New research reveals 1 in 3 teen girls in the US faces ‘period poverty’

New research shows about 1 in 3 teen girls in the U.S. faces “period poverty,” meaning they either can’t afford or don’t have any access to menstrual products . The study from Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., also found period poverty appears to impact young people equally – no matter their race, ethnicity, neighborhood, or whether they have insurance.

The study has not yet been published, but its authors are set to present their findings at the annual American Academy of Pediatrics meeting in Orlando, Florida on Saturday, Sept. 28.

Researchers say the findings don’t just apply to occasional situations where females are caught off guard by their cycle without menstrual products on hand. Instead, they say it’s a consistent issue for 33% of those they surveyed, and affordability is the biggest barrier .

They say in 2022 alone, tampon prices went up almost 10% and the price of pads increased 8%.

Period poverty has been found to cause teens to skip school, or even miss out on social sports activities. Previous research has linked period poverty to depression among college-age women.

There are several states that have passed laws to increase access to menstrual products in schools. That's according to Aunt Flow — a nonprofit that provides menstrual products to schools and businesses so they can be given to students and employees for free.

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