Written by Joséphine Ruault
Every day in the world, around 800 million people of reproductive age have their
periods. Menstruation lasts for approximately 39 years, which means that, with a 28-day
cycle, it occurs on average 500 times in a lifetime. That’s a lot. Period products, however, are
not equally accessible. Health NGOs and feminist associations are fighting to promote free
and identical access to them.
Indeed, menstrual protections are also very costly. According to Médecins du Monde, 500
million menstruated people struggle to financially afford sanitary products, painkillers, and
spare underwear. This phenomenon is called period poverty. People end up using toilet
paper or cloth to collect blood because they sometimes have to choose between buying
food or period products. This can lead to health problems, such as infections, but also
psychological problems, with a loss of self-confidence and difficulty continuing with everyday
activities. The people most affected by periodic poverty are most often already vulnerable:
homeless, incarcerated and on low income (unemployed, students, etc.). This problem
therefore comes on top of other social and economic difficulties.
The intimate is political: the question of periods, their costs and their taboo must first be addressed by institutions as a public health issue. Allowing free access to clean sanitary
products and adapted sanitary facilities is a first step. Investing in women’s health in general
must follow. Having and talking about periods should not be a shame, and information on
this subject should be better known, by all genders alike.