{"id":2661,"date":"2011-01-11T21:34:00","date_gmt":"2011-01-11T21:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/?p=2661"},"modified":"2026-02-27T16:21:38","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T00:21:38","slug":"period-poverty-the-belittling-of-a-basic-need","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/period-poverty-the-belittling-of-a-basic-need","title":{"rendered":"Period Poverty: The Belittling of a Basic Need"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">In This Article<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/period-poverty-the-belittling-of-a-basic-need\/#What_is_period_poverty\" >What is period poverty?&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/period-poverty-the-belittling-of-a-basic-need\/#Why_is_it_important_to_address_period_poverty\" >Why is it important to address period poverty?&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/period-poverty-the-belittling-of-a-basic-need\/#What_can_be_done_about_period_poverty\" >What can be done about period poverty?&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/period-poverty-the-belittling-of-a-basic-need\/#What_is_the_American_Womens_Medical_Associations_AMWA_role_in_fighting_period_poverty\" >What is the American Women&#8217;s Medical Association&#8217;s (AMWA) role in fighting period poverty?&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/period-poverty-the-belittling-of-a-basic-need\/#About_the_Author\" >About the Author<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Millions of people around the world lack adequate access to hygienic menstrual products; a stark reality that the American Medical Women&#8217;s Association (AMWA) is working tirelessly to change. In today\u2019s guest post on the Osmosis blog, Alexandra A. Alvarez, National Premedical President of AMWA, explores the topic of period poverty and shares how her organization Generation Flow is helping to end the stigma around menstruation and promote menstrual equity.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-is-period-poverty\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_period_poverty\"><\/span>What is period poverty?&nbsp;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once a month, people who menstruate must use hygienic menstrual products, and while many health options exist in regards to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/learn\/Menstrual_cycle\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">menstruation<\/a>&nbsp;(birth control, menstrual cups, etc.), many people may be unable to use them for a multitude of reasons. The most common being a lack of accessibility.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Period Poverty is defined as the inadequate access to menstrual hygiene tools and education. This includes access to washing facilities, waste management, and more. Students, people experiencing homelessness, and people with disabilities are at a higher risk of dealing with period poverty. This issue affects people all over the globe and certainly, the US is not immune.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Globally, 2.3 billion people live without basic sanitation services and in developing countries, only 27% of people have adequate hand washing facilities at home,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.unicef.org\/press-releases\/fast-facts-nine-things-you-didnt-know-about-menstruation#_edn5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">according to UNICEF<\/a>. Not having proper access to basic sanitation makes it much harder for people who menstruate to manage their periods safely. According to the 2014 Shriver Report, there are&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanprogress.org\/issues\/economy\/reports\/2014\/01\/12\/81906\/the-shriver-report-a-womans-nation-pushes-back-from-the-brink\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">at least 42 million<\/a>&nbsp;impoverished women in the US, many of which experience the indignity and shame of being unable to care for themselves during their periods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even if a person can afford menstrual products, the annual and lifetime cost of buying taxed products is a burden on people who menstruate. The \u201cPink Tax\u201d refers to the extra amount that is placed on \u201cfeminine\u201d everyday products like razors, shampoo, haircuts, clothes, dry cleaning, and more. This \u201ctax\u201d applies to items purchased throughout a woman&#8217;s entire life and further contributes to period poverty.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Currently, 35 out of 50 U.S. states tax menstrual products as non-essential items or deem them as \u201cluxury\u201d items while more \u201cmasculine\u201d products like erectile dysfunction medication are not taxed. Moreover, food stamps, Medicaid, and health insurance spending accounts do not cover the cost of menstrual products for people who menstruate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"701\" height=\"468\" src=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/image_d6ee1f.png\" alt=\"PINK TAX\nEven if a person can afford menstrual products, the annual and lifetime cost of buying taxed products is a burden on people who menstruate. The \u201cPink Tax\u201d refers to the extra amount that is placed on \u201cfeminine\u201d everyday products like razors, shampoo, haircuts, clothes, dry cleaning, and more. This \u201ctax\u201d applies to items purchased throughout a woman's entire life and further contributes to period poverty.\u00a0\" class=\"wp-image-2663\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/image_d6ee1f.png 701w, https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/image_d6ee1f.png?resize=300,200 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 701px) 100vw, 701px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"why-address-period-poverty\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_is_it_important_to_address_period_poverty\"><\/span>Why is it important to address period poverty?&nbsp;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All of these barriers make the consequences of period poverty much more severe. Without the proper access to hygienic products, the everyday lives of people who menstruate are extremely hindered. They may not be able to leave their homes, go to school, go to work, and may suffer from health issues such as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/learn\/Clinical_Reasoning:_Shock\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Toxic Shock Syndrome<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-can-be-done-about-period-poverty\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_can_be_done_about_period_poverty\"><\/span>What can be done about period poverty?&nbsp;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These consequences and statistics only emphasize the importance and the demanding need to raise awareness on issues like Period Poverty. While there are a growing number of people and communities working towards change, the US still has a long way to go when it comes to advocating for reproductive and menstrual rights. Through educational reform and global advocacy, work can be done to greatly improve access to hygiene facilities and products, reduce the stigma and shame associated with menstruation, and encourage people to learn about the importance of period poverty.