The Health Crisis That No One Wants To Talk About
By Jordan Langs, Program and Development Associate, Moms Helping Moms Foundation
Across the world, there are 3.5 billion people who menstruate. Unfortunately, 40% of them do not have access to the period products they need each month, a health crisis more commonly known as period poverty. As most people can imagine, period poverty often has harmful effects on a person’s mental and physical wellbeing. Tomi-Ann Roberts, Ph.D., a Professor of Psychology at Colorado College, notes that menstruation is tied to mental health and wellness, so period poverty is often accompanied by shame, stress, and mental health issues like anxiety and depression. In fact, a 2021 study conducted by BMC Women’s Health found that 68% of college students experiencing period poverty reported experiencing moderate to severe depression. Period poverty can also cause considerable physical harm to those who menstruate, as many are forced to turn to unsanitary alternatives, such as toilet paper, socks, and rags. These practices put those who menstruate at risk of skin irritations and urogenital infections, including urinary tract infections and bacterial vaginosis. Other alternative methods include prolonging the recommended usage of period products, which puts users at risk of toxic shock syndrome. Period poverty imposes a myriad of mental and physical issues, and if left untreated, these conditions can be fatal. Supporting the needs of those who menstruate is a matter of dignity, education, health, and humanity. We can accomplish this by improving the accessibility and affordability of period products and by providing menstrual health education.
To improve accessibility and affordability, we need supportive legislation.
Lawmakers have the power to improve the accessibility to and affordability of period products by enacting supportive legislation. One example is Representative Grace Meng’s H.R.3614 Menstrual Equity For All Act, which would improve access to free period products in schools, incarceration facilities, homeless shelters, federal buildings, and businesses. The bill would also require Medicaid to cover period products and similar products used by individuals for menstruation, which is substantial since these products are not covered by any government assistance programs.
More than 20 states have stepped up to remove the Tampon Tax, which taxes period products similarly to luxury items (think tobacco and wine). 14 states have gone a step further to require free period products in schools. Earlier in the year, Utah officially passed H.B.162, requiring free period products to be offered and accessible in every elementary, middle, and high school. As explained by Senator Ann Millner on the Senate floor on February 10, 2022, “We need to make sure that no child is ever embarrassed, no child ever doesn’t come to school because they don’t have period products.”
The need for free period products in school restrooms is crucial for a student’s health, ability to learn, and dignity. The good news is that more states have begun to recognize period poverty as a barrier to education and are taking steps to address it. This year, many states have already introduced similar legislation, including New Jersey, Louisiana, and Minnesota.
Unfortunately, New Jersey is one example of many states that have seen a standstill in passing such legislation. In New Jersey’s case, bill A1349/S1221 has been introduced three times but has failed to make much progress. At the same time, the menstrual equity movement has gained tremendous momentum in the past year, thanks to student groups, leading organizations, major companies, and other vital advocates. Therefore, New Jersey-based diaper and period supply bank, Moms Helping Moms Foundation, is hopeful that tangible progress will be made this time around. Moms Helping Moms is a diaper bank turned diaper and period supply bank when their Founders and Co-Executive Directors, Bridget Cutler and Megan Deaton, quickly realized the connection between the need for diapers and period products. As noted by Deaton, “Many people who struggle to afford diapers for their child also struggle to afford period products for themselves. As a diaper bank, creating a period program and adding period products to our services was a natural fit. Today, through our Healthy Periods Program, we are able to donate 100,000 period products a year.”
It’s all connected: Period stigma and the lack of menstrual health education.
In addition to making period products accessible for all, many human services organizations and nonprofits are also working to debunk the stigma behind periods and menstruation. Period stigma is a term for the discrimination faced by people who menstruate. Period stigma comes in many different forms – most often, it comes in the form of belittlement from others, resulting in shame for the menstruator. Examples include mocking menstruators and labeling menstruation as a taboo topic that should only be discussed privately, behind closed doors. And you can’t forget the countless euphemisms that label menstruation as “female troubles” and “that time of the month.” This negatively affects everyone who menstruates. As revealed by The State of the Period 2021, a study commissioned by PERIOD and Thinx, 65% of students agree that society teaches people who menstruate to be ashamed of their periods. The study also revealed that 76% believe there is a negative association that periods are gross and unsanitary, and 65% do not want to be at school when they have their periods.
