You feel it in your stomach first, the sharp cramping making you wish that you brought ibuprofen to class today. You rush to the bathroom and pull down your pants to find the inevitable: your period started. Sticky red blood coats the inside of your underwear and a mixture of dread and panic washes over you. You start digging through that special pocket in your backpack, searching for a pad or tampon until you remember that you don’t have any. Money has been tight, and you had to pay rent and buy groceries this month. The average box of 32 tampons in South Carolina sells for $10.99; add the 9% tampon tax, and that’s $11.98 (15 News). You couldn’t afford period products. So, you do what you can. You wrap your underwear in toilet paper and plan for which days this week you can sacrifice a sock to use as a makeshift pad and which days your period will be light enough to free bleed. You’re embarrassed. You feel gross. You feel completely alone in an impossible fight: your body against your wallet.
This anecdote may seem like a terrible nightmare, but it’s the unfortunate reality for the almost 200,000 menstruators in South Carolina that experience period poverty (Alliance for Period Supplies 2021). Period poverty is generally defined as the inadequate access to menstrual hygiene products and education, typically associated with financial, social and geographical burdens. Period poverty has had major impacts on menstruators’ lives, especially in terms of health and education. Many people suffering from period poverty are forced to use the same period product for a much longer time than recommended. Using unhygienic materials or leaving menstruation unmanaged due to a lack of resources can lead to various health risks, including infections. Women may miss work for menstrual cramps or also health necessities, affecting their productivity and income. Since these wellness days are not typically considered paid leave, this continues the cycle of not being able to afford period products. This furthers economic vulnerability for menstruators, especially for those in rural areas due to overall lower income rates, less education on menstruation for young people and lack of accessible transportation to purchase period products.
One group of students at the University of South Carolina is dedicated to putting a stop to period poverty. Aastha Arora, Anusha Ghosh, Jiya Desai and Thrisha Mote competed at Pay It Forward, an annual competition in South Carolina hosted by the Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina. This competition invites students from USC, Clemson and South Carolina State University to develop a well-researched solution to a problem that impacts rural South Carolina. The team decided to tackle period poverty.
“When creating our proposed solution for period poverty, we focused on developing a sustainable and equitable distribution model,” Mote said. “Thus, we formed the idea of a state-wide school drive.”
The drive would collect disposable period product donations, raise money for reusable period products for those that are comfortable with this green solution and start a discussion about periods and menstrual health.
“We proposed a statewide partnership with established period advocacy nonprofits to recruit volunteers for distribution in rural schools,” Mote continued. “We additionally developed a multi-step legislative plan to advocate for free period product distribution and period education in schools.”
This team’s proposed idea won them the top prize at the competition, with the students earning $24,000 in prize money to further their project. With the money, the group has created an organization at USC called No Periods Left Behind that will give the group a platform to spread awareness about and combat period poverty. Besides establishing the organization, the money will also go towards throwing packing parties to pack period products for distribution to rural schools.
“The purpose of the No Periods Left Behind Advocacy Group is to create open dialogue about periods and menstrual health, engage the students of USC in taking action against local period poverty and support established non-profit organizations in their efforts to battle period poverty through service and legislative action,” Arora said. “We hope this organization will continue for years to come and leave a long-lasting impact on USC.”
Economic concerns are not the only thing furthering period poverty in South Carolina though. This team has another obstacle to circumvent to decrease period poverty rates, and this issue cannot be solved with a successful drive. Stigma around menstruation furthers the cycle of period poverty. Shame towards experiencing period poverty has negative effects on menstruators' mental health.
“Period poverty can have an especially large impact on adolescents and their education,” Desai said. She cites that out of 1,000 girls and young women ages 13 to 19 in the U.S., 25 percent have missed school due to lack of period products, and a majority thought that periods had negative connotations like being gross or unsanitary. (MUSC).
“During the research collection process of our competition timeline, we found that the stigma associated with periods prevents conversations regarding access to period products, menstrual health education, tampon tax, etc.,” Ghosh explained. “By establishing the first period-centered organization on campus, we hope to create open dialogues and dismantle stigmas of periods.”
“Periods are transformational times in menstruators’ lives. Everybody remembers their first period -- a beautiful sign of maturity in one’s life,” Mote said. “However, systemic obstacles, from the tampon tax to the verbal shaming of menstruating individuals as dirty, have stopped some menstruators from pursuing the products and care that they deserve, and thus, resulted in a sense of isolation.”
Despite 1.8 billion people in the world getting their period once a month (NIH), many people feel incredibly alone during their periods, especially if they are combating economic obstacles while experiencing period poverty or if they feel like they can’t talk about their period-related problems due to stigma.
“Such isolation may cause emotional distress during the menstrual cycle and may worsen health problems that may arise from improper sanitary practices or untreated menstrual health complications,” Mote continued. “Furthermore, having a period is emotionally strenuous. Without connecting with others that share your experience, your experience may feel alien and disorienting, especially during youth.”
One way No Periods Left Behind will advocate for period normalization is by creating an inclusive environment that respects and listens to all menstruators. For example, the organization aims to combat the severe dysphoria that the feminization of period products can have on transgender and genderqueer menstruators by using gender-neutral language when referring to menstruators and advocating for equal access to care for these often overlooked individuals. The group also hopes that starting conversations about periods and the struggles menstruators can face will help dismantle stigma in the community. Even the presence of an organization like this on campus and social media makes talking about periods more widespread and mainstream, normalizing periods and battling stigma.
This fight with stigma is a societal issue, which is always difficult to tackle as it involves a widespread shift in ideology. It will take continuous advocating for period health to make periods and period poverty subjects that people can shamelessly discuss and request help for. However, the establishment of this club is a huge step in the right direction to end period poverty in South Carolina.
Overall, period poverty is not just a matter of affordability; it is a grave injustice that affects the dignity, health and opportunities of countless individuals worldwide. This pervasive issue reflects the intersection of poverty, gender inequality and cultural taboos surrounding menstruation. Ultimately, eliminating period poverty is not only a matter of ensuring access to sanitary products, but also involves recognizing and respecting the inherent rights and humanity of all individuals, regardless of their gender or economic status. By working together to break the silence surrounding menstruation and dismantling the barriers that perpetuate period poverty, we can create a world where menstruation is not a source of shame or inequality but a natural and celebrated aspect of life.
If you are interested in helping No Periods Left Behind, join the organization on Garnet Gate and follow the group on Instagram (@noperiodsleftbehind) to get the latest news on meeting times and event dates.
