Ep. 12: American women are punished and held back for having their periods

Nearly 12 million U.S. women and girls aged 12 to 52 are living in poverty. This 40-year age range spans the average American's menstruating years. If most of these females are struggling to afford food, how can they be expected to buy tampons? For low-income menstruators, the financial burden of menstruating makes the monthly occurrence even worse. The American College of Obstetrics estimates two-thirds of low-income women don't have enough money to buy menstrual products at least one time per year. Nadya Okamoto of PERIOD. The Menstrual Movement and Kate Sanetra-Butler of Dignity Matters, two leaders working to end period poverty, break down why it should be a right to health for every woman to have access to menstrual products. Colorado Rep. Leslie Herod fills us in what it's like to get your period in prison and the bill she sponsored to better those conditions.