Period poverty refers to the lack of access to menstrual products, menstrual health education, hygienic waste facilities, or a combination of these barriers.  A study conducted in 2019 revealed that in the United States, 64% of individuals who menstruate had encountered difficulties affording menstrual products at some point, with 21% struggling to afford them monthly.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing menstrual inequities. A 2023 study in the United States highlighted that pandemic-related closures of businesses hindered product accessibility, while financial strains affected many families. Approximately 30% of participants reported difficulty accessing menstrual products, with 18.5% struggling to afford them. Concurrently, a national study focusing on teenagers aged thirteen to nineteen indicated a rise in period poverty prevalence from 20% to 23% between 2019 and 2021.

Even years after the pandemic's outbreak, the demand for menstrual products remains high. In 2023, an estimated 16.9 million menstruators in the United States lived in poverty, and nearly two-thirds of them faced challenges affording basic menstrual supplies. Additionally, many benefit programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), do not cover menstrual supplies, leaving individuals to either find alternative means to purchase products or go without them.

Key Facts:

1. According to the American Medical Association, the average lifetime cost of menstrual products exceeds $1,800, which is approximately the value of 17,000 tampons or pads.
2. A 2018 study from Always found that nearly 1 in 5 menstruators in the United States has missed school due to menstruation.
3. With many schools not offering menstrual education, a 2021 survey indicated that 30% of menstruators first learned about menstruation when they started their period.
4. Free the Tampons found that 86% of menstruators have started their period unexpectedly in public without the menstrual products that they needed.