Key Points
- The cost of living crisis is making it harder for Australians to afford menstrual products.
- Of those surveyed, 57 per cent were finding it more difficult to afford period products.
- Period poverty can also negatively affect mental health, the survey found.
It's a reality being felt first-hand by Rhiannon Halling from Wollongong.
A few years ago, the 24-year-old would not have given much thought when buying tampons. But with , she now takes a bit longer to consider her purchases. And she is not alone.
Many young Australian women are walking a tightrope between hygiene and health.
It is understood that more than half of the people in Australia who menstruate are finding it more challenging to buy menstrual hygiene products and medication after the pandemic.
What is the state of period poverty in Australia?
A recent YouGov survey commissioned by Plan International Australia surveyed more than 500 Australians aged between 18 and 42 who menstruate.
The survey found that 57 per cent of respondents were finding it more difficult to buy period products such as tampons and sanitary pads.
The research also found that teens and those in their early 20s were most affected by the ability to afford female hygiene products, menstrual pain management medication or treatment.
Sharing her experience, Ms Halling said she finds many of the tampons available in the market uncomfortable.
"I used to buy a pack of 28, and now I can't even see the point of buying a pack of 12. They are so expensive," she said.
Period poverty in Australia has been exacerbated by the cost of living crisis, finds a survey. Source: Getty / Isabel Pavia
"I was in Woollies, and I thought I'd look at the period underwear, and then I looked at the prices, and I was like, 'Ah, never mind'."
"Instead, I have to think, is that [her period] even heavy enough that I need to use a pair, or can I like, get away with what I'd say would be free bleeding, for lack of a better term," Ms Halling said.
"I do consider that because it's not like, you know, I've got X amount of pairs, I'm going to have to wash them, wait for them to dry or put the dryer on to have another pair."
What is the impact of period poverty?
Research conducted by Plan International Australia found that more than a third of the women surveyed said the lack of access to sanitary products had a massive impact on their health and well-being.
These challenges are amplified in regional areas, with almost half of those surveyed saying that their mental health had been negatively impacted.
The issue is also impacting Gen Z, the research found.
More than 1 in 4 of Gen Z respondents said the difficulties they experienced in paying for period products and period pain management had an impact on their sexual relationships.
Period poverty is also affecting the education of 16 per cent of Gen Z members, and the same amount of those in that age group said it was affecting their workplace participation.
In Australia, 53 per cent of women find it more challenging to pay for menstrual pain management medication or treatment. Source: Getty / Maskot
Addressing period poverty
Ms Halling is among several youth activists Plan International Australia works with who are calling on the government to make period products accessible in all public bathrooms.
They also want the authorities to provide menstrual health subsidies for those from low socio-economic backgrounds struggling the most with the rising cost of living.
Plan International Australia chief executive Susanne Legena said there needed to be a shift in perceptions to understand that sanitary items were basic necessities.
"There are positive signs that the fact that a number of states are now distributing tampons and pads in schools is a really positive step though they're often not kept in bathrooms."
"They're kept in offices or first aid kits for the nurses to give out when asked for," she said.
Rising prices are increasing the cost of period products. Source: Getty / zoranm
"To know that you could access them in a public toilet or a public library or a health centre can make a big difference in the lives of so many people," she said.
In 2020, to all those in need.
Ms Legena called on the federal government to follow in the footsteps of the Scottish government to make feminine hygiene products free for all via a Period Products Act.
Period poverty on a global scale
The aggravating issue of period poverty in Australia indicates an even more acute situation in developing countries.
According to a report due to be released on World Menstrual Hygiene Day on 28 May, the effects of the overlapping crises of cost of living, climate disasters, food insecurity and conflict around the world have made it harder for more than 96 per cent of women to access menstrual health and hygiene products.
Ms Legena said this was leading to serious social and health issues.
The report documented instances of adolescent girls engaging in survival sex to pay for menstrual health products, leading to sexually transmitted infections, unwanted pregnancies, and a significant increase in early and forced marriage.
The report also found that the current crises around the world had impacted the ability of 91 per cent of women to access menstrual health and hygiene management information or products.
