Why psychiatric hospitals need to give patients the ability to choose their period products.
By Jess Matthews
Psychiatric wards are tough and turbulent places in which people go into when they are most vulnerable. When you are at your most unwell even having access to appropriate menstrual products can still be difficult due to funding constraints within the NHS. This unfortunately means people who menstruate are often left with only one type of period product, from my experience this has been one type of unbranded disposable pad. In some cases even this will not be offered due to the hospital not buying them in. I think we need to ask ourselves when someone is at rock bottom often all they have left is their dignity, this must be protected and access to appropriate menstrual products would help in keeping it for the individual. Some people are able to get leave in which they can buy the products they would use in the community but leave has to be built up as someone's mental health improves meaning that at some point during their stay they would only have access to the basic product provided by the hospital.
When thinking about what other products could be offered I think it is important to remember that in most cases it would not be feasible to give reusable items out. This is due to many reasons; access to washing machines, people's capacity to be able to wash the products, costs and people's overall ability to deal with the maintenance of reusable products. I have listed a few reasons here why but it is very multifaceted and complex as to why this would not be something that is reachable. With this in mind I think that ultimately giving people the element of choice in disposable menstrual products would help towards keeping their body autonomy in somewhere where you feel you cannot make decisions for yourself. I myself have spent extended periods of time in both adolescent and adult psychiatric hospitals. When you are so unwell, decisions have to be made for you to keep you safe and get you well again, I think if people could even just have the choice in which period product they use it would make them feel like they can still make some decisions for themselves.
To enact this, I think it is really important to bring this issue to the forefront and keep talking about it. Whilst I understand funding within the NHS is at an all time low, people having access to appropriate products is a right and not an ask. We cannot continue to give people who menstruate a one size fits all product when we all have different body types, flow types and health needs. I believe there needs to be more discussion within psychiatric inpatient services on how they can give their patients the element of choice when it comes to period products. This can only be ultimately achieved if feedback is given to the hospital and people relay their experiences and how menstruating on a ward with limited access to products made them feel. The main goal will not be achieved overnight but talking about it will move the goalposts closer with each conversation that is had.
When I think back to my time in psychiatric hospitals I would dread having my period. In times where I had no leave and no one to bring me products I had to use those provided by the ward. Due to the low cost of these products they would make me feel uncomfortable and I would need to change them regularly. Oftentimes I would have to ask a member of staff to give me them and on more than one occasion the ward was not adequately stocked and I would have to wait a fair amount of time until someone was able to go find them. Which only added to my discomfort. Through having conversations with people who have also been on psychiatric wards this is a very common experience across many NHS trusts and NHS funded beds in private hospitals. We are in 2023 and people should not have to feel that even something as simple as a choice in menstrual products is not possible in a hospital setting.
I would recommend that where possible and if you are having a planned admission take as many products as you can, when you get leave buy what you can. It should not have to be this way when we are at our most unwell, this should be provided for us and we should still be able to make a choice but as many of you are aware the NHS has been chronically underfunded for many years leading to trust wide cut backs. In summary patients need to be given the choice as to what they use, inpatient settings are there to bring you back to good health and have you live in the community so why must the choice of menstrual products be taken away when you are admitted.
