shame or self-blame, as they may feel embarrassed at their financial situation, or that it’s ‘their fault’ they cannot afford access to necessary sanitary products.

A report released in 2022 by Plan International UK revealed that more and more young people are struggling to afford period products. One in four (28%) of those who menstruate aged 14 to 21 struggle to afford period products, while nearly one in five (19%) have been unable to afford any period products since the start of 2022. One in 10 use food bands to access free period products. It’s not just young people who are struggling. Water Aid revealed that nearly one in four (24%) of those aged 14-50 who menstruate have struggled to afford sanitary products in the last year.

Results of a survey released in 2017 by Plan International UK revealed that one in 10 girls cannot afford sanitary products. One in seven have had to ask to borrow sanitary items from a friend due to the cost. One in 10 have had to improvise sanitary wear.

In the UK alone, it’s estimated that 137,000 children have missed school due to period poverty. While some small steps have been made forward, such as the removal of the 5% tampon tax in the UK from the start of 2021 (previously, 5% VAT was added to sanitary products), many are still relying on foodbanks, charities, and educational institutes to provide access to free sanitary products.

Period poverty can affect people at any age, and is not always income-based. Those leaving situations of domestic vi

Flavorful marinated strips of fork-tender beef are served with crisp hot onions and peppers in this recipe for Korean Beef Bulgogi.

Bulgogi is one of the most well-known Korean foods and I’ve been making it at home for years now.

I’ve tried some ridiculously complicated recipes over the years with tons of special ingredients and nothing tasted right.

I finally asked my friend, Shinae, if she had a bulgogi recipe for me to try and sure enough, her recipe was perfect!

Korean Beef Bulgogi

Similar to the way that Jap Chae makes my heart go pitterpat, Bulgogi is Sean’s favorite Korean food.

When I first tasted this beef, as it was coming out of the hot skillet, I almost squealed with happiness. I grabbed a fork and ran a bite to Sean’s office for him to try.

We both loved it. Sean followed me back to the kitchen and kept sneaking bites from the waiting bowl as I finished cooking the rest of the meat. I’ve made this a couple of times now and our kids love it every bit as much as we do.

And if you happen to love Korean food as much as my family does, Cheater Korean Beef is the kind of dish that both beginning and experienced cooks need in their life.

Korean Barbecue Sauce is a sweet, tangy, garlicky, slightly spicy sauce. It is a game-changer.

It can go just about anywhere regular barbecue sauce can go but is also wonderful with stir-fries, lettuce wraps, fried rice; this sauce is an instant flavor boost to almost any food.

Bulgogi Sauce Recipe

In typical fashion, I’ve added a little heat to our version. Read more

Apple Chutney Pork Chops

Pork chops and apples just belong together so pork chops topped with homemade apple chutney take your average pork chop recipe to the next level!

Don’t let the simplicity of this recipe fool you. It is delicious! In fact, I kept munching on those apples while they were simmering and they made the house smell like heaven! It just screams fall and the sweet and tangy apples are perfect for kids and adults.

My daughter is obsessed with pork chops. She begs for them, yet barely eats chicken. It doesn’t make sense to me but whatever! She loves this version. Her other favorite is our stuffed pork chop dinner! If you need a new dinner recipe that the whole family will love, then this apple chutney version needs to be on your recipe rotation!

Ingredients for Apple Chutney a

What is it, how does it affect the diverse groups within the LGBTQIA+ community, and, importantly, what can we do about it?

Talking about mental health is never easy, but it seems harder to break the stigma when it comes to LGBTQIA+ people. As the artist and writer Alok Vaid-Menon wrote in their blog article “Impossibility of gender non-conforming life”, there are so many words to describe the physical violence that happens to the LGBTQIA+ community every day, but many fewer words, and less attention, on the psychological aspect of being queer.

It’s only relatively recently that organisations and researchers have focused on the wellbeing of the LGBTQIA+ community, publishing reports that reveal shocking and alarming data.

For example, NHS Digital’s first report on the health behaviours of lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults was only published in 2021, and showed that LGB adults have worse mental health, and poorer health outcomes, than heterosexual people, and are more likely to indulge in harmful behaviours, such as drinking or smoking at levels that may put them at risk.

