BARCELONA – The Spanish region of Catalonia began providing free reusable menstrual cups, period underwear and cloth pads at pharmacies on Monday, one of the first initiatives of its kind in the world.
The program is part of the regional government’s drive to reduce “period poverty” after a survey found that around 44 percent of women using menstrual products in Catalonia could not afford their first-choice product and 23 percent said they had to reuse disposable products.
Limited availability of menstrual blood collection products – often due to cost, lack of washrooms or education – can lead girls and women to miss school or work and increase the risk of infection and toxic shock syndrome.
Civil servant Ester Miralles, 55, said that if she had her period, the problem would have been dealt with much earlier. “This applies to all women — those who, fortunately, can still afford it and those who can’t,” she said.
Women can spend 2,500 euros ($2,713) on sanitary products over their lifetime, with choosing reusable products reducing that cost to around 145 euros, authorities said.
The initiative in the Northeast region will benefit about 2.5 million people – girls, women and people who identify as non-binary or transgender with menstruation – who will be able to find the products in more than 3,300 pharmacies.
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The measure also aims to reduce the more than 9,000 tons of waste produced every year in Catalonia by used tampons and sanitary napkins.
Student Helena Herranz, 18, said she would like to try reusable products.
“We use a lot of pads, a lot of tampons, a lot of material throughout our lives and they pollute a lot,” she told Reuters.
Scotland became the first country in the world to offer free sanitary products in 2020, but the Catalan government said it was the first time reusable menstrual products had been given away for free.
In 2022, Spain passed a law stating that menstrual products should be distributed free of charge in schools, prisons, women’s health facilities and other public institutions.
