A finned sanitary napkin filled with period blood.
-
Anne Jea.
/ CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)
What if we stop for a day or two, all reimbursed by Social Security, when we have our period?
68% of French women are in favor of setting up a menstrual leave, according to an exclusive Ifop survey for
20 Minutes
and Eve and co, a brand of period panties (see methodology in box).
A study which also reveals that 30% of women who have already had their periods have suffered or suffer from menstrual insecurity, while the Minister of Higher Education announced last month the establishment of free periodic protection at the start of the next school year. for students.
When asked about what has happened to them before due to a lack of money, 24% of women indicated that they had used less periodic protection than they should have used, 19% felt that they had had to choose between purchasing periodic protection and Another essential purchase, 18% were simply unable to purchase periodic protection, and, equally worrying, 15% reveal that they had to make their own personal protective equipment.
In total, 30% of the women questioned indicated that they had experienced a form of menstrual insecurity.
Unsurprisingly, young women and poor women are the most affected: among 20 to 29 year olds, the figure rises to 37%, and even to 48% among women earning less than 900 euros per month.
“Menstrual insecurity has many faces.
Homeless people, working poor, students, single-parent families… the scourge of menstrual insecurity is omnipresent and causes serious psychological and physical consequences: loss of self-confidence, feeling of embarrassment or shame;
infections, diseases that are sometimes even fatal (for example in the worst cases of toxic shock syndrome) ”, comments Tara Heuzé-Sarmini, founder and general manager of the Elementary Rules association.
Menstrual leave, a bad idea?
Faced with these access difficulties, French women are overwhelmingly in favor of a set of measures tested by Ifop.
The establishment of free distributors of hygienic protection in public establishments is popular with 92% and 90% in companies.
The reimbursement by Social Security of all hygienic protection for all women is desired at 81%.
And to a lesser extent, but gaining very broad support all the same, 68% of women say they are in favor of an even more radical measure, menstrual leave, "that is to say a period during which a person who suffers period can take one or more days of sick leave ”.
Those aged 15 to 19 are even 78% in favor.
The idea of a menstrual leave is not, however, a consensus among feminists, including those who have most focused on the subject of menstrual insecurity.
Ophélie Latil, founder of Georgettes Sand, believes that “rather than giving menstrual holidays we would do better to increase the care of osteopaths, who treat period pain.
Menstrual pain is not inevitable ”.
She adds: “Menstrual leave essentializes women because it associates periods with pain, and that would add additional suspicion in the case of hiring women in companies.
We are already sufficiently discriminated against ”
Free could increase the "disposable" effect
An opinion that does not share Elise Thiébaut, author of
This is my blood
, one of the books that has helped to bring the subject of rules to the public.
The journalist and writer declares herself in favor of such a leave: “If 68% ask for it, it is good that it corresponds to a felt need.
We must extend rights as we have banned night work ”.
Elise Thiébaut is also pleasantly surprised by the large number of women who declare themselves in favor of free periodic protection: “It is a huge step forward.
When I pulled out my book, and said I was in favor of it, people were staring wide.
This shows that the shame and the sense of illegitimacy attached to the rules is on the way to decrease.
"
Tara Heuzé-Sarmini warns, however: “By choosing universal free access, we run the risk of creating dependence on disposable products: all the free experiments in France, England, Scotland and the United States have been carried out on the Internet. based on disposable products.
Massively subsidizing these products would be to the detriment of innovation, especially in reusable hygienic protections, which are more respectful of the body and the environment.
"
Towards more period panties?
Among other results, the study also indicates that more than half of women have never practiced vaginal penetration during their period (55%).
"There is a psychological brake because it is stigmatized, we are brought up and conditioned to consider that it is disgusting", comments Elise Thiébaut.
Almost half of women (42%) have also never worn a swimsuit during their period, and 39% never wear a dress or skirt.
For their menstrual protection, women prefer the practical side (79%) and comfort (82%), but also the healthy side (66%) or the fact of avoiding a toxic shock (61%) among the determining elements of their choice.
Concern for the environment is only decisive for 33% of French women, who are moreover very few to use washable towels (4%), reusable “cups” (3%) or menstrual panties (7 %).
But that may soon change, as 69% of women are "willing to use period panties."
A good sign for manufacturers, more and more numerous in a booming market, and for the environment.
Health
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Society
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Methodology
The survey was conducted with a sample of 1,009 women, representative of the French female population aged 15 to 49 years.
The representativeness of the sample was ensured by the quota method with regard to socio-demographic, socio-professional and geographic criteria.
Interviews were conducted by self-administered online questionnaire from March 18 to 19, 2021.
Women's health
Leave
Womens rights
Rules
Health