Period poverty means not having reliable access to affordable menstrual products, suitable toilets and washing facilities, disposal options or the information needed to manage a period with dignity.
It isn't only an issue in developing countries. Period poverty also affects people in Australia, where financial pressure, geographic isolation, inadequate facilities and menstrual stigma can make everyday period care difficult.
Addressing period poverty is part of a broader goal known as menstrual equity: making sure everyone who menstruates has fair access to suitable products, facilities, information and support.
Contents
- What is period poverty?
- How common is period poverty in Australia?
- What causes period poverty?
- How does period poverty affect everyday life?
- What is Australia doing to address period poverty?
- Where can you find free period products?
- Can reusable period products help reduce period poverty?
- How can we help improve menstrual equity?
- Frequently asked questions
What is period poverty?
Period poverty describes the barriers that prevent someone from managing their period safely, comfortably and with dignity.
These barriers can include:
- Product affordability: not having enough money for pads, tampons, menstrual cups or other suitable period products
- Product availability: products being difficult to find locally or only available at a much higher cost
- Access to facilities: not having private toilets, clean water, handwashing facilities or appropriate disposal options
- Menstrual education: not receiving clear, practical information about periods and the different ways they can be managed
- Stigma: feeling unable to ask for products, discuss menstrual needs or seek support
Period poverty is closely connected with menstrual equity.
Menstrual equity means people who menstruate should have fair access to the products, facilities, information and support they need to manage their periods.
It also means recognising that people's needs differ. A product or arrangement that works well for one person may not be accessible, affordable, practical or comfortable for another.
How common is period poverty in Australia?
Period poverty is a significant issue in Australia, including for people who are working, studying or living in places where period products are readily available in shops.
Share the Dignity's 2024 Bloody Big Survey collected responses from 153,620 people. Of those respondents, 64% said they had struggled to afford period products because of cost.
It's important to understand what that figure means. โStruggled to affordโ includes a range of experiences, from products putting pressure on someone's budget to being unable to buy them at all.
The proportion who reported being unable to afford period products during the previous 12 months was lower. However, there were substantial differences between groups. For example, 21.75% of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander respondents reported being unable to afford period products during the previous year compared with 6.9% of non-Indigenous respondents.
These figures also need some context. The Bloody Big Survey was an online survey run by period-poverty charity Share the Dignity and people chose whether to participate. It wasn't a random representative sample of the entire Australian population.
The average respondent was aged between 30 and 39, identified as female, lived in New South Wales and worked full-time.
So the results provide valuable information about the experiences of a very large group of Australians, but they shouldn't be interpreted as showing the exact percentage of all Australians who menstruate who experience period poverty.
The survey also found greater barriers among groups including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability or chronic illness and gender-diverse people.
What causes period poverty?
There's rarely a single cause. Period poverty can result from a combination of financial pressure, geography, inadequate facilities, stigma and limited access to suitable products or information.
Financial pressure and the ongoing cost of period products
Period products are a recurring expense. When household budgets are stretched, buying pads, tampons or other period products can compete with expenses such as food, rent, medicines, transport and utilities.
Cost also isn't just about choosing the cheapest packet available. Someone may need a particular product because of heavy bleeding, disability, skin sensitivity, anatomy, comfort or their living circumstances.
Limited access in rural and remote communities
People living in rural and remote Australia can face fewer shopping options, greater travel distances and higher prices.
In 2024, the Australian Government reported that a packet of pads could cost around $15 to $25 in some remote communities, compared with around $10 to $15 in metropolitan areas.
The government subsequently committed $12.5 million over four years to the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) to improve access to menstrual products in rural and remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
The NACCHO Period Products Program is now being rolled out through eligible Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations. It combines access to period products with culturally appropriate education and community-led support.
Inadequate toilets, washing facilities and privacy
Having a period product is only one part of managing menstruation.
People also need suitable facilities where they can:
- change products privately
- wash their hands
- dispose of used products appropriately
- clean and store reusable products where required
Suitable facilities aren't always available in schools, workplaces, public spaces, temporary accommodation, shelters or other environments.
Reusable products can also have additional practical requirements. A reusable cloth pad, for example, needs to be stored after use and later washed and dried. Menstrual cups and some other reusable products require access to clean water and appropriate cleaning facilities.
Menstrual stigma and gaps in education
Menstrual stigma can make period poverty harder to talk about.
Someone may avoid asking for a pad, taking products from a public dispenser or explaining why they need bathroom access because they feel embarrassed about having their period.
Clear menstrual education can help people understand their bodies, know what product choices are available and recognise when a symptom may need healthcare.
Education should be inclusive, age-appropriate and practical without suggesting that menstruation is dirty or something that needs to be hidden.
How does period poverty affect everyday life?
Period poverty can influence much more than the practical management of menstrual bleeding.
Education and participation
Someone without suitable products or facilities may find it harder to attend school, participate in sport, travel to classes or concentrate on learning.
Work and financial security
Not having products, suitable toilets or enough opportunities to change them can add stress to a working day.
This can be particularly difficult in jobs where bathroom breaks are limited, someone works outdoors or remotely or period products aren't readily available nearby.
Comfort and wellbeing
Worrying about leaking, finding a private bathroom or making a product last longer than intended can make ordinary activities more stressful.
Choice and autonomy
Period care isn't just about having something available.
When cost or availability determines what someone can use, they may have less choice about what feels comfortable, suitable for their flow or compatible with their body and circumstances.
These impacts vary considerably between individuals.
What are the health risks if someone can't access suitable products?
It's tempting to make broad claims that period poverty or the use of improvised materials automatically causes infection, but the research isn't strong enough to support that conclusion.