According to a report published by Stonewall and YouGov in 2018, 52% of LGBTQIA+ British people said they had experienced depression in the previous year, 46% of transgender people had thought about taking their own life, and 41% of non-binary people had harmed themselves.

Further 2019 research by the organisations revealed that bi people reported experiencing depression even more than gay and lesbian people.

The researchers say this is due to the environment and the society we live in, where not only physical and psychological abuse against the LGBTQIA+ community happens every day, but also the threat and fear of discrimination itself can have a significant impact on mental health. This phenomenon is called ‘minority stress’.

What is minority stress?

Dr Sara Colognesi, a psychologist and psychotherapist, explains: “Several social and psychological theoretical orientations describe the concept of minority stress as a relationship between minority and dominant values, and the resultant conflict with the social environment experienced by minority group members.”

She continues: “This theory suggests that sexual minority health disparities can be explained in large part by stressors induced by a homophobic and hostile culture, which often results in a lifetime of harassment, maltreatment, and discrimination, and may ultimately impact access to care.”

Coined by Dr Winn Kelly Brooks, and mentioned for the first time in her book Minority Stress and Lesbian Women in 1981, minority stress theory has been studied by many researchers over the years. For example, psychiatric epidemiologist Professor Ilan H Meyer explained in 2007 how stigma and fear of discrimination may generate psychological distress in queer people.

As Dr Colognesi explains: “The most common manifestations of suffering from minority stress are experiences of prejudice and microaggressions, expectations of rejection, hiding, concealing, internalised homophobia, hypervigilance, and experience of chronic shame, and this may lead to the development of disorders commonly associated with chronic stress, depression, and PTSD symptoms.”

The consequences of

Before you unload your worries onto a friend or loved one, take a moment to think about these five things

As a mental health blogger who often listens to people vent, I wish more people checked in with me first. Because, even though I encourage those with mental health struggles to reach out, there are times when I am emotionally unavailable. When I’m overwhelmed by my own issues, I cannot help anyone else – and this is something that many of us will be familiar with.

Talking about your problems with a troubled confidante may not always give you the insight or advice you’re looking for, but it will almost certainly add to their mental burden. So, here are some simple, organic ways to ask your go-to listener for their emotional consent before you vent.

1. Ask them how they are

Before you offload your worries onto someone, it is essential to know if they are in a reasonably alright physical and mental state. When you vent as soon as you begin your conversation, you do not give your listener the option to say no if they need to.

According to psychologist Tania Diaz, ‘emotional consent’ is the act of responsibly asking for permission to share an emotionally charged experience with another individual. In accordance with that, it is crucial to enquire about their wellbeing before you do so.

2. Keep it simple

Once you know that they are indeed fine, it’s time to ask for emotional consent. If you are worried about doing it without sounding awkward, don’t worry.

Tania says: “It is not what you say that influences the tone of the dialogue, but how you say it. Using your own words will help you keep it simple and authentic. For example, ‘Hey do you have a moment for me to run something by you; I’m sort of in a funk. If not now, let me know when it’s a good time to talk.’ See? You don’t have to use any jargon. While it may feel strange to ask for permission, your loved one will feel respected. Over time, it will feel more natural and help to build a healthy relationship.”

3. Use trigger warnings

After they have consented to a conversation, give the listener an idea of the subject of your problem(s). Tania believes that this is important not only for the listener, but also for you.

She explains: “A trigger warning is imperative, as your friend may not have recovered from past injuries. They may be still recovering from their emotional wounds. One can hold space for someone only when they have the emotional capacity to do so. Not giving a warning to your ventee can be considered short-sighted, irresponsible, and selfish. Done repeatedly, it can strain your relationship.”

4. Exercise discretion and respect boundaries

Even after getting consent, use your judgment. For example, if the listener has recently ended a long-term relationship and the venter wants relationship advice, should you approach them in the first place? Would it be better to vent to someone else? Another thing to keep in mind is boundaries.

Even if you have a green flag to talk about what is on your mind, respect boundaries. If you aren’t sure of what they are, ask without hesitation. Make sure you