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Amid a severe economic crisis, Cuban women are facing a significant shortage of sanitary pads, forcing them to resort to rudimentary solutions such as using rags to meet their needs.
This problem, hard to imagine in other parts of the world, is a daily reality across the island of Cuba, reported journalist Mario Vallejo after interviewing several women from eastern Cuba.
According to testimonies, intimate products that should regularly be available in pharmacies have completely disappeared from official sales channels since January. However, they are available on the black market for 350 pesos.
"They were given out in January and never returned to the pharmacy," several women recount, noting that menstruation occurs every month.
The intimate items from the store, which should cost significantly less, are being sold on the street for 350 pesos per pack, while in other places prices can reach up to 1,000 pesos per pack.
There is also the option to buy "two intimate products for 50 pesos," mentions one of the affected individuals.
In light of this situation, some women have been forced to use rags instead of proper hygiene products. "When there aren't any, you have to use rags," confessed one interviewee.
Another woman expressed that it is necessary to resolve things "with band-aids, which is frustrating and unpleasant."
This issue is not just a matter of comfort, but also of health and dignity, the affected individuals stated.
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