Period Poverty Among College Students - Access, Equity, and Strategies to Address the Issue

Oct 15, 2026

Brief examining menstrual product access barriers for students in U.S. higher education and the equity risks tied to period poverty. Describes how inadequate affordability and insecure access create physical, emotional, and academic consequences, including absenteeism, reduced engagement, and increased depression risk. Presents campus- and policy-level approaches, highlighting promising strategies and the remaining challenges, such as uneven implementation and limited coverage for private colleges.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Period Poverty on Campus

Consequences of Period Poverty

Addressing Period Poverty on Campus

BRIEF Period Poverty Among College Students: Access, Equity, and Strategies to Address the Issue This brief highlights the equity issues and potential negative consequences related to a lack of access to menstrual products at U.S. institutions of higher education (IHEs) . It also describes promising strategies and practices that IHEscan implement to increase access to menstrual products. Introduction Students’ inability to afford adequate supplies during menstruation can create barriers to them accessing menstrual products (e.g. , sanitary pads, tampons) . Vulnerable populations—including college students and those with low incomes—face the most barriers to accessing menstrual products (Cardoso et al., 2021; Kuhlmann et al. , 2019) . Difficulty affording menstrual products is referred to as “period poverty”(Cardoso et al. , 2021, p. 2) . College students experiencing period poverty are at risk for negative physical, emotional, and academic consequences. IHEs can take steps to ensure that their campuses provide a consistent and secure supply of menstrual products. Period Poverty on Campus Students with basic needs insecurities may be at higher risk of anxiety, depression, and poor physical health (Coakley et al. , 2022) . Many college students have trouble accessing and affording basic life necessities, including menstrual products. A study of 471 U.S. undergraduate university students who menstruate found that 14.2% could not afford menstrual products at some point in the past year. An additional 10% could not afford menstrual products every month (Cardoso et al. , 2021) . An Australian study found that only 16% of college students felt “completely confident” in managing their menstruation while attending a university (Munro et al. , 2022) . Students without adequate access may use products for longer than is healthy (e.g. , using a tampon for longer than recommended) or forgo using menstrual products altogether, which, as explained further below, can lead to negative consequences for a student’s health and academic achievement. By providing menstrual products, IHEs can help to meet students’ basic needs. Because period poverty is more prevalent among historically marginalized students—students of color, immigrants, and first-generation students—it is The contents of this National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments product were assembled under a contract from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Safe and Supportive Schools to the American Institutes for Research® (AIR®), Contract No. 91990021A0020 . The contents of this product do not necessarily represent the policy or views of the U.S. Department of Education, nor do they imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education. also an equitable practice ( Broton, 2020; Cardoso et al. , 2021; Freudenberg et al. , 2019; Martinez et al. , 2021) . In a small but nationally drawn sample, period poverty was most frequent among Latino or Hispanic students, with 24.5% reporting inadequate access to products, followed by 19% of Black students reporting the problem (Cardoso et al., 2021) . In addition, one in five first-generation college students reported not having sufficient access to menstrual products. Consequences of Period Poverty In general, university students report negative experiences with menstruation, such as menstrual pain, shame and distress, and difficulties with menstrual blood leaking onto clothing (Munro et al. , 2021) . These factors adversely affect their education through absenteeism, reduced engagement, and poor academic performance (Munro et al. , 2021) . Period poverty magnifies the challenges of menstruation. Research shows that a lack of access to menstrual products coupled with menstrual pain and anxiety among college students impacts their health, well-being, and educational experiences and contributes to depression (Hennegan et al. , 2019; Mason et al., 2013; Phillips-Howard et al. , 2016; Sivakami et al.

FAQs

What is “period poverty” among college students?

Period poverty refers to the inability to afford adequate menstrual supplies. For college students, it creates barriers to accessing products such as pads and tampons.

How does period poverty affect students’ health and academic outcomes?

Limited access to menstrual products—especially when paired with menstrual pain and anxiety—harms health and well-being and can worsen educational experiences. Reported impacts include absenteeism, reduced engagement, and poor academic performance, with associations to depression.

What actions can institutions of higher education take to address period poverty?

Institutions can ensure consistent and secure supplies of menstrual products and adopt program and policy responses that improve students’ menstrual experiences. Some states have begun providing free products, though implementation challenges remain.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Jordan Avery