While on our European holiday this August my husband and I were travelling from London to Scotland on the overnight train.

In the wee hours of the morning I went to buy a cup of tea from the kiosk. The train attendant made the cup of tea and then placed it in a white paper bag with handles. I promptly suggested that I didn’t need the bag as it was a waste. Her reply to me was: “Sorry Lassie, its health and safety”, taken aback by her response I walked back to my seat with a boiling cup of tea in a bag because apparently it’s “safer”.

This incident played in my head for a couple of days because it really made no sense to me how carrying my cup of tea in a bag would be heathier or safer for me or for her. As we travelled around the UK I kept coming across really silly rules (well I thought so and this is just my personal opinion) and they all fell under this term it’s for “health and safety”. I then started to mull over in my mind that I am not allowed to carry a boiling cup of tea in my hands as its not being safe for me but millions of supermarkets across the UK are selling women chemically laden sanitary pads causing menstrual cramps, itchiness, endometriosis, reduced testosterone, thyroid problems, various cancers , hormonal imbalances, immune system disorders, infertility and birth defects the list goes on but don’t worry ladies obviously these products are healthy and safe for you…………mmmm.

On top of this women are popping the hormonal contraception on a daily basis to stop their body from functioning in a healthy normal way, or they have inserted hormonal devices which stop every aspect of their true sense of being a women from functioning. On top of this the side effects women experience due to these endocrine disruptors are headaches, migraines, nutrient depletion, increasing ones chances of depression and osteoporosis . If this doesn’t sound bad enough the chance of a stroke due to blood clots is also increased. To add to this the long term effects can be related to reducing ones future fertility. But women don’t worry this is healthy and safe for you?

So as I sit here looking from a South African’s perspective – I cannot do basic mundane jobs because it’s not healthy or safe for me to do so but supermarkets, doctors and product companies are allowed to sell products to women that cause detrimental side effects and are life threatening but they are seen as healthy and safe?

It makes no sense to me: a nation that can be so concerned about the health and safety of its people have no problem promoting and selling these products. the list goes on but don’t worry ladies obviously these products are healthy and safe for you…………mmmm.