Boots are selling the cheapest tampons in Twickenham, selling their own brand non-applicator tampons at 4.4p per tampon (£1.05 for a pack of 24).
The price per tampon reached 22.5p at Sainsburys who charge £3.60 for 16 Tampax Compak Pearl.
Despite the tampon tax scrap in 2021, women have seen little real economic benefit.
Alice Wiltshire, 28, said: “I feel like in this day and age a woman should not have to scrimp out on something that is essential.”
Waitrose was Twickenham’s cheapest supermarket when it came to Tampons, selling two packs of Tampax Compak for £4.50, and boasted the largest selection of feminine hygiene products.
With the cost of living crisis seeing the price of all products rising astronomically, the additional cost accrued for women having to buy essential products is having a real impact.
WaterAid found almost one quarter of women and girls in the UK had missed activities and social occasions because they struggle to afford period products, and just over a quarter wore period products for longer than they should, posing serious risks to their health.
Asal Tehrani, 25, said: “Being on my period is inconvenient enough, and the high tampon prices just inconvenience us more. I’m fortunate I’m working but I always think of girls that cannot afford it.”
Katie Banks, 26, added: “I actually do feel like I try to use less tampons on my period now and it feels like a big injustice that being on my period takes a big chunk out of my weekly budget.”
Scotland has become the first country ever to make free period products accessible to all through The Period Products Act.
There is now a legal duty for local councils to provide free sanitary towels and tampons in easily accessible locations, such as libraries, community centres and schools, and women can check where these products are available through an app.
Unfortunately, there is no sign of this kind of legislation coming to Twickenham, and the rest of the UK, anytime soon.
As Lucy Bren, 26, said: “The prices are just ridiculous, maybe we should just move to Scotland!”
