Study reports period poverty in one in three teenagers

One in three adolescents who visited a pediatric emergency room reported difficulty accessing menstrual products, according to a study presented at the 2024 American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference and Exhibition.¹

Meleah Boyle, PhD MPH, research associate at Children’s National Hospital
Rockville, Maryland, and co-lead author of the study, titled “Prevalence of Period Poverty in a Pediatric Emergency Department,” said period poverty is a growing area of ​​research in the United States, and for good reason.¹

“Ensuring access to healthy and appropriate menstrual health products should be a public health priority,” Boyle said in a news release.¹

Period poverty, including a lack of access to menstrual hygiene products and adequate menstrual education, affects an estimated 11.9 million women in the United States, including 25% of adolescents, according to the study. This problem can lead to various health problems such as urinary tract infections and bacterial vaginosis and can result in missing school or work, thereby affecting education.²

The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of period poverty among adolescents attending a pediatric emergency department (ED) and to assess its association with the Child Opportunity Index (COI), a measure of neighborhood opportunity based on census data.²

This study included a secondary analysis of data collected through the Teen Health Screen, an electronic survey administered to adolescents ages 13 to 21 years that aims to improve detection of sexually transmitted infections in the emergency department. Period poverty was defined by positive answers to one or both of the following questions:

1) “If you have had a period in the last 12 months, have you ever had to use anything other than a pad or tampon, e.g. B. wipes, rags, tissues or toilet paper?”

2) “Did you need menstrual products but didn’t have the money to buy them?”²

The prevalence of period poverty was calculated and multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the association between period poverty and COI. Secondary analyzes examined associations between period poverty, insurance status, and race and ethnicity.²

In the current phase of the study, 678 participants met the inclusion criteria. The mean age of participants was 15.9 (±2.1) years, with the majority identifying as non-Hispanic (NH) Black (n = 479, 70.6%), having public insurance (n = 494, 72, 9%) and lived in areas with very low COI (n=507, 74.8%).²

Over a third of participants (n=236, 34.8%) reported experiencing period poverty in the past 12 months. In separate age-adjusted multivariable models, there were no significant differences in the prevalence of period poverty by country of origin, insurance status, or race and ethnicity.²

“Our study highlights the widespread nature of period poverty and the need for comprehensive action – both locally and nationally – to improve the affordability and accessibility of these products for youth,” Boyle said in a press release.¹

One in three young participants in this study said they had been affected by period poverty in the past year. No significant associations were found between period poverty and COI, insurance status, or race and ethnicity. These results suggest that period poverty is a widespread problem and is not limited to specific socioeconomic or racial/ethnic groups.²

Further research is needed to fully understand the extent of period poverty among adolescents. To address this disparity, it is recommended that free menstrual hygiene products be made available in emergency room toilets and during doctor visits. Additionally, policy initiatives such as eliminating taxes on menstrual products and providing free menstrual products in public spaces such as schools should be considered to increase access to menstrual hygiene products.²

This article was published by our sister publication Contemporary Pediatrics.

References:

1. Period poverty studies have found that one in three teenagers lack access to menstrual products. American Academy of Pediatrics. Press release. September 27, 2024. Accessed September 28, 2024. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1058466

2. Prevalence of period poverty in a pediatric emergency department. Abstract. Abstract. Presented at: American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference and Exhibition 2024. September 27 – October 1, 2024 in Orlando, Florida.