As noted by The Public Health Advocate (PHA), an independent undergraduate publication at the University of California, Berkeley, people who menstruate face discrimination, harassment, and ostracization. PHA author Jillian Litman discusses how many women in Venezuela are forced to sleep in huts when menstruating, and girls in Kenya miss an average of four days of school every month, accumulating to 20% of the school year. These are just two examples of the harsh treatment inflicted upon people who menstruate.
Apart from fueling period stigma, a lack of menstrual health education can be very scary for those who menstruate. A study conducted in Nairobi’s Mathare Valley found that over 75% of girls had no idea what menstruation was before they got their first period. Imagine not knowing anything about menstruation, and then one day you go to the restroom, and you see blood. Can you imagine how terrifying and traumatic that must be for a young person? That fear is likely accompanied by anxiety and shame. No one should have to go through this. It’s a big problem, but it has a simple solution – we need proper menstrual health education.
Through menstrual health education, educators can impart key information needed to manage a period while helping to debunk the stigma surrounding menstruation. As a result, we can normalize this natural bodily function and encourage openness around the topic. Organizations like Days for Girls, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing access to menstrual care and education, offer health education modules and training courses about menstrual health. By educating menstruators, families, and entire communities, Days for Girls is bringing critical education to thousands of individuals worldwide. The Kwek Society is another exemplary example, as they partner with schools to provide a range of puberty education books and other resourceful handouts. Through its Period Education Program, The Kwek Society is achieving its mission of eliminating period poverty among Native Americans while providing essential education. Governments around the world have also stepped up to implement menstrual health education programs into school curriculums. For example, in 2019, England’s Department of Education added menstrual health education for girls and boys in primary schools.
Mobilizing for change: How you can make a difference
In May, organizations and individuals alike will join forces for Period Poverty Awareness Week and Menstrual Hygiene Day. Period Poverty Awareness Week (PPAW) was started in 2019 by The Alliance for Period Supplies (APS), which works to bring an end to period poverty through an extensive network of 120+ independent programs across the United States. Throughout the month of May and during PPAW, organizations and individuals become advocates to help #EndPeriodPoverty by holding conversations about period poverty and menstruation, calling on lawmakers to support relevant legislation, hosting supply drive events, and participating in informational webinars. This year, Period Poverty Awareness Week is May 23-29 and will feature a series of events and opportunities to get involved, learn more, and help make a difference. You can join the movement by visiting the Alliance for Period Supplies website.
May 28th is Menstrual Hygiene Day. It was first celebrated in 2014 to bring together the voices and actions of nonprofit organizations, government agencies, businesses, and individuals to promote good menstrual health and hygiene for all those who menstruate. Menstrual Hygiene Day also works to end period stigma and change societal norms by breaking the silence, raising awareness about the challenges surrounding access to period products, emphasizing the importance of menstrual health education, and encouraging lawmakers to catalyze action. Through supporting and participating in Menstrual Hygiene Day, we can contribute to their overarching goal of making menstruation a normal fact of life by 2030. You can learn more and get involved by visiting the Menstrual Hygiene Day website.
In addition to participating in Period Poverty Awareness Week and Menstrual Hygiene Day, there are many things you can do year-round at the local, state, and federal levels. Click on the links below to learn more:
- Advocate: Use your voice by calling on lawmakers to do their part.
- Research: Learn more about what is being done in your state.
- Donate: Support period supply banks by hosting a supply drive.
- Get Involved: Join a PERIOD chapter.
- Volunteer: Donate your time to volunteer at a period supply bank near you.