What is Period Poverty?

On any random day, at any given moment, there are approximately 300 million people

actively menstruating around the world1. Around 26% of the 7.8 billion human population2 are in

their reproductive years and are therefore menstruators. Billions of people menstruate, and many

of them are not able to access the necessary products, sanitation, education, and empowerment to

handle this natural process. And yet, period poverty is not seen as a legitimate human health

dilemma.

Period poverty is defined as an inaccessibility of period products, proper sanitation and

hygienic facilities like private bathrooms, education, and/or waste management3.

When safe and hygienic products are not available, menstruators are forced to use

unhygienic and unsafe alternatives to be able to continue through their day-to-day life, such as

going to school or work. Rather than tampons or pads, individuals instead use dirty rags,

napkins, toilet paper, cardboard, or a variety of other dangerous materials4. This often leads to

infections, such as a urinary-tract infection, or even Toxic Shock Syndrome, which is deadly.

While this is an issue worldwide, the severity of the inequity in the United States is often

overlooked.

Period Poverty in the United States of America

Despite being one of the richest countries in the world, the United States is home to

severe menstrual inequity. In 2020, approximately 16.9 million menstruators live below the

1
The World Bank. “Menstrual Health and Hygiene.” World Bank, 12 May 2022,
https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/water/brief/menstrual-health-and-hygiene. Accessed 11 April 2023.
2
UNICEF. “FAST FACTS: Nine things you didn't know about menstruation.” UNICEF, 25 May 2018,
https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/fast-facts-nine-things-you-didnt-know-about-menstruation.
Accessed 11 April 2023.
3
Nwadike, Valinda Riggins, and Caitlin Geng. “What is period poverty?” Medical News Today, 16
September 2021, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/period-poverty. Accessed 11 April 2023.
4
Rapp, Ashley, and Sidonie Kilpatrick. “Changing the Cycle: Period Poverty as a Public Health Crisis.”
University of Michigan School of Public Health, 4 February 2020,
https://sph.umich.edu/pursuit/2020posts/period-poverty.html. Accessed 8 April 2023.
poverty line in the United States, and even worse: two-thirds of those individuals could not

afford to purchase menstrual products in the past year, and half of them being forced to choose

between buying food and menstrual products5.

Period Poverty in Colleges and Universities in the United States

14.2% of menstruators in college in the United States have experienced period poverty in

the past year, with 10% of those facing it every single month6.

Period poverty plagues Penn State University, too. About 13% of menstruators at

University Park have missed class or work due to a lack of access to period products, and 12%

reported that they have faced financial barriers to accessing period products7.

Period Poverty, COVID-19, and the U.S. Economy

The conditions of period poverty in the United States have only worsened in recent years.

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated various factors that contribute to period poverty,

specifically from the global economic crisis that hit in early 2020 and is still felt in 20238. The

current inflation in the United States economy is making every purchasable good or service more

expensive, which adds on to the struggle menstruators of low to middle income in deciding what

to purchase and when. Tampons cost 13% higher in 2022 due to the high inflation rates, which is

twice as high as the 6.5% overall inflation rate for the United States economy in 20229

5
Michel, Janet, et al. “Period poverty: why it should be everybody's business | Published in Journal of
Global Health Reports.” Journal of Global Health Reports, 22 February 2022,
https://www.joghr.org/article/32436-period-poverty-why-it-should-be-everybody-s-business. Accessed 8
April 2023.
6
ibid
7
Days for Girls at Penn State University. Menstrual Health Needs Analysis 2021. 2021, University Park,
Pennsylvania.
8
McLoughlin, Susan. “Period Poverty – A Global Crisis – WIIS.” Women In International Security, 2 June
2021, https://wiisglobal.org/period-poverty-a-global-crisis/. Accessed 8 April 2023.
9
Carnevalli, Érica. “Women can't afford period products. Talking about it is key to fixing this shame.” The
Guardian, 5 April 2023,
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/apr/05/period-poverty-menstruation-us. Accessed 8 April
2023.
 Period poverty must be destigmatized and considered as a public health crisis in the

United States and addressed as such, and can be worked towards through changing the view of

period products, both socially, economically, and legally, from “luxury”, and therefore

unnecessary, products, to essential devices that ensure health and dignity for all menstruators.

Factors Contributing to Period Poverty in the U.S.

