By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
“Period poverty” affects millions of women in the U.S. each month – yet the topic is taboo in most conversations.
As part of her honors project at Bowling Green State University, Courtney Foerg is trying to raise awareness that many women can’t afford menstrual products.
Foerg, a fourth-year social work major from Cleveland, acknowledged that period poverty can be an awkward topic to address.
“People don’t want to talk about menstruation,” she said.
That makes it difficult to address the problem, which is estimated to affect one in 10 female college students.
A box of tampons costs about $8.99, Foerg said. And since menstrual products are considered a “luxury” rather than a necessity, tax is added to the cost.
The result is that girls and women who can’t afford pads or tampons use products not intended for periods – such as socks or toilet paper, Foerg. This can lead to infections, she added.
The lack of menstrual products also causes girls and women to miss school or work. It is estimated that nearly one in five American girls have either left school early or skipped the entire day because they lack access to tampons or pads.
As part of her honors project, Foerg has heard from BGSU students affected by period poverty, such as one who missed a couple days of school each month.
“She wouldn’t be able to go to school,” Foerg said. “It’s not normal to walk around with a blood stain. As a middle schooler, that was the most embarrassing thing that could happen. She didn’t want to stay home from school, but she didn’t feel she had a choice.”
Foerg said women who are able to purchase menstrual products each month are likely unaware that it is a problem for many other women. She was among those women until she learned about the issue in high school.
“I didn’t know anything about it. I realized what privilege I have,” Foerg said.
So Foerg’s project has two goals – to collect menstrual products to be made available at no cost to those in need at BGSU, and to make people aware of the overall issue.
A tampon and pad drive will be held on campus from Oct. 7-13, in the Bowen Thompson Student Union. Students, faculty and staff will be asked to drop off products or money to purchase the products.
The products will then be made available at the food drives on campus hosted by the BGSU College of Health and Human Services, and they will be placed in campus restrooms as part of a program hosted by BGSU FORAGE – Feminist Organization Rallying for Gender Equity.
“I’m hopeful,” Foerg said about the period poverty drive.
While collecting pads and tampons, Foerg will also be dispersing information.
“Even if they can’t donate, we’ll be having conversations about it, realizing that half of our population menstruates – and many can’t afford products,” she said.
