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Period! No, not the endearing term millennials use in agreeance with one another. We`re talking about the other “period”, yes that one! the monthly gift mother nature has bestowed upon its womb-carrying inhabitants. I know, who wants to talk about periods? Well for starters, women! Why? You`ll have to keep reading to find out! So let’s dive a little deeper into the world of period poverty, the accessibility and affordability of women’s health products, and the economic stimulation women provide by providing the United States with $5.9billion dollars in sales of feminine products.
The True Cost of A Menstrual Cycle
Over the course of a woman’s lifetime, she will spend an average of $18,000 on feminine hygiene products, none of which are covered by insurance. There is an endless list of supplies needed during that time of the month, ranging from pain pills to new underwear and of course tampons and pads themselves.
Many women have suffered from lost wages due to the inability to work because of the pain caused by their cycles. Unfortunately, corporations are unconcerned with the pain, stress, and costs of menstruation, leaving many to face the reality of choosing between their financial livelihood or continuing work in unbearably painful conditions.
Oh, and let’s not forget to mention the most expensive of them all, the price of humiliation. So let’s take a closer look at the breakdown of the unavoidable costs of mensuration. Remember, these dollar amounts do not take into consideration the cost of inflation in recent times.
Tampons, Pads & Menstrual Discs & Cups
Most women choose to protect their clothing and underwear during their “time of the month” using tampons, pads, or a combination of both. Some women may also elect to use a menstrual disc or cup during their time of menstruation. Often times when women are in between periods or nearing the end, which usually consists of a lighter flow, panty liners are used to protect the lining of underwear from staining.
On average, most women will spend close to $7,000 throughout their lifetime on pads, pantyliners, and tampons. This is assuming prices remain current and does not take into consideration the differences in each woman’s cycle, which ranges from light to medium to heavy.
The seven-thousand dollar price tag is pretty modest, as many women have found organic pads to be a more healthy (and pricier) option, considering tampons can lead to toxic shock syndrome.
Women who elect to wear a menstrual disk or cup will spend an average of almost $5,000 throughout their lifetime. Menstrual discs and cups cost between $20-$40 with menstrual discs appearing on the pricier side.
Pain Pills & Comfort Care
Let’s face it, most if not all women experience some form of cramps during their time of the month. Some may even experience excruciating pain if their cycle is accompanied by underlying conditions such as endometriosis. Over-the-counter medications are the only option many women have to help combat the pain associated with their cycles.
Ibuprofen and Aleve are two of the most commonly used pain medications to help relieve women of the pain associated with their menstrual cycles, which may include but are not limited to; cramps, back pain, abdominal pain, and even rectal pain.
The average cost of a smaller-sized bottle of Aleve is $7, while Ibuprofen costs around $10. Although the two pain medications are the most commonly used, stronger medications may be required depending on a woman’s pain tolerance.
Most women will or have spent on average, nearly $1,300 on pain pills to assist them through the pain of their cycle.
Period POverty
Period poverty is defined as “lack of access to menstrual products, hygiene facilities, waste management, and education” according to The Journal of Global Health Reports. During the most recent covid-19 pandemic, many women were faced with the grueling problem of limited to no access to menstrual products.
Unfortunately, menstrual cycles do not care if the world is in the middle of a natural disaster, pandemic, or another global issue.
Although the pandemic contributed greatly to the inaccessibility of feminine products; the cost of these products is one of the biggest contributors to the accessibility of feminine products.
Many women have difficulty acquiring the needed products, care, and treatment for menstruation, bearing in mind that 16.9 million menstruating women are living in poverty in the U.S.
CVS Women’s Health program
Although these numbers may seem small in retrospect, these small costs add up over a lifetime, especially for women who do not have access to such funds on a monthly basis. With insurance overlooking menstrual care, women have to come out of pocket to foot the bill for their feminine needs.
CVS Health has launched many initiatives to combat global health issues; one of which, a women`s health program to help women offset the cost of period products, mental health assistance, and other items associated with women’s care. The program offers period products at a twenty-five percent reduced rate and tax-free.
CVCs program also offers services geared specifically towards menstrual issues, and menopause so women have access to affordable care and treatment.
Take-aways
With new laws in place, specifically focused on women’s bodies, there seems to be no regulating assistance with caring for a woman’s body. Programs like CVS Health and similar programs that are taking initiative to assist and empower women are needed in such trying times.
Women are faced with more than enough difficulties navigating through life, one would assume affording to menstruate would not be one. But as the saying goes “This is America”.