Nearly a quarter of teenagers who menstruate in the U.S. experience “period poverty” – the inability to access menstrual hygiene products. That’s according to a 2023 study.
Molly Ryan with Louisiana Public Radio reports that a bill once again making its way through the regular legislative session in Baton Rouge aims to change that fact. House Bill 310 is subject to appropriation, meaning if lawmakers don’t fund it, the state can’t force schools to provide the product. Representative Amy Freeman, D-New Orleans, brought HB310 and says it represents a small cost to the state. This is the third year in a row that Rep. Freeman has presented the bill for consideration, and it usually stalls in the Senate. Several young girls spoke in favor of the bill during a committee meeting, arguing menstrual products are necessary and that access to them at school will improve focus and learning. The bill advanced from the Education Committee following a 9-to-2 vote. Representatives Beryl Amedee, R-Houma, and Kathy Edmonston, R-Gonzales, voted against it. The bill heads next to House Appropriations.
Thinx, Inc. & PERIOD.org commissioned the 2023 study, in an advocacy partnership for menstrual equity, which began with the first State of the Period report in 2019. The research addresses the stigma around periods, with teenagers reporting improvements in the impacts of period stigma since the previous State of the Period in 2021. However, 45% of teenagers report being affected by period stigma. Just under half of teenagers say they feel their school doesn’t care about them if they don’t provide free period products in the bathrooms.
Currently, 25 states and Washington D.C. have passed legislation to help students have free access to period products while in school. As more attention is focused on period poverty, also comes the knowledge that a lack of access to sanitary products such as pads, tampons, or liners can cause extended durations of use, increasing the risk of bacterial growth and toxic shock syndrome (TSS). According to the Alliance for PERIOD Supplies, While TSS is very rare [0.8 to 3.4 per 100,000 in the U.S.], it is a life-threatening condition, primarily caused by toxins produced by certain bacteria.
