Period Poverty Affects One-Third of Teens in Emergency Rooms

One in three teens visiting a pediatric emergency room struggles to access menstrual products due to their inability to afford them.

The research was presented at the 2024 American Academy of Pediatrics Conference. Dr. Meleah Boyle, a co-senior author of the study, emphasized that period poverty, or the inability to afford these essential items, is a rising concern in the U.S. ().

‘Did you know?
Approximately 30% of female adolescents struggle to access menstrual products, affecting their health and education. #periodpoverty #mensturation #women #medindia’

Urgent Need for Menstrual Equity Among Teens

Boyle stressed the importance of taking action at local and national levels to ensure menstrual products become more affordable and accessible for young people in need. The study highlights how common this issue is and calls for widespread solutions to tackle it.

Menstrual equity means that every person who menstruates should have equal access to affordable and quality menstrual products. Unfortunately, many people do not have access to these necessary products.

In the study, researchers found that 30% of adolescents do not have the products they need with no differences based on measures of socioeconomic status, such as insurance and community opportunity, or individual differences, such as race and ethnicity.

Addressing Menstrual Access Challenges

Previous research estimates that of those who menstruate, 11.9 million struggle to find access to menstrual products. This lack of access can lead to absences from school or work as well as negative health outcomes such as urinary tract infections and bacterial vaginosis.

Boyle said the research highlights the need for public health programs and policy changes to ensure youth have access to the products they need to avoid negative impacts on their health and engagement.

"Ensuring access to healthy and appropriate menstrual health products should be a public health priority," Boyle said.

Reference:

1. Period Poverty Research Finds 1 in 3 Teens lack Access to Mesturation Products - (https:www.aap.org/en/news-room/news-releases/aap/2024/period-poverty-research-finds-1-in-3-teens-lack-access-to-menstruation-products/)

Source: Eurekalert