period poverty period poverty
They say that the act of revolution is incendiary, but some oppression doesn’t burn; it leaks. It leaks through underwear at school and work, it stains bus seats, chairs, and sheets. It sometimes causes us to miss school or work, yet shows up every month and prompts the question, “What can you afford this time”?
Period poverty is the lack of access to period products, but also refers to the lack of access to basic hygiene infrastructure and inadequate education regarding menstrual hygiene.
It is policy violence disguised as neglect, targeting the poor, the unhoused, the incarcerated, the disabled, and the undocumented. Period poverty is a global issue, but in the United States alone, about one in four teenagers struggle to afford period products.
Economic instability is the primary contributing factor, often forcing those to have to decide between purchasing period products or other necessities such as food, housing, or transportation; in one survey conducted, about 46% of low-income individuals reported having to choose between buying food and period products.
Without steady access to these necessities, people often resort to utilizing improvised methods: by either wearing period products for too long or by creating makeshift period products out of available materials, such as rags, newspapers, toilet paper, or other refuse. This leaves people susceptible to skin irritation, bacterial infections such as urinary tract infections and bacterial vaginosis, and, in more severe cases, toxic shock syndrome.
This injustice causes irrefutable damage to people’s physical and mental well-being and shatters their dignity.
In2026,menstruationisstillconsideredtabooandremains overwhelminglystigmatized,despiteitbeingasharedexperience ofhalfoftheworld’spopulation. Weexistwithinasystem thatpunishesthoseforsimplybeingcyclical,yetcontinuously makesdemandsandsubjugatesus.
Hungerandbleedingsharethesamewallet,and nooneshouldbeforcedtochoosebetweenwhichneedsmattermore.
Wemustpushfor legislativechanges
,including:
Abolishing the Tampon TaxPeriod products are medical necessities, not luxuries; they are basic human rights. Taxing these products is simply unjust.
Mandating Free Period Productsin public institutions such as: Government buildings, schools, shelters, jails, and prisons.
Increased Fundingfor comprehensive menstrual and sexual health education programs in our schools.
Including Period Products in Public Assistance Programssuch as: SNAP, WIC, Medicaid, and disability benefits.
Here are some everyday riots that you can practice in your day-to-day life:
1 Carry extra period products on your person. Be a friend and give them freely to those who need them.
2.Casually leave supplies in public spaces: bathrooms, schools, shelters, and workplaces. Stock often and refill often. Remember, permission is completely optional!
3.Normalize the words period and menstruation. Ask for a tampon without whispering and go to the bathroom with a pad in hand without shame, because shame dies when it is named. Periods are a normal bodily function and should be treated as such.
4.When you see that complimentary pads and tampons are missing from an establishment, don’t be afraid to speak up and ask why they aren’t present. Be diligent, because this is how change is invoked.
5.Elevate and support the organizations who are already fighting the good fight: Donate money or supplies, volunteer, or start a mutualaid organization of your own. Spread the word and get involved!
earF with love
Fear
Fear for my family who worked their asses off the correct way to be here. Fear for my Pa, every decision he made with the intent to have a better life for his family. He joined the US army as a Mexican citizen with the promise of U.S citizenship and better opportunities only to find out differently once recruited. He became a US citizen in 2008, and the same day he registered to vote. He has been in the country for over 50 years, made his way and built a life for us.
I still fear he will be pulled over or stopped or mistaken for someone else. Not given a chance to speak or prove who he is.
Even doing things the proper way in his US life, I fear ICE will change that. Every day I live with that fear until I hear or see him to know he’s fine.
Being a Latina and mother of 2 has changed everything for me. Fear turns to stress and anxiety that I have to mask so the kids don’t see me panic. I hate that this bullshit that is happening now has me feeling this way.
I was taught and learned from my Ma and Abuelita how to help not only our people but those who just want a better future. I watched my family help those who crossed for a better life, be stripped of what little money they had. Watched and cooperated on how my abuela would hide and help until it was time to move on. I saw these amazing women do so much, and for me to feel this way, feel like this fear of what is happening now stopping me.
Fuck Fear, I want to make them proud. I want my Pa to feel comfortable in this country. I don’t want my kids to pick up on that fear. I want them to feel like I did when I saw my family helping others out. Abuela, Ma and my Pa always encouraged us to get our education, know our facts and fight the way we know how.
Never with hate, never with our fist, only with love and our minds. Chinga la migra, por que yo soy Chula, hermosa, poderosa y anti ice.
-Chula
