I have read all the posts, and as expected, the argument takes two easily identifiable sides.
The first, is that free sanitary protection should be available for all young women who need it - and I am firmly in that camp.
The second provides variations of the same argument - that parents should provide, even those on benefits.
That, in my view, is the argument of the privileged who assume that everyone else takes their parental responsibilities as seriously as they do - and can't understand any parent who does not provide this basic necessity for their daughter(s).
The fact is, a large number of parents simply don't provide - not because they weigh up the cost of cigarettes and a mobile, and decide to spend on those.
It's because they simply don't possess the thought processes to work out their priorities.
Is that wrong? of course it is - but are we going to let young women suffer simply because their parents don't have the wherewithal to educate ad support them properly about their periods?
I think that is barbaric in a civilised society.
If some take advantage of the system who don't need it, then I can live with that, because that applied to any benefit of any kind anywhere for anyone.
I would rather have a few freeloaders riding the system tha for any young woman to be embarrassed and humiliated by her inability to deal with this basic biological function in which she has no choice.