How is it possible that we live in an age where Elon Musk can launch a sports car into space just for a laugh yet no one seems able to figure out a cost-effective, easy-to-use, environmentally friendly way for women to manage their periods? Imagine if the shoe were on the other foot and men were the ones bleeding from between their legs one week in every four – they'd have had it sorted years ago. And they sure wouldn't be paying tax for the privilege.
Periods are part of life but that doesn't stop them being a downright nuisance. And that's for those of us lucky enough to live in a developed country, where tampons and a packet of aspirin are only ever a quick trip to Boots away. In communities around the world, women and girls are obliged to make do with whatever comes to hand – sometimes scraps of dirty fabric – often within cultures that treat menstruating women as 'unclean' or 'untouchable' and force them to live apart from their families for the duration of their period. Even in the UK, there are women who simply do not have the money to pay for sanitary products.
It's clear we need a more affordable and sustainable solution. Enter: WUKA period wear. Founded by environmental scientist Ruby Raut, WUKA (which stands for Wake Up Kick Ass) makes ultra absorbent, machine-washable underwear that is designed to be worn throughout your period, eliminating the need for disposable sanitary products – and the mountains of waste they produce. WUKA claims that the pants, which cost £29.99 a pair and are available in sizes 6-20, can be worn for up to eight hours a day or all night long, and hold the equivalent of four tampons' worth of menstrual blood.
Too good to be true? We gave three members of Team R29 UK a pair of WUKA pants to try out during their period. Here's how they got on...
Katy
Every three or four months I get a monster period. I lose my appetite for a day, then feel like I could eat a horse. I get cramps, feel whacked, and bleed a lot. I read that you lose about 2-3 tablespoons of blood over one period, but I say bullshit; I feel like I lose that per day. I hate tampons – putting them in, taking them out, worrying if I have one – so was very up for trying WUKA.
The pants are SUPER comfy. Not sexy but not ugly either. I really like the fit and the sheer panel, and the material feels top quality. I wear them all day; it takes a while to get used to just bleeding and not panic-running to the loo, paranoid that I might be leaking on my clothes. I do get used to it but when I go to the loo once, I notice a clot of blood that hasn’t absorbed; I wipe it off with a tissue, which I don’t mind, but if you get heavy periods it might be an issue. I only have one pair of the pants – you'll need a few to get through your period – although they did wash well.
And there's another issue: VPL. They're fine under loose skirts, etc. but I wouldn’t wear them with anything tight or jeans.
If I have a criticism it’s not specifically of WUKA but of period pants in general – they're basically a pad inside a pair of knickers. If we're really going to deliver comfort for women during their periods, maybe we need a bit more imagination, money for research, and ambition.
Saying that, I am going to buy an extra pair to wear at night, which is when I hate tampons and pads most.
Louise
Since having a coil fitted a couple of years ago my periods have got a lot longer, so I was eager to try anything to avoid wearing a tampon for long stretches of time. I find pads pretty uncomfortable so I was hesitant, thinking that WUKA underwear would feel similar; happily this wasn't the case.
I won’t lie, they felt strange at first, but it didn’t take long to get used to, largely because these pants are just so damn comfortable. To look at they’re basically the same as normal underwear (minimal nappy vibes) but for me there is one key drawback…VPL. Big problem. In fact, it took me a couple of days to wear these out of the house because they’re very visible under jeans. By the time a skirt-friendly day came around my period wasn’t all that heavy, but I was still fearful of leaks. Just in case, I’d taken spare underwear and tampons with me in my bag but once again, pleasantly surprised. Thumbs up to WUKA.
WUKA claims that one pair replaces an equivalent 100 tampons or pads. I’m pretty sceptical, given that the pants take a good few days to air-dry. Even if I had a tumble dryer (dare to dream) this wouldn’t be an option as it risks damaging the lining. It makes sense, considering absorption is the main selling point of period underwear but, unless you’d invested in multiple pairs, you’d 100% need to switch back to tampons or whatever you usually use.
My final thought is that they’re a great eco-friendly option to mix things up during your period. Excellent for wearing in bed or lounging around the house but, for me, not an option if you're looking to ditch tampons for good.
Rose
I was really excited to try these; usually I wear tampons during the day and pads at night and honestly, the sheer volume of waste that creates blows my mind every time I have a period. I also feel really uncomfortable in a pad at night but I'm too scared of toxic shock syndrome to wear a tampon while I sleep. Plus, pads just remind me of nappies so every month it's like I'm a giant infant who's also somehow bleeding out of her vagina...
I first wore these in the day and definitely noticed the extra padding at the back as I walked but apart from that they were so comfortable and even seemed to lessen my cramps. After that I just wore them at night and they have honestly revolutionised my periods. Especially now it’s so warm, it was great to be able to stretch in my sleep and even slouch on the sofa with my breakfast without the worry of leaving bloody stains on my soft furnishings.
The only downside is you need to stick them in the wash first thing and give them plenty of time to air-dry. The last night of my period, due to laziness, they were still damp at bedtime so I couldn’t wear them, which honestly was a real downer. Now I’ve tried a life free of pads, I never want to go back.
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