Period Poverty- How Youth Can Be the Key to Removing Taboo and Enact Change

This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Ms. Brittany White, an ambitious and intelligent fourth year medical student at the University of the West Indies Mona. She is affiliated to the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), cordial partner of The Sting. The opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to the writers and do not necessarily reflect IFMSA’s view on the topic, nor The European Sting’s one.

Period poverty describes a lack of access to proper menstrual products and the education needed to use these items effectively. Currently, there are millions of girls and women who are not equipped with the appropriate hygiene tools to provide a comfortable menstrual cycle. Some have never been educated or taught about what a period really is or have never been able to debunk the myths surrounding the menstrual cycle. In many resource limited countries, period taboos and limited resources prevent these young girls from dealing with their periods in a dignified manner.

In order to remove theses period taboos and clear up any misconceptions, both young men and women need to be involved in the process. As a result of stigma and lack of sexual education, the knowledge on menstruation continues to be limited with severe impacts on women’s and girls’ human rights. 

Firstly, the youth can normalize conversations about periods to help reduce shame and stigma. Taking about cycle symptoms, ovulation, period tools and so much more in open spaces can help to make persons more comfortable with the idea of a menstrual cycle, a concept that is so already so normal and natural about the human female body.  

Secondly, youth groups and high school or university clubs and societies could host “Period Drives” and sit down sessions to demonstrate the use of the wide variety of period tools. The more senior students could explain the advantages and disadvantages of using products such as tampons, menstrual cups, period underwear and reusable menstrual pads. A lack of choice can sometimes prevent people from using the appropriate period products. Educating these young girls and their male peers and providing them with unbiased information about menstruation and its products will help to create a safe space for everyone and inform persons about all the different options available to them to aid in them making their own conscious decisions.

Thirdly, one of the leading factors of period poverty is the challenge that persons may have in purchasing these menstrual products. As a result of not having the correct hygienic tools, some girls may result in using tissue, newspapers, and sponges as an unclean alternative. Period products should be accessible and affordable to all. Schools and workplaces could provide free period products in dispensers installed in their restrooms. Another alternative is to have regular donation activities where more privileged members of society can donate menstrual supplies to the less fortunate. They could write to large corporations for assisted aid through sponsorships to help make this movement have longevity and be as effective and proficient as possible.

References:

Break taboo around menstruation, act to end ‘disempowering’ discrimination, say UN experts. (2019, March 10). UN News. https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/03/1034131

Krejci, M. (2022, May 27). 3 Ways We Can End Period Poverty | Grace & Green. Grace & Green. https://graceandgreen.co/social-impact/three-ways-we-can-end-period-poverty/

Lindsay.Capozzi. (2021, April 6). Period Poverty: The Public Health Crisis We Don’t Talk About. PolicyLab. https://policylab.chop.edu/blog/period-poverty-public-health-crisis-we-dont-talk-about

Period Poverty: Tackling the Menstruation Taboo | Compassion UK. (2021, June 28). Compassion UK. https://www.compassionuk.org/blogs/period-poverty/

About the author

Brittany White is an ambitious and intelligent fourth year medical student at the University of the West Indies Mona. She is extremely passionate about extracurricular involvement and Medicine as a whole. Her current positions of leadership include being the Public Relations Officer for two consecutive years for the Standing Committee on Human Rights and Peace for JAMSA. She also served as the National Officers’ Assistant for the Standing Committee on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights including HIV/AIDS. This involvement has helped to mould Ms. White into a well-rounded student and will help to shape her into an excellent future physician.