Updated 4/15/2026
At Aunt Flow, we talk a LOT about the term “period poverty.”
You may have seen this term in the news, on our website, or even while scrolling on social media.
But what exactly does this term mean?
What is Period Poverty?
Period poverty refers to the lack of access to period products and menstrual health education. People who experience period poverty can’t afford to buy the period products they need on a monthly basis, which results in them being unable to go to work, attend class or participate in their day-to-day routine.
Who is Affected by Period Poverty?
Period products like pads and tampons are a basic necessity, like toilet paper. Yet it is treated as a luxury, often stigmatized and ignored, rather than a fundamental human right.
It is estimated that over 1.8 billion people menstruate monthly, but out of this number, only 500 million have access to menstrual products.
Here are the Period Poverty Statistics:
- 1 in 4 students have struggled to afford period products (2025 State of the Period).
- 1 in 3 students report missing class due to a lack of access to period products (2025 State of the Period).
- 39% of teens felt unable to do their best schoolwork due to limited access to period products (2025 State of the Period).
- 1 in 3 adults in the US struggles to access menstrual products (UN Women).
- 86% of teens agree that lack of access to period products is a critical issue people face (2025 State of the Period).
- 18 states still charge sales tax on menstrual products, also known as the tampon tax (Alliance for Period Supplies).
- According to UNICEF, the cost of period supplies like tampons averages $13 a month ($6,300 across a lifetime).
- In 2021, Forbes reported that one in ten college students couldn’t afford pads or tampons.
- Transgender individuals are two times as likely to live in poverty as the general population, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). If one is an undocumented immigrant, a person of color or a person living with a disability, that statistic worsens.
Does Period Poverty Occur in the United States?
YEP! According to Reuters Health, nearly two-thirds of menstruators in the United States could not afford menstrual products. At the same time, nearly half had to choose between food and tampons. And while government aid offers forms of financial relief to those who need it, neither food stamps or WIC, unfortunately, covers the cost of period products.
How Can I Help End Period Poverty?
There are a number of ways YOU can combat period poverty:
- Shop Aunt Flow! Since 2021, we’ve donated millions of period products to menstruators in need. We call this people helping people. PERIOD.® Learn more about our impact program.
- Use one of our email templates to email your workplace or school, encouraging them to offer free period supplies.
- Check out our blog to see states that are passing legislation to help combat period poverty!
