But have you ever stopped to calculate the *actual* damage being done to your wallet? Thankfully, menstrual cup brand Intimina has done the math for us. Via OnePoll, they commissioned a survey involving 2,000 women to find out exactly how much the average person spends on tampons and pads.
The number? AUD $19.54 each month, which totals $9379.73 over the course of a woman’s reproductive lifetime (ages 12-52).
Little wonder then that more than have of those surveyed admitted to experiencing period poverty at some point.
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60 per cent said they had to budget in order to afford these sanitary items, while 79 per cent had made sacrifices or gone without in the past. In addition, the majority felt that the government should mandate menstrual products to be free in schools, colleges, universities and the workplace.
“As studies have shown, many women find feminine hygiene products overpriced, which of course, only proves that the image of period poverty is real,” Intimina rep, Danela Zagar said of the findings.
“Moreover, it not only brings financial issues to the table but also drags behind strong feelings of stress, which can lead to health problems and lower self-esteem.”
Accessibility is also a contributing factor.
“Still, in this so-called modern century, there are hundreds of thousands of women that have limited access to menstrual hygiene products.
"Therefore, we need to make sure that by educating and donating these products to schools and organisations, we reach as many women all around the world as possible.”
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