(NewsNation) — One in three teen girls struggle to access menstruation products, according to a study presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics 2024 National Conference & Exhibition.
The research found that 34.8% of participants experienced “period poverty” — insufficient access to menstrual hygiene products — in the past 12 months.
“Our study highlights the widespread nature of period poverty and the need for broad actions — both locally and nationally — to increase the affordability and accessibility of these products for youth,” Meleah Boyle, Ph.D., MPH, co-senior author of the study, said in a press release.
Contrary to expectations, period poverty affected the youth regardless of socioeconomic status, insurance, community opportunity, race, or ethnicity.
The study participants were predominantly non-Hispanic Black (70.6%), publicly insured (72.9%), and living in areas with very low Child Opportunity Index (74.8%).
Previous research estimates that 11.9 million women in the United States struggle to access menstrual products. This lack of access can lead to school and work absences, as well as health issues such as urinary tract infections and bacterial vaginosis.
Researchers argue that ensuring access to menstrual health products should be a public health priority.
The study also calls for policy initiatives to make menstrual hygiene products more affordable and accessible, such as removing taxes on these products and providing them for free in public spaces like schools.
Data shows period products cost an average of $20 per month, costing between $200 and $300 a year. Over a lifetime, that can add up to an average of around $6,000, and those numbers are from data collected before recent inflation.
While there are cheaper products, like reusable pads, period underwear, and menstrual cups, those are less popular than disposable products, and the higher up-front cost may put them out of the reach of many women.
The cost of period products has led 24 states with sales tax to pass legislation eliminating that tax from menstrual products the same way sales tax isn’t charged for other essential goods, like food.
In some states, schools have also worked to provide menstrual products free to students to reduce cost and remove the stigma around periods.
NewsNation’s Steph Whiteside contributed to this report.