Right vs. Luxury: The Phenomenon of ‘Period Poverty’

Around the world, millions of women and people who menstruate experience a monthly struggle accessing period products. Menstruation isn’t a luxury, so why is basic menstrual care is still treated as one?

By Jess Hearne

“I had a retail job and it sold period products. Every day, boxes had to be written off as someone had opened them and stolen a pad/tampon or two. They didn’t steal the whole box, which frankly was just as easy. I always suspected it was partly due to shame and only wanting to take what they absolutely needed. It was a guy who covered that dept and he was training me from the start. He advised that if I see someone stealing period products, ignore it completely. He was only 19-20 but realised it was out of necessity.”

- Reddit user ‘TeaLoverGal’ sharing a personal experience of period poverty on the subreddit r/IrishWomensHealth

”Does anyone have a tampon?”

A simple question that we’re all familiar with. It’s heard in the office, in public bathrooms, at school and at parties, delivered lightly yet with unmissable undertones of panic and desperation. We’ve all asked, we’ve all been asked and we all know the sense of relief when the response is a rummage through a handbag followed by a “yes, here you go!”

Someone always has one. Someone is always able to help. The momentary panic subsides and life goes on. Crisis averted.

But why is this question so common? For many, what seems like a simple case of being caught off-guard holds a deeper, much more problematic significance. Ultimately, the question derives from the sobering fact that access to menstrual care products is never guaranteed. This phenomenon is known as ‘period poverty.

Period Poverty Explained: Costs, Stigma and Lack of Access

The phrase ‘period poverty’ first emerged in the mid-2010s to describe the barriers many people face in managing menstruation with dignity. It not only refers to the inability to afford menstrual products, but also to the lack of access to hygiene facilities and reproductive education. The term gained wider traction as campaigns around the world highlighted how stigma, inequality and policy neglect have transformed a natural biological process into a source of stress and exclusion, having a negative impact on health and social participation across diverse communities worldwide.

Shame, Stigma and Survival: The Everyday Reality of Period Poverty

It’s easy to picture period poverty as something extreme; something that only happens under certain conditions and only to certain people. But in reality, it’s a spectrum on which nobody’s position is ever solidified. Access to menstrual products is never guaranteed: it shifts with income, housing, health, geography and time. Someone can have a bathroom cupboard stuffed full of pads one month, but an emergency trip to the dentist leads them to rely on toilet paper and the kindness of strangers the next. The slightest change in circumstance can turn what should be a simple part of life into something completely overwhelming.

The situations in which someone can find themselves stuck are endless. It’s the woman whose period arrived a day early and forgot to stock up. It’s the person whose cycle doesn’t favourably align with payday. It’s the teenage girl who makes a pad she got from a friend stretch out longer, because she doesn’t have a trusted adult to turn to for support.

It takes very little effort to find a wealth of anecdotes about personal experiences with period poverty. Here are a few responses to a Reddit post from 2022 titled: “Women of Reddit, how many of you have experienced period poverty? In what ways?”:

“…I’ve heard ladies share how they tear apart pads to create 3-4 tampons. It’s a good reminder that these items are a welcome donation to women’s shelters.” 

“My mother refused to buy these items for about 2 years for me as a teen, and I ended up using socks. Would use them as a pad and wash them out every night. Thank God I’ve got a lighter flow. Bought myself like a years’ worth of tampons with my first tips from waiting tables.” 

“I’ve had to stuff toilet paper, socks and cloths in my vagina wadded up into a sort of tampon shape, alongside putting toilet paper, cloths and t-shirts in my panties…needless to say I had plenty of infections and even now I am thankful for every glorious tampon I have.”

Education and the ‘Pink Tax’: Structural Barriers and Failing Systems

Every month, around two billion people experience menstruation worldwide. Yet, according to a 2025 study by UN Women, at least half a billion of them lack the means to access the facilities needed to manage them properly. Far from being an abstract issue, the problem weaves its way into everyday life. For example, a recent WHO-UNICEF report on schools found that only 39% of schools worldwide provide menstrual health education and less than a third have bins for menstrual waste in toilets. Furthermore, only 12% of schools provide menstrual materials for free or for purchase, meaning students must either come prepared (a learned habit that grows with time, age and support) or, more likely, go without.

