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Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
National
Iona Young

Love Island star praises Scotland's free period products on college visit

Love Island star Dr Alex George has praised Scotland's free period products that are displayed in public places across the country while on a visit to Fife College.

The former A&E doctor from Carmarthenshire was on a visit to the college in Dunfermline and chose to share the picture on International Women's Day of a shelf in the reception area offering pads and tampons.

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Alex became the UK government’s youth mental health ambassador and lost his 19-year-old brother to suicide in 2020. Since then he has travelled the country visiting schoolkids.

The star wrote: "During my visit to Fife College in Scotland I saw this stand in reception and it made me so happy.

"I had heard about a study recently that found 1 in 4 girls have been afraid to leave their homes due to not being able to afford period products. That made me so sad. And felt so wrong, so unjust.

"Scotland is the first country in the WORLD to make period products free for all. In England and across the rest of the UK there are schemes that target education, a good step, but should we be going further?"

He continued: "I know what my answer would be. People are avoiding sports, socialising and any situation that could cause embarrassment, because they don’t have access to or cannot afford period products. It doesn’t sit right with me I’m afraid.

"This campaign to #endperiodpoverty is a great example of how as individuals our voices can be lost, but together we are unimaginably loud."

Alex travelled to Fife in February in a bid to visit every school that asks him to visit. It was during children's mental health week that he toured Scotland to promote mental health awareness.

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Hundreds of fans online were in support of the post. One social media user said: "We should definitely follow Scotland's lead, no girl should be unable to access life because they can’t afford period products! It’s just so wrong."

Another said: "This is great! Sanitary products are not cheap either. Okay, there are some cheaper versions, but they're never as absorbent and create leakage, which causes embarrassment and, quite frankly, uncleanness.

"Hopefully more follow Scotland's lead on this, even if just for children."

While one added: "These products should be free why should a women be charged for having a uterus."

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