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"amwa-role\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_American_Womens_Medical_Associations_AMWA_role_in_fighting_period_poverty\"><\/span>What is the American Women&#8217;s Medical Association&#8217;s (AMWA) role in fighting period poverty?&nbsp;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">AMWA has taken part in this effort by encouraging our members and branches to create their own advocacy campaigns. We have highlighted this issue on our&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amwa-doc.org\/period-poverty\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">website<\/a>&nbsp;and created advocacy pamphlets designed for members to use to educate their communities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During my time at UC Berkeley, I, along with two of my best friends, created an organization called&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/genflowberkeley\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Generation Flow<\/a>&nbsp;that focuses on ending the stigma surrounding menstruation as well as raising awareness both on campus and in our community on issues surrounding menstrual equity. We at AMWA are constantly encouraging our members to reach out to similar organizations near them to help advocate for and empower people around the world who menstruate. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The absence of menstruation in our everyday conversations is just one contributing factor to the stigma that surrounds menstruation today. AMWA is incredibly grateful and honored to partner with Osmosis and use their platform to discuss this important health disparity issue.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"About_the_Author\"><\/span>About the Author<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><strong>Alexandra Alondra Alvarez<\/strong> (she\/her\/hers) is a recent graduate from the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.berkeley.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">University of California, Berkeley<\/a>&nbsp;(Class of 2020) who studied Molecular and Cell Biology with an emphasis in Cell and Developmental Biology and minored in Toxicology. She conducted an independent research honors thesis with the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/bautistalab.weebly.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bautista Lab at UC Berkeley<\/a>&nbsp;examining Sex Based Differences in Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Associated Pain.<\/em> <em>She is currently in her gap year and is the National Premedical President of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amwa-doc.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">American Medical Women&#8217;s Association<\/a>. Aside from her volunteer work with AMWA, Alexandra is a huge chai enthusiast who enjoys musical theater and traveling. She plans to pursue a Medical Doctorate Degree while focusing on raising awareness on women&#8217;s health and issues affecting underrepresented populations.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/create\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/Blog_Display_Ads_GENERAL2_2023.png?w=700\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5441\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/Blog_Display_Ads_GENERAL2_2023.png 700w, https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/Blog_Display_Ads_GENERAL2_2023.png?resize=300,107 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Try Osmosis today! Access your&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/create\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">free trial<\/a>&nbsp;and find out why millions of &nbsp;current and future clinicians and caregivers love learning with us.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Explore how period poverty affects millions globally and the vital efforts by AMWA and Generation Flow to raise awareness and promote menstrual equity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":106,"featured_media":2662,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[10,18,23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2661","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-clinical-skills","category-equity-diversity-and-inclusion","category-healthcare-facts"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Period Poverty: The Belittling of a Basic Need - Osmosis Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/period-poverty-the-belittling-of-a-basic-need\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Period Poverty: The Belittling of a Basic Need - Osmosis Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Explore how period poverty affects millions globally and the vital efforts by AMWA and Generation Flow to raise awareness and promote menstrual equity.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/period-poverty-the-belittling-of-a-basic-need\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Osmosis Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2011-01-11T21:34:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-28T00:21:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/2024-09-12T165918.697.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Alexandra A. Alvarez\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":[\"Article\",\"BlogPosting\"],\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/period-poverty-the-belittling-of-a-basic-need#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/period-poverty-the-belittling-of-a-basic-need\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Alexandra A. Alvarez\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/6a2cd69b71c1493719e13212ab6c5429\"},\"headline\":\"Period Poverty: The Belittling of a Basic Need\",\"datePublished\":\"2011-01-11T21:34:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-28T00:21:38+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/period-poverty-the-belittling-of-a-basic-need\"},\"wordCount\":890,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/period-poverty-the-belittling-of-a-basic-need#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/2024-09-12T165918.697.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"Clinical Skills\",\"Equity, Diversity, Inclusion &amp; Belonging\",\"Healthcare Facts\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/period-poverty-the-belittling-of-a-basic-need#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/period-poverty-the-belittling-of-a-basic-need\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/period-poverty-the-belittling-of-a-basic-need\",\"name\":\"Period Poverty: The Belittling of a Basic Need - Osmosis Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/period-poverty-the-belittling-of-a-basic-need#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/period-poverty-the-belittling-of-a-basic-need#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/2024-09-12T165918.697.