In many parts of the world, menstrual education is still severely lacking. As recently as 2022, teenage girls in Wales told BBC News that little seemed to have changed since their mums went to school: the topic was limited to a single class, boys were sent out of the room and information was limited to ‘the essentials’:

"There was no deeper explanation, we weren't talking about pain or cramps, (or) anything that comes with it. I had to figure that out as I went along," - Lili Mai, 17 

"You just get told 'oh, by the way at some point you're going to be bleeding for three-eight days once a month,'… I've got most of my information about periods from TikTok,” – Efa, 18

The implications of period poverty in schools have a knock-on effect on other areas in life. Lack of access to products and private sanitation facilities is linked with being absent from school and reduced participation in sports, academics and social activities. In some surveys analysed by UNICEF, one in three girls report missing at least one day of school during each cycle due to unsupportive conditions, ranging from inadequate facilities to stigmatic and dismissive attitudes of authority figures. Without education or open support, even those with access to products can feel shame or isolation when managing their periods in public spaces. Over time, repeated absences lead to learning gaps, lower academic confidence and increased risk of disengagement from education altogether. This disruption can have lasting consequences, limiting future employment opportunities and reinforcing cycles of economic insecurity that period poverty both reflects and enhances.

The issue of period poverty is heightened further by the ‘pink tax’ – a form of financial discrimination where products marketed towards women are either priced higher or taxed as ‘non-essentials,’ despite most of these products being related to personal hygiene and essential care. More than 70 countries worldwide still tax period products at rates as high as 27%, thus elevating the financial strain of managing a period and reinforcing barriers to access. Menstruation isn’t a luxury or a privilege, so why does society continue to treat menstrual products as luxury items?

Global Efforts to End Period Poverty: Policy, Education, Community and Innovation

However, policy changes are beginning to challenge the idea that menstrual products are optional extras rather than basic necessities. One of the most visible shifts has been the growing recognition that access to period products should not depend on personal income or luck. In 2021, Scotland became the first country to legislate for the universal provision of free menstrual products through the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act, requiring local authorities and education providers to make products freely available in public spaces such as schools, universities, libraries and community centres. The law reframed menstruation as a predictable part of life that public infrastructure should accommodate, rather than a private inconvenience to be managed with discretion.

Elsewhere, governments have tackled the issue through taxation and affordability. Kenya abolished taxes on menstrual products in 2004 and later introduced programmes to distribute free pads in public schools, recognising the link between access, school attendance and gender equality. In 2018, India removed its Goods and Services Tax on menstrual products following sustained public pressure, while Canada, Colombia and several European countries have eliminated or reduced VAT on period products.

In response to the issue of support and education, organisations around the world are developing creative approaches to education that go beyond textbooks. Programmes like PERIOD.’s global education initiatives provide free, inclusive menstrual health curricula that can be used in schools, youth groups and shelters, ensuring that information reaches people regardless of formal schooling. Notable strides are being made on the African continent by PadHer, an NGO that tackles period poverty by combining menstrual health education with practical support, using culturally relevant comic books, animations and workshops to teach girls about periods, puberty and reproductive health. Each participant also receives reusable sanitary pads, underwear and tracking tools, ensuring that education is matched with the resources needed to manage menstruation with dignity. In Uganda, Period Talk creates safe spaces where questions can be asked, experiences can be shared and taboos can be challenged. In Malawi, community-led workshops combine education with practical skills such as pad-making, helping participants gain both knowledge and agency.

In addition, social media is stepping up to help bridge the gap in menstrual education, which is proving to be particularly beneficial to teenagers. Kathryn King, owner of the Bloody Honest social media channel, felt the need to help young people understand their own bodies after educating herself in her early twenties. When asked about the impact she feels her work has, she says the responses to her videos highlight the desperate need for accurate, detailed information:

“One of the most common questions I get is, ‘where’s my vagina and how many holes do I have?’ It’s baffling to me that there’s such a gap in the knowledge of young people and it’s just filled by friends or family if they’re lucky…and, if not, strangers on the internet. The more you know, the sooner you can recognise any abnormalities for you…and the sooner you can speak to a doctor and have that checked. Potentially, that is life changing.”

