Select committee: Women and Equalities Committee
Recommendation 28
1st Report - Women's reproductive health conditions
Published 11 Dec 2024
Paragraph 103
Addressed to Government Equalities Office
Women and Equalities Committee Women's reproductive health conditions All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
The Government should review existing period and incontinence product schemes alongside the burden of need. We recommend the Government considers the merits of legislating for free provision for particular groups such as children, students, people seeking asylum and those in receipt of benefits. Products that are appropriate for heavy bleeding and other urogynaecological conditions should be available on free prescription. As part of their corporate social responsibility we call on the major manufacturers of period and incontinence products to help fund the provision of those products. The introduction of such policies should be supported by a public awareness campaign.
From: Women and Equalities Committee, 1st Report - Women's reproductive health conditions (HC 337), paragraph 103, 11 December 2024
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 5 March 2025 (deadline 11 February 2025).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government "welcomes" the Committee's report on women's reproductive health conditions and says its response details its position on the recommendations and the work it is doing so that "everyone receives the care that they deserve".
- The government says it recognises "how important this topic is" and is grateful to those who contributed to the inquiry.
- It states that, despite reproductive health conditions being "very common", women and girls "still face challenges accessing care".
- It lists issues the report highlights, including a lack of awareness of what a 'normal' period is, delayed diagnoses, and the need for more research.
- It also lists the importance of education and continued professional development for healthcare professionals among the issues the report highlights.