Supermarket shopping vouchers and free vending machines are being introduced to help people access free period products in East Lothian.
The local authority has been offering free sanitory supplies from its public buildings since 2019 but a new report has revealed that uptake of them has been low.
And it pointed to a lack of choice of brands as well as Covid and people not realising they were free as reasons.
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Now the council is planning to offer more ways for people to get free products including offering home deliveries from Hey Girls, the social enterprise which provides supplies, to those eligible, and supermarket shopping vouchers.
The report on the free period products programme said free products would still be available from council buildings for people to pick up but it would be more targeted at anyone who is "caught short" while out and about.
Free vending machines are being looked into for public buildings.
For those who need access to free supplies on a more long term basis, new arrangements introduced aim to make it easier and offer more choice.
Shopping vouchers which can be used in supermarkets such as Tesco, Aldi and Asda will be provided and direct ordering will be available.
East Lothian Council has received £94,000 funding from Scottish Government for products as part of the legislative commitment to make free products available.
A consultation on the provision found that while most people were comfortable taking products when freely available, in schools privacy and discretion were particularly important factors.
Asking for products was identified as a barrier to uptake with people saying there was still a stigma surrounding both periods and asking for things for free.
And while the shopping vouchers were welcomed there were concerns that they should not be identifiable as being linked to poverty.
The council said the vouchers will have nothing to identify them from other shopping vouchers available to everyone.
Councillor Shamin Akhtar, depute council leader, said: “We have worked with our third sector partners to identify new ways that we could make products available to those who need them in a way that is easily accessible, promotes choice and reduces stigma. We are very pleased to be moving forward with these arrangements.
“By their very nature, these items are intimate products and we believe that people should be able to choose what suits them and their period, and to be able to access them in a way that is dignified and in line with all other consumers.
"We have worked closely with our third sector partners and Hey Girls to develop these new arrangements and to trial them in the county.
"We will continue to monitor the scheme and roll out further arrangements, such as the installation of free dispensing machines in public buildings, over the coming months.
“Nobody should have to worry that they cannot afford to menstruate. We hope that this scheme will offer vital support when it is most needed. “
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