Growing Rise of Inaccessibility for Safe Feminine Hygiene Products

Menstruation marks a shift in a young woman’s life. With menstruation not only comes a need for menstrual products, but also societal pressures. These changes and pressures affect the esteem of young women, and also pose health risks due to a lack of education on menstruation and a lack of access to menstrual products due to their high costs.

The stigma associated with menstruation stems from the view that menstruation is unholy and uncleanly. In the Middle Ages, a menstruating woman was seen as someone who could get those around them sick. Even in present times, periods are viewed as dirty and are supposed to be regarded as private. The prejudice is furthered through actions as simple as making a joke that a woman is on her period because she is perceived as being emotional, a trait commonly associated with the change in hormonal levels throughout the menstrual cycle. Even though there are scientific reasons that explain the emotional changes a woman experiences while menstruating, making generalizations not only can negatively impact self-esteem but also further the stereotype that women experience. Similarly, because menstruation is viewed as private and shameful, women often feel the need to conceal their menstrual products when they go to the restroom and feel embarrassed when purchasing menstrual products, as shown in a WaterAid survey in which 29 percent of women in the United Kingdom state that they feel uncomfortable buying feminine hygiene products.

The inaccessibility of menstrual products as well as the lack of proper education about periods are specifically known as period poverty. In low-income countries, period poverty is an extremely severe issue. For example, in Lebanon, due to the economic crisis, 66 percent of adolescent girls surveyed by Plan International reported that they were unable to afford sanitary pads. Not only this, but according to a study conducted in rural western Kenya, 10 percent of girls 15 years or younger reported engaging in transactional sex in order to receive menstrual products. This not only shows the disparity of the inaccessibility of menstrual products, but also shows how inaccessibility results in the exploitation of young girls. From an economic perspective, the highest monthly cost of menstrual products in the world is roughly $34 in Algeria, which is around eight percent of the monthly average salary there. Period poverty overall results in over 500 million people around the world not getting the period products they need.

However, while period poverty is a large issue in developing and lower-income countries, it is also a major crisis in the United States.  In America, many people, including the homeless, students, and prisoners, do not have access to menstrual products as they are not provided in their facilities, and products are too costly to afford as the average cost in the United States for menstrual products is $20 per cycle. Data collected by the Council of State Governments shows that there are no requirements in 19 states to provide menstrual products in facilities such as schools, prisons, and shelters. In fact, only New York and Illinois provide menstrual products in all of these facilities. In addition, according to a survey by Thinx, 2/3 of teens report experiencing stress due to a lack of access to menstrual products at school.

Accompanied by the lack of accessibility for menstrual products is a lack of education regarding menstruation. This inaccessibility results in people worldwide resorting to toilet paper, rags, and paper towels to manage bleeding during their menstrual cycle. However, due to the lack of education worldwide as well as in the United States, many women are unaware of how these methods can result in infection by allowing for a buildup of bacteria in the genitalia. These infections can result in painful and serious conditions such as Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, which causes intense pain and can lead to severe lifelong conditions such as ectopic pregnancy—when the egg develops in the fallopian tube instead of the uterus—and infertility. Not only this, but many students who experience periods do not attend school either because they do not have the products they need, with 84 percent of teens in the United States reporting that they have either missed a class or have known someone who missed a class due to a lack of access to menstrual products, and according to a survey by UNICEF, 30 percent of girls worldwide are missing some or all of school due to their periods. However, even among students that have access to menstrual supplies, 79 percent feel that they lack proper education on menstruation. This lack of education once again leads to health complications, as many people do not know when to see a doctor or what menstrual symptoms are normal and healthy. For example, if a woman is experiencing severe dysmenorrhea, also known as menstrual cramps, they may not know that the severity of their symptoms is abnormal, that they should see a doctor, or what medication they should take. The woman might also be suffering from endometriosis, a chronic condition associated with severe pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea, and infertility. A lack of education on menstruation can also lead to the misuse of menstrual products, such as leaving a tampon in for over eight hours, which puts someone at risk of toxic shock syndrome. Toxic shock syndrome is a bacterial infection commonly associated with misuse of menstrual products, such as tampons. The condition can be fatal if left untreated and has severe consequences, including vomiting, seizures, and fever.

Though inaccessibility and a lack of education on menstruation and menstrual products remain, various organizations and schools worldwide have been working diligently to get over this barrier. For example, D.C. schools now require students, regardless of gender, to learn about menstruation starting in fourth grade. This policy not only allows young students to be prepared for their menstrual cycles and to know how to properly and safely use menstrual products, but it also combats the stigmatized view on periods by teaching students from a young age that they are important and are neither embarrassing nor dirty. Additionally, there are many organizations that combat period poverty across the world, such as Days For Girls and UNICEF. These charities and nonprofits distribute sustainable pads and teach menstrual health education to students worldwide in an effort to combat period poverty and make a difference in these communities and the lives of the children living there. Overall, as a society, we are slowly making our way to a world where menstruation is no longer stigmatized and women no longer have to fear that they will not be able to afford the menstrual products that they need. While this change requires a long process, it is achievable if people take another step toward acceptance.