Period poverty
[1] In total, there are around 500 million women and girls that cannot manage their periods safely due to lack of menstrual products and for fear of shame.
[2] The American Medical Women's Association defines period poverty as "the inadequate access to menstrual hygiene tools and educations, including but not limited to sanitary products, washing facilities, and waste management".
[3] The lack of access to menstrual hygiene products can cause physical health problems, such as infections and reproductive tract complications, and can have negative social and psychological consequences, including missed school or work days and stigma.
Moreover, social media, consciousness raising, awareness campaigns,[5] and the arts provide avenues for modern day advocacy regarding period poverty.
[6] Menstrual stigma has significant impacts on the lives of those women including their health, education, economic opportunities, and participation in public and social life.
For example, the use of these phrases such as “‘strawberry week’ in Austria, ‘I'm with Chico’ in Brazil, and ‘Granny's stuck in traffic’ in South Africa can contribute to the taboo surrounding menstruation.
For example, in AD 70 Pliny the Elder wrote that menstruation was “productive of the most monstrous effects” and that crops would “wither and die” and bees would “forsake their hives if touched by a menstruous woman.”[2] In 1694, books on midwifery likened menstruating women to “a mythical beast with venomous breath” on account of their shared ability to “disperse poison through the air.”[2] In the US specifically, Thinx found that 80% of sampled 13- to 19-year-olds believe periods have a negative association.
[9] Physical, mental health, and social costs arise when women have limited or inconsistent access to period products and adequate menstrual hygiene management.
Using an unsterilised menstrual cup or leaving a tampon in for more than eight hours puts the user at risk for toxic shock syndrome, a life-threatening condition which can cause flu-like symptoms, low blood pressure, and organ failure.
[13] Period poverty can additionally impact reproductive health, as those with female anatomy who lack access to adequate menstrual mitigation resources are at higher risk for infertility, recurrent abortions, and ectopic pregnancies.
According to UNESCO's 2013 Global Education Monitoring Report, around 10% of youth who menstruate miss school during their period due to lack of access to menstrual health management (MHM) resources.
[20] Period poverty is an intersectional issue and unhoused women experiencing it have trouble accessing menstrual products due to economic constraints.
[22] Homeless women could feel uncomfortable asking staff at shelters for menstrual products; this can be a result of uneven power dynamics as well as the sociocultural stigmas around menstruation.
[29] In the Ivory Coast, women have severely limited or no access to menstrual products and due to overcrowding, the risk of infections is incredibly high.
For these marginalised groups, accessing safe and accommodating spaces to manage menstruation can be fraught with challenges that can exacerbate feelings of insecurity and exclusion.
Despite efforts to accommodate diverse gender identities, misgendering and insensitive inquiries about menstruation persist, contributing to a sense of alienation and discomfort within healthcare settings.
[34] This makes it difficult to understand the intersectionality of period poverty and how menstruators who aren't women are impacted by their inability to access menstrual products and WASH facilities.
[35] Financial barriers add to the difficulty of accessing menstrual products as trans, non-binary and intersex people who already face economic constraints related to their gender identity, such as healthcare and other gender-affirming expenses.
Social interactions, public spaces, and even healthcare encounters can reinforce gender norms, complicating the already challenging experience of menstruation for these individuals.
Globally, proposals to reduce or eliminate taxes on menstrual products or their inputs have gained prominence, and an increasing number of countries have taken different approaches.
In general, a common legislative approach adopted by many developing countries in the fight against period poverty is the reduction or elimination of taxes on menstrual products.
In the Philippines, deputies from different parties separately filed similar bills this year proposing a two-day menstrual leave for female employees in the workforce.
[40] Approaches in developed countries not only include tax reductions or eliminations but also range from providing free menstrual products and the implementation of supportive policies.
[44] The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) raised four approaches to promoting and improving menstrual health around the world:[45] There is an argument to be made that the descriptive representation of women in executive and legislative bodies may bring about more government-level remedies to period poverty.
For example, Sarah Childs and Julie Withey investigated the decision of Great Britain's Labour Party-led government to reduce the value-added tax on sanitary products in their 2000 budget.
Sociocultural attention to period poverty in the UK has increased since 2016, attributed to factors like the dismantling of the welfare state, menstruation-focused feminism, and support from high-profile individuals.
[47] The BBC published a compilation of articles regarding period poverty authored by a diverse range of individuals with personal interest to the issue.
End of Sentence.," elucidates the period poverty prevalent in rural India and the transformative impact of making menstrual products accessible.
Continued research, policy advocacy, and community-based interventions are exercised to address period poverty and promote menstrual justice.
[60] Damaris Pereda, national programs director at PERIOD., played a significant role in advocating for menstrual equity in California, leading to the passing of AB 367 for free period products in academic institutions.
