What is Period Poverty?
Half of the population menstruates. We all know plenty of people that have a period. But not everyone knows that one in four people struggle to purchase period supplies due to lack of income. This is called period poverty, and chances are we each know someone who has experienced this need – a neighbor, a co-worker, a friend.
No student should have to miss school, no adult should have to miss work, and no person should have to miss out on daily life because they are unable to afford the basic necessities they require to thrive.
A growing need.
A 2021 study conducted by U by Kotex®, found that two in five people have struggled to purchase period products, a 35% increase from the brand’s initial research in 2018.
The study also uncovered how period poverty is disproportionately impacting Black and Latin(o)(a)(x) people, as well as the impacts of COVID-19 on the issue:
- A quarter of Black (23%) and Latin(o)(a)(x) (24%) people with periods strongly agree that they’ve struggled to afford period products in the past year.
- 27% of all respondents said the COVID-19 pandemic made it difficult to access period products, with two-thirds (65%) of those who have struggled stating they lacked access because they could not afford them.
- Over one-third (38%) of low-income people report missing work, school or similar events due to lack of access to period supplies.
- Nearly seven in ten (68%) people agree that period poverty is a public health issue, yet only 4% of Americans are aware of a local resource where free or reduced cost period supplies are available.
Red the full News Release Here
A copy of the findings are available here
Click to access U_by_Kotex_Period_Poverty_-_PPAW_Data_Set.pdfa_Set.pdf