Our latest research shows that two-thirds (65%) of young women and girls in Scotland received free period products from their school, college or university in the past year.

The Scottish Government was the first government in the world to make period products free to students when they launched the scheme in 2018.

Working in partnership Young Scot, the Scottish Government has identified that amongst those who accessed the free products, 84% said the scheme had a positive impact on them.

Of those who responded, almost all (83%) admitted they were less worried about having their period, 60% were more able to continue with day-to-day activities during their period, and around a quarter (23%) said having access to products has improved their mental health and wellbeing.

One in eight (13%) respondents said they accessed the free products because they or their family didn’t have enough money to pay for products.

The scheme followed a commitment to provide free access to period products by the Scottish Government. This was delivered in the academic year August 2018 – June 2019 by working in partnership with COSLA, colleges and universities to make it a reality across the country.

The most commonly accessed product was sanitary towels (80%), followed by tampons (59%). More than three-quarters (82%) said that they were able to access their preferred product through their school, college or university and the majority (85%) got enough product to meet their needs.

The survey of over 3,600 young people across Scotland found an increasing demand for more eco-friendly products. Of the 14% of respondents who were not able to access their preferred type of product, over half (52%) would prefer to have access to a reusable period product – with 38% saying their preference is menstrual cups. Among those who said they don’t currently use reusable products, half (51%) would consider using them.

Despite the hugely successful first year of this initiative, a third (35%) of respondents said they did not access the free products for a range of different reasons.

The research also highlighted several areas for improvement, including:

Increase the provision of reusable and eco-friendly products
Provide a wider range of products
Raise the visibility and awareness of the scheme
Extend the scheme to include workplaces and/or public spaces

The Scottish Government partnered with Young Scot to develop resources to support learning about menstrual health with age-appropriate information to teach school pupils about periods and period products from a younger age.

In 2020, the Scottish Government plans to work with partners to improve access to period products in places of education through identifying, sharing and spreading good practice. It will also continue to support wider community access through local authorities and the third sector and to deliver a campaign to tackle the stigma of menstruation.

It is clear from the results of this survey that our world-leading action to make free period products available to all students is having a positive impact. By working in partnership with local authorities, colleges and universities, it gives them the freedom to decide how to make products available to meet local needs. We will continue to work with a wide range of organisations to build on the huge success of this scheme and widen access to period products in a dignified way for those who need them the most. Aileen Campbell MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government.

The uptake of the free sanitary products scheme has been incredible. Two-thirds of eligible students in school, college or university have received free products in the last year. But we can’t stop here. We’re committed to working with the Scottish Government and partners to get more students access to free period products and to give them the eco-friendly options they are calling for. Louise Macdonald OBE, CEO of Young Scot.

Find out more about the Scottish Government’s access to free stanitary products for school pupils, and college and university students in Scotland.

You can scroll through a preview of our report below or download a full pdf version using the Download button.