Around 1.8 billion people menstruate every month, yet an estimated 500 million menstruators worldwide lack access to the menstrual products, facilities, and information they need to manage their periods safely and with dignity. For many, menstruation is not simply a biological reality - it can be a source of financial stress, missed education, lost income, and social stigma.
While awareness of menstrual health has grown significantly in recent years, period poverty remains a widespread issue affecting people in every region of the world. From rural communities with limited sanitation infrastructure to major cities where rising living costs make essential period products increasingly difficult to afford, the challenge is far more common than many realise.
There is no single solution to period poverty. However, menstrual cups offer one promising way to reduce the long-term cost of menstruation. Durable, reusable, and capable of lasting up to 10 years, they have the potential to make period care more accessible while reducing waste and dependence on disposable products.
What Is Period Poverty - and How Widespread Is It?
Period poverty is the inability to afford or access period products, sanitation facilities, menstrual health education, or healthcare related to menstruation.
Although the term is often associated with lower-income countries, period poverty exists everywhere. The experience may look different depending on where someone lives, but the underlying issue is the same: people are unable to manage their periods safely, comfortably, and with dignity because essential resources are out of reach.
In many lower-income regions, challenges include limited access to clean water, private toilets, menstrual products, and healthcare. In parts of Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, girls may miss school during their periods because they do not have access to suitable products or facilities. According to UNICEF, only 39% of schools worldwide provide menstrual health education, leaving millions of students without the knowledge and support they need to manage their periods confidently.
However, period poverty is not exclusively a developing-world issue. In the UK, the US, Australia, and other high-income countries, many people struggle to afford menstrual products due to financial hardship. Surveys have found that students and low-income households are disproportionately affected, with some individuals skipping meals or cutting back on other essentials in order to buy period products.
The effects of period poverty extend far beyond physical discomfort. Studies have linked it to lower school attendance, reduced participation in work and community life, increased stress and anxiety, and poorer health outcomes. Menstrual stigma and cultural taboos can make these challenges even harder to address, discouraging people from seeking support or discussing their needs openly.
The Hidden Costs of Disposable Period Products
Disposable period products such as pads and tampons are often viewed as everyday necessities. Yet their cumulative cost over a lifetime can be substantial.
Over a lifetime, the average person menstruates for approximately 35 to 40 years and may use thousands of menstrual products during that time. While the monthly expense may appear relatively small, it becomes a recurring cost that continues year after year. Over a reproductive lifetime, the total spend on disposable menstrual products can easily reach several thousand euros, pounds, or dollars.
For individuals already facing financial hardship, these costs can be difficult to manage. Research from multiple countries has found that some people delay purchasing menstrual products, use products for longer than recommended, or rely on less suitable alternatives because they simply cannot afford enough supplies.
In some cases, people experiencing period poverty resort to toilet paper, tissues, cloth scraps, newspapers, or other makeshift materials. Others stay home from school, work, or social activities because they do not have reliable menstrual products available. These realities highlight why access to affordable period care matters.
Taxation has also played a role. For years, menstrual products in many countries were subject to VAT or sales tax despite being essential health products. Campaigns against the so-called "tampon tax" have led to reforms in several regions, but affordability remains a challenge for many households.
Disposable products also come with an environmental cost. Conventional pads often contain plastic components that can take centuries to break down, while billions of tampons, applicators, wrappers, and pads end up in landfills every year.
This environmental burden is not the primary concern for someone experiencing period poverty, but it highlights the limitations of a system that depends on constant purchasing and disposal. It also helps explain why interest in sustainable period products continues to grow.
What Makes Menstrual Cups Different?
A menstrual cup is a small, flexible cup inserted into the vagina to collect period blood. Unlike pads and tampons, which are thrown away after use, menstrual cups are emptied, cleaned, and reused.
For people unfamiliar with menstrual cups, the idea can seem intimidating at first. However, millions of people around the world use them successfully, and research has shown them to be a safe and effective menstrual product option.
One of the biggest advantages of menstrual cups is cost over time. While a menstrual cup requires a higher upfront investment than a box of pads or tampons, a single cup can last for up to 10 years with proper care. This means one purchase can replace years' worth of disposable menstrual products, resulting in significant long-term savings.
Environmental impact is another major differentiator. Because menstrual cups are reusable, they generate dramatically less waste than disposable products. One cup can replace hundreds or even thousands of pads and tampons throughout its lifespan, making it one of the most sustainable period products available.
There are also important health considerations. Most menstrual cups are made from medical-grade silicone, which is durable, non-absorbent, and body-safe. Unlike tampons, cups do not absorb vaginal moisture or leave fibres behind.
