Around 26% of the population menstruates every month, so why isn’t it industry standard? (Picture: Getty Images)
Imagine the panic of realising you’ve come on your period at 30,000ft, with no tampons or pads in your hand luggage.
That was the reality for Iman Orths, who was on an EasyJet flight from London to Palma when she unexpectedly started bleeding.
Sharing her experience on TikTok, Iman said she was told by the flight attendants (three male and one female) that there weren’t any sanitary products stocked on the plane.
Her only option was asking strangers or using tissues. Thankfully, another female passenger came to Iman’s rescue, but she says she was left ’embarrassed’ by the experience.
Speaking to Metro, Iman says: ‘I felt anxious and a bit annoyed. I felt like I was “causing a fuss” just trying to get through this flight with dignity.
‘I felt embarrassed, as if it was my fault. At the same time, I wasn’t surprised because this is what our society is like – women’s health needs are the last priority. I’m used to this happening.’
Iman said she felt like she was ‘causing a fuss just trying to get through the flight with dignity’ (Picture: Iman Orths/@lovefromiman)
Iman says she was in ‘survival mode’ just trying to get ‘through to the other end without bleeding into the seat’.
And while the female flight attendant was ‘sweet and empathetic’, she was still unsure of how to help.
‘I don’t think the onus is on the individual staff members, but rather on the airline and larger infrastructure,’ Iman continues.
‘Airlines stock every product under the sun, luxury items like perfumes, spray tan and makeup – but not essential items like sanitary products. It doesn’t make sense and it’s not okay when half the population has a period.’
@lovefromiman
@easyJet don’t keep emergency sanitary products on planes!?? come onnn think of women pls it’s 2024 ???? #feminist #periodshame #storytime
♬ original sound – IMAN
Are airlines required to stock sanitary products on planes?
Around 1.8 billion people – that’s 26% of the population – menstruate every month worldwide, yet there are no UK or international policies that require airlines to carry emergency menstrual products.
Some airlines can choose to do so, and sanitary products are available on board with carriers including Virgin Atlantic and British Airways, but it isn’t always guaranteed.
Additionally, information on whether or not sanitary towels or pads are stocked is difficult to find online, which could leave many passengers confused and unsure of what to expect.
While some airlines stock emergency products on board it isn’t always guaranteed (Picture: Getty Images)
Erin Reid, founder of menstrual health company LU Innovations, has experienced her period unexpectedly arriving twice while on long-haul flights.
She tells Metro: ‘In both cases, I relied on the plane’s thin toilet paper, which offered very little support. Wrapping it around my underwear was all I could …read more
Source:: Metro
