“I just use a sock" - new video calls to end period poverty in Manchester

“I’d probably just use a sock and roll it up,” explains Fiona bluntly. For women like Fiona, sleeping rough means access to sanitary products can be difficult to come by.

Rolled up socks and napkins are just two of the shocking methods homeless women use to deal with menstruation, according to a new video documentary. Created by journalist Laura FitzPatrick, the video highlights that, whilst there are initiatives in the city centre designed to support homeless women during their time of the month, more needs to be done to support vulnerable women in Manchester. 

Manchester has one of the highest figures for rough sleepers in the country, following Brighton and two inner-London boroughs. This year’s Greater Manchester count found 268 rough sleepers, up from 189 in 2016. However, charities warn that this does not reflect real figures.

For homeless women, getting your monthly period is more than just uncomfortable, it is a degrading experience that can pose health risks.  

 “We’re hearing a lot of reports about the use of socks, tissue paper – anything they [homeless women] can get their hands on really,” explains Hannah Barnes, co-founder of The Crimson Wave, a volunteer-lead group that supplies free menstrual products to vulnerable women in Manchester. Reusing things over and over again, which as we know, because of toxic shock syndrome, is a really big issue.”

Toxic shock syndrome is a rare but life-threatening condition caused by bacteria getting into the body and releasing harmful toxins. The condition is often associated with tampon use in young women and can be brought on when menstrual products are not changed regularly, meaning that homeless women are particularly at risk.  

“We are still people at the end of the day,” comments Louise, who regularly sleeps rough in Manchester city centre. “Just because we were in a difficult situation last night that doesn’t mean that we’re any less human than anybody else.”