Girl math is when I pay with cash instead of a card; I’m actually not spending real money. Girl math is when I put my card down to cover a dinner with my friends and they all Venmo me their portion; I’m making money. It’s also tracking my menstrual cycle and calculating how much and which feminine products I’ll need. For many women, it’s then calculating the cost to see what products they can afford.
Period Math
To calculate the financial burden of pads and tampons compared to period underwear, we used data on the average cycles for people of menstruating age, the products used per cycle, and collected prices on menstrual products (see Table 1).
Period underwear, designed to absorb menstrual flow and reduce leakage, is a relatively new, more affordable, gender-affirming, and sustainable menstrual product. They last 2-5 years, depending on the brand, and we calculated their costs assuming replacement every 3.5 years or 12 times over a person’s life. A person with a regular cycle would use one pair per day for a 5-day cycle, or 5 pairs per cycle times 12 replacements or 60 pairs total (See Table 1).
Table 1. Cost of Menstrual Products Over Lifetime
*Overnight pads are typically only used 1x per day.
Saving Money and the Environment
Period underwear is not just a cost-effective solution, but also a sustainable one. By eliminating the need for applicators and single-use packaging, and with less frequent replacement, period underwear significantly reduces plastic waste, making it a more environmentally friendly alternative (See Figure 1). Switching from tampons and/or pads to period underwear benefits the environment and can be financially beneficial —a savings of at least $1,000.
Additionally, since period underwear can be worn every day, it may be a more feasible alternative for unhoused menstruators. While they need to be laundered, more research is needed on how much of a barrier this would be. However, in some areas, laundry resources are available to those experiencing homelessness, like services partnered with laundromats or laundry trucks.
Figure 1. Lifetime Cost of Period Products
Menstrual Equity
The Menstrual Equity For All Act of 2023 aims to expand access to menstrual products through federal programs and prohibits states from taxing retail sales for pads, tampons, and menstrual cups. The act does not address issues of affordability, stigma, or education. The County of Santa Clara allocated $1.8 million to fund period products for those who need them across the county and stocking all restrooms with free period products.
But what if we think bigger? There are free library boxes and mini pantries in neighborhoods to decrease food insecurity and increase literacy. What if we create similar boxes stocked by municipalities with period underwear and other feminine hygiene products? This would reduce period poverty and the stigma that could come with grabbing 20 tampons from the public restroom.
Menstrual equity is a necessity. Menstrual products and education should be available to all who need it, regardless of gender identity, class, or socioeconomic status. If you would like to help reduce period poverty in your community, this holiday season, please consider donating period products to your local homelessness shelter.
