Period Products Cost Calculator

Period poverty is a serious global issue. It affects millions of women and girls around the world, but you might not even realize it exists. In this post, we’ll talk about what period poverty is, how much it costs to have a period (hint: not as much as you think), and what you can do to help fight this issue in your community.

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Period poverty around the world

Period poverty is a serious global issue that affects women worldwide. While it was once thought to be an issue that only afflicted the poorest nations of Africa, it has now been discovered to be a problem in both the United States and Australia as well.

In the UK, for example, one in ten girls aged between 14-17 years old report being unable to afford sanitary products during their period. A recent study found that one-third of British girls who have their first period while at school do not have access to free sanitary products or toilets they can use when they need them most—and this lack of access leads many students to skip school altogether when their period arrives.

In South Africa alone, nearly half (45%) of women don’t have enough money for basic hygiene products like tampons and pads throughout their periods, according to research by Plan International Australia and The Body Shop Foundation. This means many girls miss school each month because they can’t afford these essential items—or risk being teased at school if others know about their situation via bloodstains on their clothing or underwear!

How much does it cost to have a period?

If you’re a woman or girl, it’s likely that your period is something you’ve grown to accept as a normal part of life. But for many women and girls around the world, periods are not always viewed as normal or acceptable. In fact, period poverty—the lack of access to hygiene products during menstruation—is a serious global issue.

How much does it cost to have a period?

In many countries around the world where feminism is still an emerging idea, girls and women are still expected to use whatever materials they can find during their monthly cycles: newspapers, rags made from old clothing, or even leaves from trees. Some girls may choose not even go into school because they don’t want anyone knowing about their monthly visitor; this means missing out on vital education opportunities that could help them get ahead in life and achieve their goals later on down the line!

Shopping inequalities

There are plenty of ways that pads and tampons can cost more for people who aren’t white, cisgender or from a higher income bracket.

Women of color, trans women, and women of lower socioeconomic status are less likely to have access to feminine hygiene products in their communities because they’re seen as luxury items. Access to these products is a systemic issue in the United States; according to one study by period equity nonprofit Meghan Markle Foundation (which does not work with tampon manufacturers), “Black women spend 68 percent more than white women for feminine hygiene products each year.” It’s even worse for transgender people: According to another survey conducted by the same organization, “Transgender individuals spend twice as much as non-transgender men and three times as much as non-transgender women on [periods].”
Women who don’t have access to affordable or free menstrual supplies might be forced into using less hygienic options like rags or newspapers—or simply not having their period at all! When you consider that 70 percent of homeless youth are female (and many are pregnant), this becomes especially problematic—they may end up resorting back to unsafe sex practices just because they can’t afford anything else!

Changing the law

In the UK, you can get free sanitary products from local authorities and charities. For example, in Scotland, they’re available in all public toilets. In England, they’re available on prescription or as part of a food bank voucher scheme.

In Wales, the Welsh assembly announced in February 2017 that it would be providing free sanitary products for women on low incomes by 2022. Ireland is yet to make them free but many have been campaigning for this to happen:

Friends of the Earth Ireland
Period Poverty Ireland

Eco-friendly menstruation? 🌴

If you’re concerned about the environment, there are a few options you can consider:

Disposable period products. These include pads, tampons, and panty liners. While they’re convenient and easy to find at grocery stores or pharmacies, they are not recyclable because they contain plastic.
Reusable period products such as cloth pads (made of cotton), cloth menstrual pads (made of absorbent materials such as hemp or bamboo), and menstrual cups need changing less often than disposables but require more effort in order to clean them properly between uses.
Menstrual cups are inserted into the vagina for up to 12 hours at a time depending on your flow level; then emptied before being re-inserted again when needed until the end of your cycle. They’re made from flexible medical-grade silicone which means that there is no risk of toxic shock syndrome since there is no direct contact with blood itself; however, some people may have an allergic reaction after using them so if this happens then try switching brands first before discontinuing use altogether!