Alongside policy reform and education, sustainable and reusable menstrual products are playing an increasingly powerful role in combating period poverty. Products such as menstrual cups, reusable cloth pads and period underwear offer long-term alternatives to the continual purchasing of disposable pads and tampons. A menstrual cup, for instance, can last up to ten years with proper care, significantly reducing lifetime costs and dependence on regular supply chains. For individuals and communities where income is unstable or products are intermittently available, this durability can be transformative. However, advocates are careful to note that reusable products are not a universal solution: They require access to things that are not always a given, such as clean water, private washing facilities and cultural acceptance. For people experiencing homelessness, living in informal settlements or in parts of the world where sanitation infrastructure is not a guarantee, reusable products are not a viable solution to the issue just yet.

The Future of Menstrual Equity

Taken together, these approaches show that period poverty is not a single problem with a single solution. Progress depends on recognising the complexity of the issue: providing free products without education risks perpetuating stigma, while education without access leaves people informed but unsupported. Reusable menstrual products can offer a viable alternative to many of those affected by period poverty, providing long-term security, affordability and dignity. Addressing period poverty therefore requires systems and solutions designed with reality in mind, ensuring the right balance of access and education with respect to diverse needs.

What lies at the heart of this issue is that menstrual products and facilities are not optional benefits: they are a core component of what it means to live a stable, healthy lifestyle. When policy, education and infrastructure treat these needs as essential, anxiety and stigma lessen. If menstrual care were to be treated as a priority, access to products wouldn’t depend on different factors. If schools provide inclusive lessons on menstruation, students will feel more comfortable asking for help. If taxation treats pads and tampons as essential items, the financial burden of menstruation becomes lighter. If products become readily available in schools, workplaces and public spaces, perhaps the question ‘Does anyone have a tampon?’ will fade into the past.[SS1] 

Essentially, period poverty remains an issue because we still treat menstruation as optional. When policy recognises menstrual health as essential, when schools teach it openly and when both single-use and reusable products are taxed and treated like necessities, the burdens of money, shame and anxiety ease. And when we finally build systems that reflect that truth, the question “Does anyone have a tampon?” won’t be a simple part of life, but a relic of a problem we chose to solve.

Sources and Further Reading

Irish Period Poverty: Personal Experiences and Discussion — Reddit (r/IrishWomensHealth)
https://www.reddit.com/r/IrishWomensHealth/comments/1ivxlbg/irish_period_poverty/

Women of Reddit: Experiences of Period Poverty — Reddit (r/AskWomen)
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskWomen/comments/l6bo06/women_of_reddit_how_many_of_you_have_experienced/

Period Poverty: Why Millions of Girls and Women Cannot Afford Their Periods — UN Women
https://knowledge.unwomen.org/en/articles/explainer/period-poverty-why-millions-of-girls-and-women-cannot-afford-their-periods

Global Report Reveals Major Gaps in Menstrual Health and Hygiene in Schools — World Health Organization (WHO)
https://www.who.int/news/item/28-05-2024-global-report-reveals-major-gaps-in-menstrual-health-and-hygiene-in-schools

Girls Say Period Education Has Barely Changed Since Their Mothers’ School Days — BBC News (Wales)
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-61155377

Period Poverty — UNICEF Middle East & North Africa
https://www.unicef.org/mena/media/24606/file/%20Period%20Poverty.pdf

The Tampon Tax Explained: Definition, Facts and Statistics — Global Citizen
https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/tampon-tax-explained-definition-facts-statistics/

PERIOD.: Menstrual Equity and Education Initiatives — PERIOD.
https://period.org/

PadHer: Menstrual Health Education and Support — PadHer NGO
https://padher.org/

Bloody Honest: Menstrual Health Education Platform — Instagram (Bloody Honest)
https://www.instagram.com/bloodyhonest/?hl=en