The United States has certain programs in place that are meant to support those living

under, at, or near the poverty line. Some of the most notable of these programs are the

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP), SNAP for Women, Infants, and Children

(WIC), and Medicaid. These programs provide benefits for individuals to use for their food

budget or their healthcare. However, SNAP, WIC, and Medicaid do not cover menstrual

products10.

These organizations classify menstrual products such as tampons, pads, menstrual cups,

and others as nonessential. Therefore, individuals in the United States in the lowest

socioeconomic classes are not able to purchase necessary items with the assistance they are

provided. Furthermore, SNAP and WIC set unjust limits on what assistance money can be spent

on – only certain “nutritious” foods, but not diapers or even cleaning supplies.

The Tampon Tax, also known as the Pink Tax, is the specific sales tax rate that is applied

to menstrual products. These tax rates vary across states, counties, cities, etc. As of September

20, 2022, twenty-two states charges sales tax on period products, and those rates ranged from 4%

to 7%11.

10
MOST Policy Initiative. “Menstrual Hygiene Products.” MOST Policy Initiative, 2 February 2022,
https://mostpolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Menstrual_Hygiene_Products_V2.pdf.
Accessed 8 April 2023.
11
Alliance for Period Supplies. “Tampon Tax.” Alliance for Period Supplies, 2023,
https://allianceforperiodsupplies.org/tampon-tax/. Accessed 8 April 2023.
 Figure 112

The added taxation, on top of the high prices of period products in general and due to inflation,

make products even more inaccessible for low to middle income menstruators.

The final major factor that causes period poverty is the stigmatization of menstruation.

Rather than something natural and harmless, menstruation is often misconstrued and discussed as

something dirty and shameful13. Simply look at the “Feminine Hygiene” aisle in the supermarket

– there is nothing inherently “wrong” or “unclean” about menstruation itself. Additionally,

12
ibid
13
United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner. “Removing the shame and stigma from
menstruation.” OHCHR, 8 July 2022,
https://www.ohchr.org/en/stories/2022/07/removing-shame-and-stigma-menstruation. Accessed 8 April
2023.
periods are widely viewed as something “weak” and “feminine”, which plays into the

heteropatriarchy and the cisgender binary that the United States embraces. Not all women

menstruate, and not all who menstruate are women! And there is nothing “weak” about shedding

the entire uterine lining once a month, every month, for decades.

Consequences of Period Poverty

Menstrual inequity is harmful to all, menstruators and non-menstruators alike.

Firstly, period poverty multiplies the stresses of poverty and the stress on low to middle

income families and households. Having a period is not a choice that individuals or families can

make, and therefore should not be another burden on their finances.

The lack of access to period products also keeps menstruators from certain opportunities,

such as school or work, as without those products, many menstruators choose to stay home or

use unsafe products – neither of which are fair or healthy.

Figure 214

14
Heart of Worcestershire College. “Period Poverty | Heart of Worcestershire College.” HOW College,
2023, https://www.howcollege.ac.uk/about/edi/period-poverty/. Accessed 13 April 2023.
 Period poverty can also harm the economy. If a menstruator cannot come into work due

to their period, or is worried about getting products and managing their period, they will, overall,

be far less productive.

If menstrual equity is not achieved, everyone will suffer. Therefore, a solution, or

solutions, must be found and implemented.

Viable Policies to Address the Issue: Law and the Government

A worthwhile policy to pursue is to make menstrual products eligible for purchase with

SNAP and WIC benefits15. Individuals should be able to choose what they wish to purchase at

the supermarket with their benefits. The government should not be able to tell them what is

important for their needs and what is not. An issue with this angle is that the United States

Department of Agriculture is in charge of SNAP and WIC, not Congress, and the USDA focuses

on food and nutrition, not menstrual products and other medical/health devices. It would be a

simple addition, in the end, and is a popular potential approach.

Another policy would be to pass Menstrual Equity Bills, which cover a variety of

changes, such as providing free products in certain public locations16. There are current bills in

various states, but no federal bills have been introduced or put into law in 2023 so far. An issue

with this approach is that the divided bipartisan government in the United States would render

such bills nearly impossible on a national level. It is, however, far more possible at the state

level, and various bills have been passed in different states over the past few years that combat

period poverty.

