Period Poverty: How Living with Limited Access to Menstrual Products Affects Our Community
By Heather Schnegelberger, CFLE
Health Educator
Poe Center for Health Education
At the Poe Center, our Family Life team works with youth and their families to develop confidence through puberty changes. There is so much to experience! One thing that may be uncertain for some is how to manage a monthly period when products are not available. This is called “period poverty.”
What is Period Poverty?
Period poverty is when individuals do not have access to “safe and hygienic menstrual products during monthly periods,” or the necessary basic sanitation services or facilities. Period poverty can also mean a lack of education regarding menstruation. (National Library of Medicine, 2023).
In 2018, a study commissioned by U by Kotex® showed that one in four women surveyed struggled to purchase period products. One in four! The study also revealed that “people of color, low-income girls and women, and people living in rural areas all disproportionately experience period poverty.” (U by Kotex, 2018)
How period poverty affects our communities
Imagine for a minute what period poverty might look like in daily life. Think of a middle schooler having to stay home from school during their cycle, or a high schooler participating in school activities with little to no period support. Picture an adult who may wear a period product longer than recommended so they can work, putting them at risk for bacterial infections and other dangerous conditions.
Diane Ferrari, Director of NC Regional JustServe, a humanitarian organization, points out that lack of access to period products has a domino effect on young girls’ health and education. Ferrari says, “Lacking affordability for these basic necessities, school districts report that middle and high school students opt to stay home from school during their cycles. As absences accrue, girls become further and further behind in their learning, ultimately negatively impacting grades and graduation rates.”
Featured Resources
- No Woman No Girl is working to assist in the collection of period products for our community.
- “The No Woman, No Girl Initiative was birthed out of the need to target minority women and girls who disproportionately fall marginalized to a lack of accessibility and affordability in what they need to survive.”
- The Diaper Bank of NC has a vision that, “every family in North Carolina will have access to basic necessities to support their dignity, health, and quality of life.”
- Period Kits North Carolina, Inc. (periodkitsnc.org)
- AVL Period Pantry (ashevilleperiodpantry.com)
- www.Allianceforperiodsupplies.org
- Check with local schools and health departments for access to period supplies.
What the Poe Center does to educate on the dangers of period poverty
At the Poe Center, we have a parent/child program called Girl Talk for Mom and Me. We assist trusted adults in teaching their youth about the changes of puberty and menstruation. We educate on how to use menstrual products. It feels good to see the “lightbulb” moments when a youth understands how these tools can help them in the future, or to hear a parent offering support.
Girl Talk teaches that wearing pads and tampons for longer than the recommended time can be dangerous. Bacteria thrive in conditions that are moist, dark, and warm. Wearing pads and tampons for too long may increase the chance of bacteria growth, which is not healthy for our bodies.
Ferrari adds, “…menstrual supplies such as tampons and pads are not covered under SNAP or other food stamp programs designed to support the most financially vulnerable.”
Note: Programs such as SNAP cover nutrition-related items only. Other resources are needed to cover the cost of hygiene items. In a country where approximately half of the population is female, period products are a necessity and there needs to be a way to keep them affordable for all.
How the state of North Carolina has helped
The state legislature agrees: it has made some efforts to help make period products available. As of July 2022, North Carolina established the Feminine Hygiene Products Grant Program to provide public schools with grants for providing period products.
Ferrari predicts, “Access to period products would allow girls to remain in school, stay current with their studies, avoid embarrassment among peers and maintain proper health.”
However, according to the Alliance for Period Supplies, assistance with period products and legislation varies widely between states. Some states have required that products be available in schools, while other states have bills that have resulted in unfunded mandates. Some states focus on elementary and middle schools, while others focus on universities. (allianceforperiodsupplies.org)
Who else is helping?
Community members are responding to the need. In 2021, two Green Hope High School students in Cary, N.C., started an initiative called, “The Period Project” to help students access period products. Through donations, they provide, “free period product dispensers in every girls bathroom so that they are easily accessible. All dispensers are constantly restocked by our amazing 120 ambassadors and ready to be used.” (periodprojectnc.org)
Teyona Gorham, founder of The Little Black Bag, Inc., uses her background in Public Health and Health Sciences to advocate for women. She, along with her board, have a mission to bring awareness and provide education about period poverty, while offering menstrual hygiene resources and words of encouragement to those in need. Gorham’s work stems from her personal experience with period poverty.
She shares, “As a college student, I had just lost my part-time job and found myself with limited funds. I was faced with a hard decision—choosing between my preferred menstrual products or a cheaper, less comfortable option…That moment sparked something in me. I knew that if I was struggling, countless other women must be facing similar challenges.” (www.thelittleblackbaginc.com)
Find additional community organizations aimed at relieving period poverty following this article.
How can we all help?
We can start by thinking of our life as a growing circle. Our circle starts with ourselves and our household. What are our needs? Can we meet them? Do we need to reach out for help?
If our inner circle is good, we may consider our next sphere of influence: our neighborhood, school, church, or work. Do we have the means to donate to these places? Our next circle would be our community or state as a whole. Can we give our time, talents or resources? Can we create a period product drive to collect items and donate them to an already established school or organization?
Natural disasters and their effects on period poverty
We have seen devastation in our state recently. Our hearts go out to those who have suffered due to the hurricanes, tropical storms, and tornadoes. We know there are many in need. Access to period products is limited in these situations.
For those interested in helping to donate period products, we have listed some resources.
Featured Program: Girl Talk for Mom & Me
Girl Talk for Mom and & Me addresses the timely topic of adolescent growth and development and the physical, social and emotional changes that girls experience during puberty. 3-D exhibits, hands-on activities, and candid discussions help moms and daughters explore a range of topics from the workings of the reproductive system to the menstrual cycle to feminine hygiene protection and more.
Program Participants: 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade
Program Length: 2 hours
References:
Jaafar, H., Ismail, S.Y., and Azzeri, A. (2023, May 16.). Period Poverty: A Neglected Public Health Issue. National Library of Medicine. Period Poverty: A Neglected Public Health Issue – PMC (nih.gov)
Gaines, J. (2018). What is Period Poverty? U by Kotex. What is Period Poverty? | U By Kotex® US
Korhonen, V. (2024, Aug. 20). Resident population of the United States by sex and age as of July 1, 2023. Statista. Population of the U.S. by sex and age 2023 | Statista
SESSION LAW 2022-74 HOUSE BILL 103. (2022, July). General Assembly of North Carolina. Session 2021. H103v5.pdf (ncleg.gov)
(2024, October 10). Alliance for Period Supplies. Period Poverty – Alliance for Period Supplies
Period Project North Carolina. Our Story — Period Project NC
The Little Black Bag. About | The Little Black Bag (thelittleblackbaginc.com)