West Australians are struggling more than the rest of the country to afford hygiene and cleaning products, with experts warning this could lead to serious ill physical and mental health.
A survey, run by charity Good360 Australia, revealed the stark number of West Australians living in hygiene poverty, which means they are unable to afford essential items like soap, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste and period products.
One in seven people had found it hard to afford personal hygiene products in the past six months, while almost one in six were struggling to buy cleaning items.
Almost 12 per cent of the West Australians surveyed were skipping hygiene products to afford other essentials.
Australian Medical Association infectious diseases and microbiology spokesman Jonathan Chambers said not being able to clean yourself or your home properly could lead to a slew of infections.
This included skin infections like cellulitis, impetigo and golden staph, as well as respiratory infections including the flu and RSV, and diarrhoeal diseases.
“Healthy skin is so critical it’s our number one barrier to infection so anything that compromises healthy skin puts you at risk,” he said.
“It’s an easy fix just keeping your skin clean and have a shower but it’s becoming more obvious that’s not possible for people in poverty.
Read the full article over at The West Australian.