15
Crawford, Bridget J., and Emily Gold Waldman. “Period Poverty in the United States: What the Law
Should Do - Gender Policy Report.” Gender Policy Report, 25 May 2022,
https://genderpolicyreport.umn.edu/period-poverty-in-the-united-states-what-the-law-should-do/.
Accessed 8 April 2023.
16
Women's Voices for the Earth. “Bill Tracker: Menstrual Equity Policies in the United States.” Women's
Voices for the Earth, 2023,
https://womensvoices.org/bill-tracker-menstrual-equity-policies-in-the-united-states/. Accessed 8 April
2023.
 The subsidization of period products – which would be to make all period products free

for menstruators – is another route. The logic is, again, that since menstruation is not a choice

one can make, then safe products should be provided for free to all menstruators. A successful

example of an implementation of free period products is in Scotland17. Though the provision was

argued since 2018, in 2022, it became law. Of course, Scotland is a much smaller country than

the United States, but it bodes well that other countries are combating period poverty in tangible,

effective ways.

The 177th Congress of the United States of America introduced the bill, “Stop Taxes

Against Menstrual Product Act of 2022” last year18. Taking the taxing away from period products

is a very viable solution – even removing just a percentage of the cost would make period

products far more accessible for more menstruators. This bill would prohibit states from

imposing a tax on the retail sale of menstrual products, which is a huge step in the right direction.

It has only been introduced, and will need to be strongly pushed for in order to be passed and put

into law. The simple existence of the bill marks the long way the menstrual equity scene has

come in the United States government, though there is still far to go.

Viable Policies to Address the Issue: Education and the Workplace

Every single menstruator in the United States will spend time in the education system,

and most will go on to enter the workforce. Schools and workplaces are perfect points of contact

to provide support for menstruators through free period products.

17
The Scottish Parliament. “Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Bill – Bills (proposed laws) –
Scottish Parliament.” Scottish Parliament, 2023,
https://www.parliament.scot/bills-and-laws/bills/period-products-free-provision-scotland-bill. Accessed 8
April 2023.
18
117th Congress. “Text - H.R.8107 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): Stop Taxes Against Menstrual
Products Act of 2022.” Congress.gov, 2022,
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/8107/text?r=3&s=1. Accessed 8 April 2023.
 If a student or employee has free period products, they will be more productive, would

not miss school/work due to their menstruation and a lack of products, and would feel more

supported by administration/their employer19. This would be an important lifeline for those from

low to middle income backgrounds and would aid their menstrual health, mental health, and ease

their financial burden.

An issue with this path is that, if not supported by the government, whether local, state, or

federal, schools and employers would have to pay for menstrual products out of pocket. While

budgeting could easily be rearranged to purchase menstrual products in some places, small

businesses and schools with already-low budgets would struggle to afford the products. Without

the government, this also cannot be enforced.

Conclusion

Period poverty is a very complex issue that cannot be solved with one solution. There is

no path forward that erases period poverty and menstrual inequity. But it can be solved with a

combination of solutions, new ideas, and new voices joining the fight.

Menstruation, in general, and period poverty cannot be shoved under the rug any longer.

By addressing the stigmatization and supporting and embracing menstruators in the United

States, rather than ostracizing and shaming them (and allowing them to fall into poverty), we will

create a more efficient and kinder society.

The way forward is unclear, but we cannot slide backwards.

In Florida, House Bill 1069, if passed, will effectively ban children’s freedom to speak

about menstruation (as well as sex education and anatomy) before sixth grade20 – despite the fact
19
Khurana, Mansee. “The case for free tampons and pads in schools.” NPR, 2 December 2021,
https://www.npr.org/2021/12/02/1056830306/free-tampons-public-schools. Accessed 8 April 2023.
20
Lee, Bruce Y. “Florida Bill Could Ban Elementary Schools From Talking About Menstrual Periods.”
Forbes, 19 March 2023,
https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2023/03/19/florida-bill-could-ban-elementary-schools-from-talking-a
bout-menstrual-periods/?sh=3d89f21c798c. Accessed 11 April 2023.
that menstruation can begin earlier than age eight. By banning young menstruators from

education that will empower them with bodily knowledge and autonomy, period poverty, and

menstrual inequity, can only get worse, and will lead to real harm for menstruators in Florida and

beyond.

Personal Steps to Take

There are steps everyone can take to personally combat period poverty.

Registering to vote is critical. Electing representatives that better represent the needs and

wishes of menstruators in the United States will provide a higher likelihood of real change

occurring.

Sharing certain statistics and talking about menstruation in plain terms, not stigmatized

phrases like “Aunt Flow” or “Shark Week”, helps to destigmatize menstruation overall, which

makes it more of a legitimate issue to certain groups.

