the UK must regulate period products now – Inside track

This post is by Helen Lynn, senior consultant and health advisor, Wen (Women’s Environmental Network).

Every month, millions of women, girls and people who menstruate are exposed to toxic chemicals in the very products they rely on. From pesticides at 40 times the safe limit for drinking water to PFAS, otherwise known as ‘forever chemicals’, and heavy metals linked to cancer, infertility and hormone disruption, the evidence is now overwhelming.

Despite growing public concern and huge innovation in period products, regulation has barely moved.

We’re at a tipping point, where the weight of evidence about harmful chemicals in period products is undeniable and we can’t wait any longer for change. Without urgent action, millions will remain exposed every single month.

Evidence has been ignored for decades
For decades, Wen has warned that the products millions of us use every month may not be safe. Independent studies stretching back over 20 years have detected toxic chemicals and heavy metals – from arsenic to biocidal silver – in tampons, pads and period pants.

This year, our research with Pesticide Action Network UK found glyphosate in tampons at levels 40 times higher than the safe limit for drinking water. At the same time, ‘forever chemicals’, PFAS compounds that never break down, are showing up in both disposable and reusable menstrual products.

The health risks are real and well documented. These chemicals can disrupt hormones, damage fertility and increase the risk of cancers and reproductive diseases, such as endometriosis, uterine fibroids and adenomyosis. Vaginal tissue is far more absorbent than skin elsewhere on the body – with studies suggesting its absorbency can be up to 80 per cent higher – making this a potent route of exposure.

Even so-called freshening fragrances and antimicrobial additives can cause irritation, allergic reactions and, ironically, an increased risk of infection.

It’s a public health failure
Despite all the evidence, political debate and growing public outrage, there has been huge innovation in period products but UK regulation has barely moved. Period products are still treated as ordinary consumer goods rather than intimate health products, meaning manufacturers are not required to test for harmful substances or disclose ingredients.

Unbelievably, tampons are less regulated than candles. Candles are also regulated under General Product Safety Regulations and there is a requirement to label certain chemicals in them, but the same doesn’t apply to tampons.

Consumers are left to guess what’s in the products they use for decades of their lives. This is not just a failure of chemical safety, it’s a failure of gender equity and public health.

But there’s an opportunity for real leadership. Other countries are only just beginning to confront the issue of chemical exposure through menstrual products. If the UK acts now, it could set the global standard for menstrual safety regulation, demonstrating what a modern, gender-responsive chemicals policy looks like in practice.

Despite cross-party support, there’s been no action
In March this year, Baroness Natalie Bennett tabled an amendment to the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill that would have required period products to be regulated within a year. It received strong cross-party support in the House of Lords, but was ultimately rejected.

In June, Martin Wrigley MP tabled an Early Day Motion highlighting pesticides in tampons, calling for robust testing, mandatory ingredient disclosure and higher safety standards for products provided in schools and public facilities. That motion now has 45  parliamentary signatures.

Wen has also met with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Department for Business and Trade, alongside partners including CHEM Trust, Breast Cancer UK, FIDRA and others, to call for urgent reform. Together, we are making the case that protecting women and girls from harmful chemical exposure must be a national priority.

We don’t need placation, we need regulation
We are calling for the UK government to seize this moment and lead, on regulation to make all menstrual products safe; on independent testing for harmful chemicals; on full ingredient disclosure for all period products; and on high safety standards for products in schools and public facilities. These are not radical demands but common sense safeguards that should already exist.

This week is Environmenstrual Week (20-26 October), we are taking our Toxic Tipping Point campaign to parliament. Alongside Baroness Bennett and leading scientists, medical experts and campaigners, we’ll bring the evidence to the House of Lords and deliver our petition to get toxic chemicals out of period products – signed by over 60,000 people – straight to Defra.

The message is clear: people want transparency, accountability and protection. And to know period products are safe, for their bodies and for the planet.

This is a chance for the government to make history by setting the global gold standard for menstrual product safety. We’ve reached the tipping point. Let’s turn it into lasting change.