
Feminine hygiene products are an essential part of a woman’s or anyone who menstruates life. Yet the cost of these products can cause some women to employ unhealthy and unhygienic methods for dealing with their menstruation. A period should not be something shameful, but it is often treated as such. Now, there is a real crisis revolving around it.
Cost
The cost of feminine products is very high. On average, a person spends about $13.25 a month on feminine products. If a person’s period lasts about 38 years (13 years old to 51 years old), that’s 456 periods in a lifetime. With $13.25 dollars a month, that’s about $6360 in a lifetime. But, feminine products aren’t just pads and tampons, it’s also panty liners, pain killers, birth control, menstrual cups/disks, acne medication, and heating pads. All of those add up to more than $6360. Birth control pills alone can cost $20 to $50.
Period Poverty
Period poverty is a real issue in modern-day society. People who experience period poverty are those who can not afford menstrual products that are necessary for them. Period poverty can affect someone’s social, mental, and physical well-being. Someone who is unable to get feminine products can cause them to skip out on school, work, or other daily activities. People can feel distracted and uncomfortable when experiencing leakage or odor when in school or at work. It can affect someone’s mental state horribly, being unable to manage their period can cause embarrassment and stress. A study, from BMC on women’s mental health, on college students who experience period poverty, shows that 68.1% of them have symptoms of moderate to severe depression.
A woman’s overall physical health is the number one problem of period poverty. People who can’t afford feminine products are forced to use unhygienic ways to control the blood, such as toilet paper or paper towels. Or, some people do not use anything at all. This leads to a higher risk of urinary infections. Toxic-shock syndrome is also a risk when a menstruater has to use a tampon for too long. About 500 million people worldwide experience period poverty, and over 22 million are from the USA. Period poverty can greatly impact a person’s mental and physical well-being, why should it even exist?
Why Should They Be Free?
Period poverty is one of the main reasons why people who menstruate should have free feminine hygiene products. Women can not control their periods, so they should not be charged for something they don’t have a choice in. It’s unethical to profit off of women’s basic needs. Making period products can also save waste; women throw away underwear, sheets, shorts/pants, blankets, towels, etc. because of period leakage. Free products would help women and those who menstruate feel more stress-free in their life. Menstruating is a basic fact of human existence, yet feminine products are treated as luxuries. These are not luxuries, they are necessities and basic health care for women.
Period Stigma
Period stigma is one of the factors of period poverty. Period stigma is the shame, embarrassment, or disgust of someone’s period. Such stigma is endemic in many place. Many young teen girls have experienced it in school - it’s a huge issue when it comes to teen girls. Periods should not be ignored or used for humiliation, they are not disgusting but are a natural part of a woman’s life. Period stigma can prevent people from advocating for access to menstrual products. To fix the issues and needs of women, society needs to grow up. We need to move forward as a society to address the financial and physical suffering a woman experiences for just being a woman.
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