Every day, thousands of women are on their period. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, at their individual time of the month, each one of these women cling to their chosen feminine product. But what happens to those without that privilege? The menstrual needs of women in prison, women with low-incomes, women who are homeless, and women in the military are completely neglected. We need to erase the stigma that menstruation is obscene and confront the problem. We need a movement: a menstrual movement.
Women in prison are completely overshadowed when it comes to menstruation. In the Arizona prison system, female prisoners are only allocated twelve pads per period (Drewett). This is nowhere near enough considering “the average woman uses approximately 20 pads/tampons per cycle” (Parillo and Feller). Incarcerated women are allowed to ask one of the male employees for extra pads. However, they often are unable to afford this considering they only earn fifteen cents per hour (Drewett). According to a former prisoner, “bloodstained pants, bartering and begging for pads was a regular occurrence… You’ve got to really think if you want to sink your whole month’s income into pads” (Drewett). Prisons in the United States are getting away with abandoning uncontrollable biological needs of their inmates.
In addition, women with low-incomes or homeless women are not always able to afford these items. “Almost all states consider female sanitary products to be luxury items,” meaning they are particularly more expensive due to taxing (Parillo and Feller). Some notable exceptions to this standard are New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Minnesota, who are setting the precedent that feminine sanitary products are necessary to all. Homeless women are forced to use toilet paper, paper towels, plastic bags, towels, and cotton balls as substitutes for typical period products. Homeless shelters only provide two pads per period, merely enough to last about one day (Parillo and Feller). In addition to the lack of feminine products being used, the inattentiveness towards hygiene and respect is absurd. Homeless women have no other options other than using public restrooms or any available source of water to remove stains. The condition and privacy of public restrooms are disrespectful to menstruating women. The only way to avoid this for many of these people is to live in a pool of their own blood for an entire week or to use inadequate and therefore unsanitary replacement products.
Similar to women in prison, women in the army have limited access to feminine products and limited times to properly tend to them. Limited accessibility in other countries is commonplace, and menstruation is a difficult event to perfectly track (Pitotti). Moreover, the availability of a restroom is difficult to come by, according to actively serving Kris (Lunapads). “Latrines are hard to come by on missions in Iraq or other third world countries,” meaning changing sanitary items and disposing of them is challenging (Lunapads). Also, period products are designed for typical civilian women. Women in the army exercise, move around and do strenuous tasks daily. Being in the military can also cause periods to “intensify… [and cause] accidents, leaks, and hassles” beyond the guarantee of normal menstrual products (Pitotti). A typical pad or tampon is unable to work properly with the sweat, dirt, and stress involved. In a country that values military achievement and service above all else, how is it acceptable that female troops are subjected to this kind of discomfort?
Menstruation, in general, is a taboo topic among many, including women. However, it is difficult not to draw attention to this issue considering the thousands of women covered in their own blood due to the limited accessibility to hygiene products. The United States needs to be able to supply women in prison, in low-income families, in homeless shelters or on the streets, and women in the military with suitable feminine items. A person’s status in society should not determine if they are able to be hygienic or not. Being sanitary is not a privilege; it is a right.
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