Period Poverty Is a Public Health Crisis, And Young Leaders Are Stepping Up to End It

By Paula Seabright and Dr. Lanlan Xu

Period poverty - the inability to access menstrual products due to financial constraints - is a public health crisis hiding in plain sight.

​According to the policy organization PERIOD, 1 in 4 teens have struggled to afford period products, 4 in 5 students have missed class time or know someone who has because of their period, and 2 in 5 women experience period poverty at some point in their lives.Lack of safe, reliable menstrual hygiene products is not just an inconvenience - it increases the risk of preventable infections, reproductive complications, and mental health challenges including anxiety and depression. For families stretching every dollar in today’s challenging economy, especially following recent SNAP benefit delays tied to the federal shutdown, access to basic hygiene products has become even more uncertain. When a family must choose between groceries, gas, or menstrual supplies, the burden falls disproportionately on women and girls.In Howard County, organizations and young leaders are stepping up.

The Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County (WGC), a fund of the Community Foundation of Howard County, is addressing this issue through its “Break the Cycle” Period Product Drive and the grassroots leadership of the Young Women’s Giving Circle (YWGC). These young advocates are supporting nonprofits, raising awareness, and mobilizing their peers to confront stigma and expand access, showing that menstrual equity is both a public health issue and a leadership opportunity for the next generation.

YWGC member Sakshi Tirodkar, who founded Equality Now Period at Long Reach High School, captured the scale and urgency of the issue: “With over 500 million women around the world facing period poverty, it is so important that we as students help however we can to aid the girls of our community. That is why I was inspired to start the Equality Now Period group at Long Reach High School, working to educate the next generation about period poverty and attacking this prevalent need in society. And, the work we are doing in the Young Women’s Giving Circle through our period product drives and menstrual advocacy efforts fills my heart as we take this one step further, breaking the stigma around this issue and serving the women of Howard County and beyond.”

YWGC intern Yara Aziz echoed this compassion-driven approach. “A lot of us have lived through the issues we’re trying to fix, so we show up with empathy first.”

Another powerful example of youth leadership is happening at Mt. Hebron High School, where student leader Isha Ande has expanded the Mt. Hebron Period Club into a driving force for menstrual equity. Under her leadership, students have organized schoolwide period product drives, partnered with statewide advocacy organizations, and worked directly with legislators drafting two bills to address period poverty in Maryland. Local institutions are also stepping up. The Howard County Commission for Women has committed to eliminating period poverty through education, advocacy, and community partnerships. Schools, PTAs, nonprofits, and volunteers are joining together to ensure menstrual health becomes central to conversations about equity and well-being.

Addressing period poverty is not only a health issue, it is an equity issue.

Residents can help by donating menstrual products, supporting nonprofits and schools, speaking openly about menstrual health, and advocating for policies that expand access.

On Saturday, December 13, WGC will host its next Break the Cycle Period Product Drive from 9-11 a.m. at Howard Community College. These drives have already supplied thousands of products to women and girls across the county, and the need is growing.

Period poverty is preventable. 

With coordinated community action, policy change, and the leadership of young women who refuse to accept stigma or silence, we can build a community where no one misses school, work, or daily life because they lack menstrual products. Howard County’s young leaders are showing us exactly what it looks like to meet this issue with compassion, courage, and advocacy.It’s time to end period poverty once and for all …  and together, we can.

About the Authors

Paula Seabright is a Women’s Giving Circle Advisory Board Member and Co-Chair of the WGC Grants Committee. She leads the WGC’s Break the Cycle Period Product Drive and the Young Women’s Giving Circle. Dr. Lanlan Xu is a public health expert and former member of the Howard County Commission for Women, where she helped lead community initiatives addressing period poverty.