Period Poverty

A Conversation About Period Poverty on College Campuses

By: Sammie Reinstein

People all around the world are without access to menstrual products and education, leaving them in period poverty. Period poverty is a result of the worldwide stigmatization of menstruation, and it can have drastic effects on those that menstruate. According to UNICEF, insufficient menstrual hygiene may pose serious health risks such as reproductive and urinary tract infections (Sánchez and Rodriguez). Moreover, at college campuses around the United States, far too many students are suffering from period poverty, and this is inhibiting them from reaching their full potential.

Period poverty has an effect on 1 in 10 college students. Beyond that, period poverty disproportionately affects students of color. In an interview with Good Morning America, Dr. Jhumka Gupta, an associate professor at George Mason University as well as a senior author of study, mentioned, “Black and Latina women had the highest levels of period poverty in the last year and also immigrant and first-generation students also reported higher levels of period poverty” (Kindelan). These inequalities make evident that period poverty devastates various groups of people in different ways, and it is imperative that actions are taken to help all groups that suffer from period poverty.

According to UNICEF, women may spend up to 2,535 days on their periods within a lifetime (Kindelan). This is nearly seven years. This is too large of a period of time to ignore, and it is clear that this much time can come with costs beyond buying period products. Not only are people forced to miss work and school, but those who experience period poverty may also experience mental health challenges such as increased anxiety and depression. According to the Hill, 68.1% of those in period poverty have communicated symptoms associated with depression (Srikanth). Evidently, it is essential that people have expanded access to period products because not having access to menstrual products is both a physical and mental health concern.

While period poverty continues to affect students on college campuses, there are solutions to decrease, if not eradicate, the drastic effects of period poverty. In the same Good Morning America interview, Dr. Jhumka Gupta suggests that period poverty is addressed with the same concern as food insecurity on college and university campuses. In fact, Dr. Gupta believes, “[Period poverty] really needs to be addressed at the national level” (Kindelan). By this, she means that our government should address the fact that menstrual products are considered a luxury item and are taxed in various states. However, there is still hope at the federal level. Representative Grace Meng, a Democratic Congresswoman from New York, plans on reintroducing menstrual health focused legislation in this next congressional term.

Moreover, the best thing we can do is break the stigma surrounding periods and menstruation. Next time it comes up, don’t be afraid to just start the conversation.

Works Cited

Kindelan, Katie. "1 in 10 US College Students Experience Period Poverty, Report Says." Good Morning America, ABC News Internet Ventures, 11 Feb. 2021, www.goodmorningamerica.com/wellness/story/10-college-students-experience-period-poverty-us-report-75721828. Accessed 25 Apr. 2021.

Sánchez, Erica, and Leah Rodriguez. "Period Poverty: Everything You Need to Know." Global Citizen, 5 Feb. 2019, www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/period-poverty-everything-you-need-to-know/. Accessed 25 Apr. 2021.

Srikanth, Anagha. "1 in 5 First-Generation College Students Are Experiencing Period Poverty." The Hill, Changing America, 16 Feb. 2021, thehill.com/changing-america/respect/equality/539070-one-in-five-first-gen-college-students-are-experiencing. Accessed 25 Apr. 2021.