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2011-01-11T21:34:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-28T00:21:38+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/period-poverty-the-belittling-of-a-basic-need#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/period-poverty-the-belittling-of-a-basic-need\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/period-poverty-the-belittling-of-a-basic-need#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/2024-09-12T165918.697.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/2024-09-12T165918.697.webp\",\"width\":1080,\"height\":1080,\"caption\":\"Period Poverty The Belittling of a Basic Need\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/period-poverty-the-belittling-of-a-basic-need#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Period Poverty: The Belittling of a Basic Need\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Osmosis Blog\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Osmosis Blog\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/07\/OsmosisElsevierStacked.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/07\/OsmosisElsevierStacked.png\",\"width\":1276,\"height\":596,\"caption\":\"Osmosis Blog\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/6a2cd69b71c1493719e13212ab6c5429\",\"name\":\"Alexandra A. Alvarez\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/33acba757fed91be9b12847fd97ee7b8f6147af3112d96f5375bd47e00dd536e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/33acba757fed91be9b12847fd97ee7b8f6147af3112d96f5375bd47e00dd536e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Alexandra A. Alvarez\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/author\/alexandraaalvarez\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Period Poverty: The Belittling of a Basic Need - Osmosis Blog","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/period-poverty-the-belittling-of-a-basic-need","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Period Poverty: The Belittling of a Basic Need - Osmosis Blog","og_description":"Explore how period poverty affects millions globally and the vital efforts by AMWA and Generation Flow to raise awareness and promote menstrual equity.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/period-poverty-the-belittling-of-a-basic-need","og_site_name":"Osmosis Blog","article_published_time":"2011-01-11T21:34:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-02-28T00:21:38+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1080,"height":1080,"url":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/2024-09-12T165918.697.webp","type":"image\/webp"}],"author":"Alexandra A. Alvarez","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":["Article","BlogPosting"],"@id":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/period-poverty-the-belittling-of-a-basic-need#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/period-poverty-the-belittling-of-a-basic-need"},"author":{"name":"Alexandra A. Alvarez","@id":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/6a2cd69b71c1493719e13212ab6c5429"},"headline":"Period Poverty: The Belittling of a Basic Need","datePublished":"2011-01-11T21:34:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-28T00:21:38+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/period-poverty-the-belittling-of-a-basic-need"},"wordCount":890,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/period-poverty-the-belittling-of-a-basic-need#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/2024-09-12T165918.697.webp","articleSection":["Clinical Skills","Equity, Diversity, Inclusion &amp; Belonging","Healthcare Facts"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/period-poverty-the-belittling-of-a-basic-need#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/period-poverty-the-belittling-of-a-basic-need","url":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/period-poverty-the-belittling-of-a-basic-need","name":"Period Poverty: The Belittling of a Basic Need - Osmosis Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/period-poverty-the-belittling-of-a-basic-need#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/period-poverty-the-belittling-of-a-basic-need#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/2024-09-12T165918.697.webp","datePublished":"2011-01-11T21:34:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-28T00:21:38+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/period-poverty-the-belittling-of-a-basic-need#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/period-poverty-the-belittling-of-a-basic-need"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/period-poverty-the-belittling-of-a-basic-need#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/2024-09-12T165918.697.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/2024-09-12T165918.697.webp","width":1080,"height":1080,"caption":"Period Poverty The Belittling of a Basic Need"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/period-poverty-the-belittling-of-a-basic-need#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Period Poverty: The Belittling of a Basic Need"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/","name":"Osmosis Blog","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/#organization","name":"Osmosis Blog","url":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/07\/OsmosisElsevierStacked.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/07\/OsmosisElsevierStacked.png","width":1276,"height":596,"caption":"Osmosis Blog"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/6a2cd69b71c1493719e13212ab6c5429","name":"Alexandra A. Alvarez","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/33acba757fed91be9b12847fd97ee7b8f6147af3112d96f5375bd47e00dd536e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/33acba757fed91be9b12847fd97ee7b8f6147af3112d96f5375bd47e00dd536e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Alexandra A. Alvarez"},"url":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/author\/alexandraaalvarez"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/2024-09-12T165918.697.webp","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":7921,"url":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/pance-question-of-the-day-period-symptoms","url_meta":{"origin":2661,"position":0},"title":"PANCE\u00ae Question of the Day: Period symptoms","author":"Rowan Bell, MD &amp; Marina Horiates Kerekes, MD","date":"October 12, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Understand the clinical presentation of premenstrual disorders with an emphasis on PMDD, its symptoms, and how to distinguish it from other medical conditions.