Cost of having a period getting more expensive for women
The cost of having a period each month is getting more and more expensive. According to data, the cost of period products at the major supermarkets peaked in August, forcing some women to change what products they use and how often.
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00 For Angelina Inthavong and Kim Hampson, purchasing period products used to be a simple task,
00:07 but now it's an active choice at the supermarket to find the cheapest item.
00:12 I've used a lot more period underwear just because it's really expensive at the start,
00:19 but I know it's something, an investment, that will pay off down the line.
00:24 The 19-year-old Canberra student has been struggling with rising prices of many essentials,
00:30 something she says has been really horrible.
00:33 And it's a familiar story for many women trying to make ends meet.
00:37 The sanitary aisle is normally the seventh or eighth aisle down,
00:42 so you've already put a whole heap of stuff in, so then you actually start pulling stuff out.
00:47 The 52-year-old mum of two hasn't had a choice when purchasing products for her daughter this year,
00:53 waiting until products are on special or risk going without.
00:57 It takes your dignity away. It's degrading.
00:59 It's a whole lot of things that I could say, but I will end up crying, so yeah, there is a lot of shame.
01:05 According to this grocery app, which tracks products across major supermarkets,
01:10 sanitary items have been steadily on the rise this year.
01:13 The average price of sanitary products dipped in March have reached a peak of just over $11 in August,
01:20 with some women estimating they're now spending $15-20 per cycle.
01:25 We have seen a 30% increase from the charities that we work with for people needing access to period products.
01:33 Organisations like Share the Dignity have tried to keep up with the demand,
01:38 but experts say more needs to be done at a national level to address rising prices.
01:43 The government could look at intervening to fix the price of period products as they are an essential item.
01:51 And an essential way to bring dignity to women.
01:54 to women.
01:54 [BLANK_AUDIO]