Many people have concerns about safety and comfort, particularly when trying a cup for the first time. Research has found that menstrual cups are generally safe when used according to instructions. Like any menstrual product, there can be a learning curve, but most users become more comfortable after a few cycles.
Another benefit is practicality. Menstrual cups can often be worn for up to 12 hours, depending on flow and local health recommendations. They do not rely on a constant supply chain, making them particularly useful in areas where regular access to shops or menstrual products is limited.
How Menstrual Cups Can Address Period Poverty: The Evidence
If menstrual cups are to be considered a tool for reducing period poverty, it is important to look at the evidence.
Over the past decade, researchers and NGOs have increasingly studied the impact of menstrual cups in low-income and resource-constrained settings. The findings suggest that cups can be a safe, cost-effective, and sustainable option when paired with appropriate education and support.
One reason menstrual cups are attracting attention from charities and development organisations is their long lifespan. A single menstrual cup can provide protection for up to 10 years. Compared with repeatedly distributing disposable products, a one-time cup donation or subsidised purchase can potentially provide far longer-lasting support.
Research conducted in countries including Kenya, Nepal, Zambia, and India has shown that access to menstrual products and menstrual health education can improve confidence, reduce stigma, and support school participation. While outcomes vary depending on the programme and local context, studies consistently demonstrate the importance of reliable menstrual care.
At the same time, period cups are not a universal solution. Upfront cost can still be a barrier, and access to clean water and private sanitation facilities remains essential. Cultural attitudes toward internal menstrual products may influence acceptance, and some users need time to become comfortable with insertion and removal. For these reasons, period cups should be considered one option within a broader approach to addressing period poverty - an approach that also includes education, infrastructure, healthcare access, policy reform, and community engagement.
What the evidence does show is that when menstrual cups are introduced thoughtfully and alongside comprehensive menstrual health education, they can help reduce the long-term financial burden of menstruation and expand access to period care.
Period Poverty Closer to Home - It's Not Just a Global Issue
When people hear the term period poverty, they often think of distant communities facing extreme hardship. In reality, the issue exists much closer to home.
Across the UK, the US, Australia, and other high-income countries, many people struggle to afford menstrual products. Food banks increasingly report requests for period products, while schools and universities have introduced initiatives to support students who cannot afford them.
Governments have also begun taking action. In 2022, Scotland became the first country in the world to make period products freely available by law. England's Period Product Scheme continues to provide free products to schools and colleges. Similar initiatives have emerged in Australia, Canada, and parts of the United States.
These policies recognise a simple truth: period products are essential, not optional.
For individuals experiencing financial hardship in higher-income countries, menstrual cups can offer the same long-term benefits they provide elsewhere. By reducing the ongoing monthly cost of menstruation, reusable products can help make period care more affordable over time.
What Needs to Happen for Cups to Reach Those Who Need Them Most
Menstrual cups can be a powerful tool, but they are not a complete solution on their own.
To make cups accessible at scale, investment is needed in education, training, distribution networks, and infrastructure. Governments, NGOs, healthcare providers, schools, and businesses all have a role to play.
Education is particularly important. People need accurate information about menstruation, reusable menstrual products, and how to use them safely. Programmes must also be culturally sensitive and responsive to local needs.
Consumers in higher-income countries can contribute as well. Supporting brands with social missions, donating to menstrual health initiatives, and advocating for better policies all help create broader change.
The goal is not simply to distribute more products. It is to create systems that ensure everyone can manage their periods safely, confidently, and with dignity.
How Lunette Is Contributing to the Solution
At Lunette, we believe everyone deserves access to safe and sustainable period care.
For more than 20 years, we have been creating reusable menstrual products designed to make menstruation more comfortable, affordable, and environmentally responsible. Through the Cup Foundation, every cup purchased helps support efforts to improve access to menstrual products and menstrual health education around the world.
By encouraging open conversations about periods and sharing reliable information about menstrual health, we hope to help reduce stigma and support greater menstrual equity.
Why You Should Choose Menstrual Cups
Period poverty is a serious global issue, but it is also a solvable one. While there is no single answer, menstrual cups are among the most effective and sustainable tools available to help reduce the long-term cost of menstruation.
By replacing years of disposable menstrual products, a single cup can help save money, reduce waste, and provide reliable period protection for years to come. For many people, that makes menstrual cups not just a practical choice, but an empowering one.
Whether you are looking to reduce your environmental impact, lower the cost of period care, or support a more equitable future, menstrual cups offer a simple way to make a difference.
If you'd like to learn more, explore Lunette's range of sustainable period care and discover how it can can benefit both people and the planet. And if this article resonated with you, consider sharing it - because awareness is one of the first steps toward ending period poverty.
