Is period poverty still a thing?
ANSWER: YES.
Menstrual Hygiene Day (May 28) is a day to bring global awareness to menstrual hygiene access. The date itself is symbolic, meant to represent the average period that lasts for 5 days and the average menstrual cycle of 28 days (hence, 5/28). Although menstrual cycles are highly variable and there often isn’t an average for the average person, the day itself serves as a simple reminder that menstruation care is still lacking in many areas around the world.
Despite ease of use and benefit of health, menstrual products are inaccessible or unmentionable in some areas. This phenomenon is oft referred to as “period poverty,” the situation where there is inadequate access to menstrual products, sanitation facilities (e.g., washrooms, running water), and education. Menstrual hygiene becomes increasingly difficult to access in rural areas of developing countries, however, this difficulty is also found in more “developed” countries like Canada, the US, and the UK.
Original photo under unsplash free license (photo found here). Editing: OVATHEMOON Design Team.
Period Poverty by the numbers • 1 in 6 Canadians experienced period poverty (2023) • 1 in 4 students in the US struggled to pay for period products (2023) • 3 in 10 girls in the UK struggled to afford period care (2020) • It is estimated that 500 million people around the world don’t have access to menstrual products and facilities that support menstrual hygiene (2022)
So, why does period poverty exist? Period poverty exists because of “costs” and “unawareness.” It’s due to the inaccessibility of menstrual care (e.g., products, doctors, medications), which is due to a lack of funding, financial resources, and education.
Costs For example, menstrual products can become a burden expense as people tackle with rising living costs and overall economic instability. “Pink taxes” on menstrual hygiene products further drive up their costs when economies mark up these products as luxury goods rather than basic items (the pink tax may increase the price of other “feminine” products too, making them more expensive than their comparable but more masculinely-marketed co-products). While also experiencing food insecurity, some may feel forced to forgo their period products in favour of food and other more urgent items. But because food and water may be more immediately vital for the human, it does not mean period products should be ignored or debased. Without proper period care, many feel like they cannot participate in society and must stay home from school or work while on their period.
Unawareness* Unawareness in menstrual care is bothersome at best and terrifying at worst. Some may find period products not just too costly, but also too inappropriate to prioritize along with other needs like food, shelter, and clean water.
Alas, there may still be a wilful ignorance* suffocating menstrual health care progress. Stigma around menstruation and fear around its purported otherness result in a girl’s exclusion from society. The stigma and shame underscore school absenteeism and mental health issues for many girls. Menstruation is a natural process that isn’t to be loathed or hushed up. Periods shouldn’t prevent people from accessing care, community, education, and kindness.
What can we do to improve access? To improve access to menstrual health products, we can improve their access through reducing costs and improving education. Removing unnecessary taxes from products or barriers in accessing these products (e.g., perhaps provide free pads in public washrooms along with the toilet paper) could counter the costs.
Ultimately, however, education around menstrual health care and menstrual hygiene is what will promote its prioritization in healthcare and overall well-being. More people will feel empowered to take their menstrual health seriously and seek care. Governments, organizations, and businesses may feel more motivated to provide products and facilities that support period care. Businesses may even primarily produce or promote safe, sustainable, and multi-use period care that further reduce costs. A solid understanding of what menstruation is will demystify and destigmatize its presence (it is, after all, the body’s elegant way of removing an endometrium that is not needed). This knowledge creates the kindness in understanding and accepting periods and the people who have them.
FURTHER READING
#PeriodFriendlyWorld
#MHDay2025
About MH Day https://www.menstrualhygieneday.org/about https://www.menstrualhygieneday.org/participate/individual
Period Poverty by the numbers: https://www.canada.ca/en/women-gender-equality/funding/menstrual-equity-fund.html https://period.org/periodpoverty https://plan-uk.org/press/global-period-poverty-and-stigma-getting-worse-under-lockdown https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/water/brief/menstrual-health-and-hygiene
Period Poverty: A Neglected Public Health Issue https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10372806/
Period Poverty – why millions of girls and women cannot afford their periods https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/explainer/2024/05/period-poverty-why-millions-of-girls-and-women-cannot-afford-their-periods
Pink Tax https://www.weforum.org/stories/2022/07/what-is-the-pink-tax-and-how-does-it-hinder-women/
The Shame That Keeps Millions of Girls Out of School https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/04/opinion/girls-school-menstruation.html
10 Fast Facts: Menstrual health in schools https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/10-fast-facts-menstrual-health-schools
Period equity: What it is and why it matters https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/period-equity-what-is-it-why-does-it-matter-202106012473
Remember, as always, please: Critically review material you interact with online and elsewhere. Consider different perspectives. Consult your healthcare professional regarding health concerns.
