The COVID-19 Pandemic Is Making 'Period Poverty' Worse

Periods don’t stop for pandemics, and COVID-19 has made accessing period products even more difficult for people living in poverty.

“In most of the U.S., tampons and pads are subject to sales tax because they’re not classified as products that fill a basic, essential need. Only a handful of states have succeeded in abolishing the so-called “tampon tax.”…The scourge of COVID-19 has only exacerbated the problem. Many public places that supply free tampons and pads in bathrooms― school campuses, rec centers, libraries ― are closed. One survey found that one in four people between the ages of 13 and 35 reported having a more difficult time managing their periods because of financial strain during the pandemic.”