by Alisa Clements
Half of the world’s population shares a common experience: getting a period. But instead of treating menstruation as a normal, healthy bodily function, our society covers it up with intense stigma and shame while ignoring the public health crisis caused by period poverty.
According to the latest U.S. Census data, women in America, and especially women of color, continue to be at higher risk for being poor. West Virginia holds the sixth highest rate of poverty in the country, with more than 278,000 people unable to afford basic necessities. Our neighbors, family members, and friends make tough decisions every day: Do we pay the electric bill or buy groceries for the month? Can we afford this prescription? How about this box of tampons?
Twenty states, including West Virginia, consider menstrual products a “luxury item” and tax them at a higher rate. People with low incomes who rely on federal and state assistance programs cannot use their benefits to buy tampons, pads or menstrual cups.
According to PERIOD, a nonprofit organization focused on combating period poverty and stigma, one in four students in the U.S. do not have access to safe period products, often causing them to miss school or preventing their participation in other activities like sports or clubs.
In addition to steep financial barriers, a lack of education about menstruation has fueled stigma, misinformation, and discrimination in our schools, our jobs, our families and our cultures. Getting a period is still taboo, an embarrassing experience that should be kept from the public gaze and conversation.
Oct. 9 marked Period Action Day, a national day of advocacy and action to bring an end to period stigma and improve period equity all over the world. The movement for period equity envisions a world where every person who menstruates has access to affordable and quality products that are safe for their bodies and the environment, feels empowered to talk freely about their period, and doesn’t miss out on life experiences or their education because of their period.
In West Virginia, Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, along with many other advocates, has worked for years to improve access to period products for vulnerable populations, including young people, people with low incomes, and people who are incarcerated.
The roadmap for our state to combat period poverty is clear, and our state lawmakers have the power to enact policy changes that would improve the lives of tens of thousands of West Virginians.
First, West Virginia should eliminate the “tampon tax.” Period products are necessities, not luxuries. State lawmakers can and should make period products more affordable by removing the sales tax on them — just as they have done for other staple goods like food and medicine.
Next, state and local leaders should put free period products in our schools. Students should never have to sacrifice their education because they don’t have a tampon or pad. Lawmakers should also increase access to these products in public buildings and our state’s jails, prisons, and detention centers.
We must also make sure these products are safe for our bodies and the environment. Harmful chemicals — including ingredients that have been linked to cancer, hormonal changes and allergic reactions — are often included in products used to manage a menstrual cycle but not disclosed by the companies who make them. People have a right to know what they are using in and on their bodies that can impact their overall health, and that starts with simple ingredient transparency on the package.
Menstrual equity has gained strong bipartisan support at the state level in previous legislative sessions. When lawmakers return next year, they should deliver a win for the tens of thousands of West Virginians who get a period every month. Because periods shouldn’t hold anyone back.
Alisa Clements is the director of public affairs for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic. She currently lives in Morgantown.
