The SOS box: period parity for all healthcare workers
A feasible, sustainable way to address period/menstruation-based inequities in healthcare workspaces
The vision
The SOS box initiative was established to shine light on the often hidden inequities that healthcare workers who have periods/menstruate within their workplaces. This is alongside sharing an effective, feasible, adaptable and sustainable way to meet their unmet need, championing the work of other enablers whilst building a supportive, collaborative and international community of period parity change makers.
The cost, just:
For set up: £6.21
(E7.31/$7.56)
For box maintenance: 58p/week
£36/year
(E0.69/w, 42.55/y; USD$0.71/w, $43.84/y)
“Genuinely saves the day”
“Saves me panicing [sic]”
“Just no drama and problem sorted without a fuss”
“Extremely useful”
“Very reassuring”
“A sense of security”
“They are a G*d send”
“One less thing to worry about”
90% needed period/sanitary products but didn’t have access at work.
100% reported difficulty in acquiring period/sanitary products at work
The need
95% felt inaccessibility of period/sanitary products at work had a negative impact on their dignity
38% had needed to change clothing due to bleeding through clothes at work due to lack of period product accessibility
“Previously bled through on to chairs including during difficult consults with patients e.g. breaking bad news"
“Spent most of the 13 hour shift worrying”
“Toilet roll is the only option”
“Worrying when working in theatre"
The impact
90% felt the SOS box would improve their wellbeing at work
95% felt period/sanitary product access in clinical work areas would have a positive impact on their dignity
Costs less than 2p per staff member (women of menstruating age) per week
“Today I had an extremely heavy period and went through all of my own supplies - without this box it would have been difficult and embarrassing.”
“I feel this is an amazing service… as there will always be a time when you may get caught out. There is nothing worse than being caught short with an unexpected period.”
“I have used the SOS box recently and it made an embarrassing situation so much more bearable… a small something that made a huge difference to how I coped with the rest of the day”.
UN Population Fund
“Health issues particular to women’s and girls’ bodies – including … menstruation– have often been overlooked by decision-makers, policymakers, educators and even the medical establishment.”
Dame Coia and Professor West, GMC report ‘Caring for doctors, caring for patients
“How then do we change the workplace factors that are affecting doctors’ wellbeing? To answer this question, it is important to begin by clearly defining what are core human needs at work that, when satisfied, are associated with wellbeing and intrinsic motivation.”
The SOS box launch kit: outreach
Join the change
The SOS box initiative is all about collaboration and co-production across traditional boundaries whilst challenging assumptions, longstanding norms and inequities.
It’s about being part of small changes that make a huge difference. Not only this, they can create a ripple of wider positive effects to further the rights and equity of those with periods/who menstruate within our wider communities and population.
The SOS box is cost effective, easy to adapt, build and launch. The initiative has prepared business cases and lobbying tools so you can tailor the resources to your local context, best suiting the needs of colleagues and most powerfully advocating for healthcare employers to adopt the scheme.
Alongside this, a community collective is being built where you can benefit from the support and experiences of others: together we are stronger and more successful in achieving what our colleagues who menstruate/have periods need
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Planning
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Costing
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Evaluating
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Sustaining
“I don’t really understand why a good employer would not provide these [period/sanitary products] for any staff or, indeed, patients that need.”
Senior NHS leader, 2022
