In France, 33% of female students have financial difficulties buying periodic protection : this is the sad observation made on Monday February 8, in a study * carried out by the Federation of General Student Associations (Fage), the National Association of Midwifery Students (ANESF) and the Federative Association of Picto-Charentais Students (Afep ). It is estimated that menstrual insecurity, that is to say the fact of not having sufficient economic resources to buy periodic protections and hygiene products during their period, affects 1.7 million people in our country. country. “The consequences of menstrual insecurity are serious and affect both physical health and mental and social health”, write the associations in a press release.
One in 20 female students uses toilet paper
According to this study, 46% of female students spend on average between 5 and 10 euros per month just for periodic protection. But for half of the respondents, it is necessary to incur other expenses such as drugs, underwear or bed linen. There, the bill can climb up to 20 euros per month. For some, the price of protection leads to a choice: thus, 13% of students say they have already had to choose between protection and another essential item. A student even declares, when asked what she could do with the money saved if she were provided with her periodic protections: “I will eat my fill.”
These financial difficulties sometimes lead students to sacrifice essential health products or services. According to the study, one in ten female students manufactures her protection for financial reasons and one in twenty female students uses toilet paper during her period. In addition, one in four students has already given up on a medical appointment related to her period due to lack of funds. Sometimes with very serious health consequences, such as toxic shock, a potentially fatal disease often caused by stagnation of blood in the vagina for an extended time. “Access to sufficient periodic protection is crucial for the health of menstruating people, in order to be able to change them regularly and limit the risks”, affirms the Fage, the ANESF and the Afep.
Distributors in several universities
To help students in difficulty obtain periodic protection, several initiatives have emerged. So, several dispensers of towels and tampons have been installed in universities in France, as in La Rochelle, Nantes, Nîmes. “Some people will have to make the choice between buying fruits and vegetables to eat or buying protection. These are not normal choices!”, explain Clara and Clémence, who have just installed four distributors in La Rochelle. “When we are not confronted with it, we do not realize it but it is a very widespread type of precariousness”, underlines Louise Da Costa, president of the Transfilière association against student precariousness (Trace), which brought the installation project to Nîmes. “At least I don’t have to ask everyone for help”, rejoices Méléna, student in Mayenne, where the chamber of commerce and industry has set up distributors on its campuses.
In other departments, the protections are distributed directly to the students during specific operations. It even started in May 2019 in Côte-d’Or, thanks to the Elementary Rules association, which already noted “awareness”. In Tours, 500 washable sanitary napkin kits were distributed in December. “Reusable towels on the Internet are expensive, around 30 euros each, so I can’t afford it in the long run”, explains Jordana, a third year law student. “Two hundred euros, it goes quickly if you want to eat properly and not miss a meal”, explains Louwenn, who received washable sanitary napkins in September during a distribution on the Rennes campus.
La Fage asks for free access for precarious populations
According to the signatories of the study, the budget of 5 million euros allocated by the State to fight against menstrual insecurity is not well distributed. “Unfortunately, this signage does not concern female students, yet one of the most precarious audiences in France.” And this while, according to the study, “almost half of respondents believe that protections should be covered by social security and 25% believe that it should be made available at university”.
After a first Ipsos study, released during the first confinement, according to which a third of the students encounter financial difficulties to obtain periodic protection, the Fage therefore wishes drive the point home and request additional measures with this new study. Among them, “Free access for precarious populations to menstrual protection thanks to an adequate investment and free availability in public places”.
* study carried out by Fage, ANESF and Afep, on a total of 6,518 people studying in France.
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