Lastly, if you are able, donate period products to local shelters, pantries, and other

organizations, such as Days for Girls at Penn State. These products can truly change the lives of

menstruators living near the poverty line, and, in the end, that is what fighting period poverty is

about.
 Works Cited

Alliance for Period Supplies. “Tampon Tax.” Alliance for Period Supplies, 2023,

https://allianceforperiodsupplies.org/tampon-tax/. Accessed 8 April 2023.

Carnevalli, Érica. “Women can't afford period products. Talking about it is key to fixing this

shame.” The Guardian, 5 April 2023,

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/apr/05/period-poverty-menstruation-us.

Accessed 8 April 2023.

Crawford, Bridget J., and Emily Gold Waldman. “Period Poverty in the United States: What the

Law Should Do - Gender Policy Report.” Gender Policy Report, 25 May 2022,

https://genderpolicyreport.umn.edu/period-poverty-in-the-united-states-what-the-law-sho

uld-do/. Accessed 8 April 2023.

Days for Girls at Penn State University. Menstrual Health Needs Analysis 2021. 2021, University

Park, Pennsylvania.

Heart of Worcestershire College. “Period Poverty | Heart of Worcestershire College.” HOW

College, 2023, https://www.howcollege.ac.uk/about/edi/period-poverty/. Accessed 13

April 2023.

Khurana, Mansee. “The case for free tampons and pads in schools.” NPR, 2 December 2021,

https://www.npr.org/2021/12/02/1056830306/free-tampons-public-schools. Accessed 8

April 2023.

Lee, Bruce Y. “Florida Bill Could Ban Elementary Schools From Talking About Menstrual

Periods.” Forbes, 19 March 2023,

 https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2023/03/19/florida-bill-could-ban-elementary-sch

ools-from-talking-about-menstrual-periods/?sh=3d89f21c798c. Accessed 11 April 2023.

McLoughlin, Susan. “Period Poverty – A Global Crisis – WIIS.” Women In International

Security, 2 June 2021, https://wiisglobal.org/period-poverty-a-global-crisis/. Accessed 8

April 2023.

Michel, Janet, et al. “Period poverty: why it should be everybody's business | Published in

Journal of Global Health Reports.” Journal of Global Health Reports, 22 February 2022,

https://www.joghr.org/article/32436-period-poverty-why-it-should-be-everybody-s-busin

ess. Accessed 8 April 2023.

MOST Policy Initiative. “Menstrual Hygiene Products.” MOST Policy Initiative, 2 February

2022,

https://mostpolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Menstrual_Hygiene_Product

s_V2.pdf. Accessed 8 April 2023.

Nwadike, Valinda Riggins, and Caitlin Geng. “What is period poverty?” Medical News Today, 16

September 2021, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/period-poverty. Accessed

11 April 2023.

117th Congress. “Text - H.R.8107 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): Stop Taxes Against Menstrual

Products Act of 2022.” Congress.gov, 2022,

https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/8107/text?r=3&s=1. Accessed 8

April 2023.

Rapp, Ashley, and Sidonie Kilpatrick. “Changing the Cycle: Period Poverty as a Public Health

Crisis.” University of Michigan School of Public Health, 4 February 2020,

https://sph.umich.edu/pursuit/2020posts/period-poverty.html. Accessed 8 April 2023.

The Scottish Parliament. “Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Bill – Bills (proposed

laws) – Scottish Parliament.” Scottish Parliament, 2023,

https://www.parliament.scot/bills-and-laws/bills/period-products-free-provision-scotland-

bill. Accessed 8 April 2023.

UNICEF. “FAST FACTS: Nine things you didn't know about menstruation.” UNICEF, 25 May

2018,

https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/fast-facts-nine-things-you-didnt-know-about-menst

ruation. Accessed 11 April 2023.

United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner. “Removing the shame and

stigma from menstruation.” OHCHR, 8 July 2022,

https://www.ohchr.org/en/stories/2022/07/removing-shame-and-stigma-menstruation.

Accessed 8 April 2023.

Women's Voices for the Earth. “Bill Tracker: Menstrual Equity Policies in the United States.”

Women's Voices for the Earth, 2023,

https://womensvoices.org/bill-tracker-menstrual-equity-policies-in-the-united-states/.

Accessed 8 April 2023.

The World Bank. “Menstrual Health and Hygiene.” World Bank, 12 May 2022,

https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/water/brief/menstrual-health-and-hygiene. Accessed

11 April 2023.