Amid a deep economic crisis, Cuban women are facing a serious shortage of sanitary pads, which forces them to resort to rudimentary solutions such as using cloths to meet their needs.
This issue, difficult to imagine in other parts of the world, is a daily reality throughout the island of Cuba, denounced journalist Mario Vallejo after interviewing several women from eastern Cuba.
According to the testimonies, intimate products, which should be regularly 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 in January and never returned to the pharmacy," several women narrate, recalling that menstruation happens every month.
The intimate items from the warehouse, which should cost much less, are being sold on the street for 350 pesos per package, while in other places prices can go up to 1,000 pesos per package.
There is also the option to buy "two pairs for 50 pesos," mentions one of the affected parties.
Faced with this situation, some women have been forced to use rags instead of proper intimate products. "When there are none, you have to use rags," confessed one interviewee.
Another woman expressed that the issue needs to be resolved "with bandages, and that is annoying and unpleasant."
This issue is not only a matter of comfort, but also of health and dignity, the affected individuals indicated.
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