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Exam Prep&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Exam Prep","link":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/category\/exam-prep"},"img":{"alt_text":"PANCE Question of the day Period Symptoms","src":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/10\/PANCE-Question-of-the-day-Period-Symptoms.jpg","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/10\/PANCE-Question-of-the-day-Period-Symptoms.jpg 1x, https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/10\/PANCE-Question-of-the-day-Period-Symptoms.jpg 1.5x, https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/10\/PANCE-Question-of-the-day-Period-Symptoms.jpg 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2509,"url":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/celebrating-women-in-medicine-month","url_meta":{"origin":2661,"position":1},"title":"Celebrating Women in Medicine Month","author":"Fergus Baird, MA","date":"September 15, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"It\u2019s Women in Medicine Month, a time to celebrate the incredible, inspiring work performed by women working in the health professions around the world. There are so many innovative and inspiring women working in the medical field, and it hasn\u2019t been an easy road. Shout-out to all the women who\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;About Osmosis&quot;","block_context":{"text":"About Osmosis","link":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/category\/about-osmosis"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/celebrating-women-in-medicine-month.webp","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/celebrating-women-in-medicine-month.webp 1x, https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/celebrating-women-in-medicine-month.webp 1.5x, https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/celebrating-women-in-medicine-month.webp 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4217,"url":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/five-women-who-are-paving-the-way-in-medicine","url_meta":{"origin":2661,"position":2},"title":"Five Women Who Are Paving the Way in Medicine","author":"Alicia Betz, MAEd","date":"September 6, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Women have long been trailblazers in medicine and healthcare, paving the way for other women to become impactful clinicians while changing the face of medicine. With\u00a0women comprising over 50% of medical students,\u00a0they're represented in medicine like never before. This year, we\u2019re celebrating five amazing women who continue to address the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Health &amp; Wellness&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Health &amp; Wellness","link":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/category\/health-and-wellness"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/paving-the-way-in-medicine.webp","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/paving-the-way-in-medicine.webp 1x, https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/paving-the-way-in-medicine.webp 1.5x, https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/paving-the-way-in-medicine.webp 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7531,"url":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/nclex-question-of-the-day-sga","url_meta":{"origin":2661,"position":3},"title":"NCLEX-RN\u00ae Question of the Day: SGA","author":"Paige Randall, PhD, MS, RN, CNE &amp; Elizabeth Lucas, EdD, RN, CNE","date":"September 24, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"A nurse assesses a newborn\u2019s size relative to gestational age. Which assessment tool helps evaluate if an infant is small for gestational age?","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Exam Prep&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Exam Prep","link":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/category\/exam-prep"},"img":{"alt_text":"NCLEX RN Question of the day SGA","src":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/09\/NCLEX-RN-Question-of-the-day-sga.jpg","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/09\/NCLEX-RN-Question-of-the-day-sga.jpg 1x, https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/09\/NCLEX-RN-Question-of-the-day-sga.jpg 1.5x, https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/09\/NCLEX-RN-Question-of-the-day-sga.jpg 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1347,"url":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/black-health-inequity-a-cry-for-equity-and-justice-for-all","url_meta":{"origin":2661,"position":4},"title":"Black Health Inequity: A Cry for Equity and Justice for All","author":"Itunu Johnson-Sogbetun, MBBS","date":"November 17, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"In a guest blog post, Dr. Itunu Johnson-Sogbetun addresses the everyday reality of health inequity for Black communities worldwide, as well as her pioneering work in creating HEAL, Health Equity and Advocacy Learning courses, developed to confront health disparities head-on and guide us to equitable access to healthcare for all.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Allopathic Medicine (MD)&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Allopathic Medicine (MD)","link":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/category\/medicine"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/black-health-inequity.webp","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/black-health-inequity.webp 1x, https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/black-health-inequity.webp 1.5x, https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/black-health-inequity.webp 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":899,"url":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/be-prepared-for-the-future-of-nursing-social-determinants-of-health-and-health-equity","url_meta":{"origin":2661,"position":5},"title":"Be Prepared for the Future of Nursing: Social Determinants of Health and Health Equity","author":"Sharon Goldfarb DNP, RN, FNP-BC","date":"October 11, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Explore how nurses are essential in tackling social determinants of health and promoting health equity through clinical care, community engagement, and policy advocacy.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Equity, Diversity, Inclusion &amp; Belonging&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Equity, Diversity, Inclusion &amp; Belonging","link":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/category\/equity-diversity-and-inclusion"},"img":{"alt_text":"Be Prepared for the Future of Nursing: Social Determinants of Health and Health Equity","src":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/social-determinants-of-health-and-health-equity.webp","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/social-determinants-of-health-and-health-equity.webp 1x, https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/social-determinants-of-health-and-health-equity.webp 1.5x, https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/social-determinants-of-health-and-health-equity.webp 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2661","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/106"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2661"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2661\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6809,"href":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2661\/revisions\/6809"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2662"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2661"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2661"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2661"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}