Equality. Period.

About half of the world’s population gets their period, so it would be a no-brainer that menstrual products would be free.

However, according to SWNS Digital, many people spend at least “$13.25 a month on menstrual products ‒ that’s $6,360 in an average woman’s reproductive lifetime (ages 12-52).”

Periods can affect not only women but any gender as well. Many transgender people were initially born as women. After their transition, they still will have their period. This makes periods more common to all genders than just females which helps it become more of an obvious decision to make hygiene products free. This makes periods more common to other genders, which helps it become more of an obvious decision to make hygiene products free. Periods are natural and occur multiple times a year, sometimes multiple times a month. Suncoast High School’s Girls Helps Girls Club (GHG) helps distributes products to those who need them most.

Sophomore Tara Nguyen, GHG’s secretary said “I think [period products]  should be free because periods are natural and affect people every month for decades of their lives. It’s not fair to charge items that people need to survive.”

 Many people support the idea of free hygiene products while others shut it down. Initially, people did not want to support the idea of free menstrual products because they believed that periods were not that important.

However, Test Miami states, “The Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County is committed to protecting the health of their residents. The Condom Distribution Program promotes condom use to prevent the transmission of HIV, other STD’s, and unintended pregnancy, by providing access to free male and female condoms through clinics, colleges/universities, community partners, or local businesses.”

If condoms are available for free, then why are menstrual products not? Periods occur many times without warning and in many circumstances can not be controlled. If all of this is true then why is it that period products cannot be provided for free to those who undergo menstrual cycles? The opposing side of the argument often compares periods to hunger. Both occur naturally and happen to many people around the world, however, they can not pay for everyone’s food. Interestingly enough, there are many organizations around the world that provide people with food in order to prevent world hunger. Similarly, GHG provides people, particularly teens with free menstrual products. However, governments also assist people who are in need of food with food stamps or even provide free breakfast and lunch to children through schools.

“We buy and make packs filled with pads and tampons and distribute to charities all around Palm Beach County. These charities work with us to give free menstrual products to homeless people and other people in need of products”, Nguyen said.

Menstrual products should be available to the general public because many people around the world are affected by periods and lack of resources. People in poverty should not have to worry about hygienic issues that could have been prevented if period products were available to everyone. 

If you have any questions about periods or about period products please visit, https://uthealthaustin.org/blog/period-productsn or visit https://www.girlshelpinggirlsperiod.org/how-you-can-help if you are interested in ways you can help.