A systematic review examining menstrual hygiene and health in lower-income settings found that the quality of the available evidence was generally low and that the relationship between menstrual hygiene practices and reproductive tract infections remained unclear.
Those findings also can't simply be applied to people experiencing period poverty in Australia.
One risk is clearer. Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is rare but serious and tampon use is one known risk factor.
Better Health Channel recommends changing tampons every 4 to 6 hours and never leaving one in for longer than 8 hours. Using a tampon for longer than recommended in an attempt to make supplies last isn't a safe cost-saving strategy.
If you develop symptoms such as a sudden high temperature, vomiting, diarrhoea, dizziness, confusion or a rash while using a tampon, remove it and seek urgent medical care.
Read more in our guide to toxic shock syndrome.
What is Australia doing to address period poverty?
Australian governments, charities and community organisations have introduced a range of measures to improve access to menstrual products.
Free period products in public places
Programs vary between Australian states and territories.
The ACT has gone further by establishing a legal framework through the Period Products and Facilities (Access) Act 2023. The Act remains in force and provides for free period products at designated places.
Other states and territories provide or trial free products through settings such as public schools, health services and public facilities, although exactly where products are available varies.
Free product programs can reduce an immediate financial barrier, particularly when products are easy to find, discreet to access and reliably restocked.
The NACCHO Period Products Program
The Australian Government committed $12.5 million over four years to NACCHO to improve access to period products for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in rural and remote communities.
As of 2026, the Period Products Program is being rolled out in phases. Eligible Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations can participate in community-led product distribution and menstrual-health education.
The program recognises that communities should be able to shape how products and education are provided rather than relying on a single national model.
Community organisations and donations
Share the Dignity is one of Australia's largest organisations working to improve access to period products and advocate for menstrual equity.
It works with thousands of charity partners, operates Dignity Vending Machines dispensing free pads and tampons and distributes donated products through community organisations.
Other charities, schools, community centres, homelessness services, family violence services and health organisations may also provide products locally.
Donations are most useful when they reflect what recipients actually need. That may include different absorbencies and product types as well as consideration of disability, cultural needs, washing facilities and whether someone wants to use an internal product.
Where can you find free period products?
Availability differs across Australia, so there isn't one national list covering every free product location.
Share the Dignity maintains information on how to access free period products. Its page includes a map of publicly accessible Dignity Vending Machines and information about support available through its charity partners.
Its vending machines provide free pads and tampons. Machines located inside domestic violence refuges and schools aren't necessarily shown publicly for privacy and access reasons.
You can also ask:
- your school, TAFE or university
- local libraries and community centres
- community health services
- homelessness or housing support organisations
- family and domestic violence services
- Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations
- local councils
What is available varies considerably by location and program.
Can reusable period products help reduce period poverty?
Reusable period products may help some people reduce the ongoing cost of managing their period, but they aren't a complete solution to period poverty.
Reusable options include menstrual cups, menstrual discs, reusable cloth pads and period underwear.
Whether a reusable product is practical depends on factors such as:
- the upfront purchase cost
- access to clean water
- access to suitable washing and drying facilities
- safe and private product storage
- individual anatomy and flow
- comfort and personal preference
- dexterity and other disability-related access needs
- whether someone wants or feels comfortable using an internal product
For example, a menstrual cup may be a practical long-term option for someone who is comfortable using one and has suitable facilities for cleaning it.
For someone else, disposable pads may be much easier and more appropriate.
Neither choice is inherently more responsible. Menstrual equity is about giving people realistic options rather than prescribing one solution.
Period Shop has helped customers compare reusable period products since 2016, and our founder Brenda Tootell has more than 15 years of experience in reusable period care and menstrual health.
If you'd like to compare the potential ongoing cost of different options, try our Reusables Cost-Savings Calculator.
You can also read our guide to choosing between a menstrual cup, disc or sponge or our cloth pad care guide to understand the practical requirements of different reusable products.
How can we help improve menstrual equity?
Improving menstrual equity requires more than giving someone a particular type of period product.
Governments, schools, workplaces, community organisations and individuals all have a role.
Practical measures can include:
- providing free period products in accessible locations
- making sure products are discreet to access and reliably restocked
- providing toilets with privacy, handwashing facilities and suitable disposal bins
- making clean water and suitable facilities available for people using reusable products
- providing inclusive, practical menstrual education
- considering disability and accessibility when choosing products and facilities
- asking communities which products and support they actually want
Individuals can also support reputable community organisations, advocate for better facilities in schools and workplaces and help make conversations about periods straightforward rather than embarrassing.
The goal isn't to persuade everybody to use the same product. It's to make sure people have the resources and freedom to manage their periods in a way that works for them.
Period dignity starts with access and choice
Period poverty is a menstrual equity issue because nobody should have to miss school, work, sport or other everyday activities simply because they can't access appropriate period care.
Affordable products matter, but so do suitable toilets, clean water, disposal options, practical information and the freedom to choose a product that suits the person using it.
Reusable products can be part of that choice, but they shouldn't be presented as the solution for everyone.
To learn more about the different period care options and what they involve, explore our Period Care and Pelvic Health Guides or visit the Menstrual Products Comparison Hub.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between period poverty and menstrual equity?
Period poverty describes barriers that make it difficult for someone to access suitable period products, facilities, information or support. Menstrual equity is the goal of making sure people who menstruate have fair access to those things and enough choice to manage their periods in a way that works for them.
How common is period poverty in Australia?
Share the Dignity's 2024 Bloody Big Survey found that 64% of its 153,620 respondents had struggled to afford period products because of cost. Because the survey was voluntary rather than a random representative sample, that figure shouldn't be treated as the exact rate of period poverty across the whole Australian population.
Can reusable period products solve period poverty?
No. Reusable products can reduce ongoing purchasing costs for some people, but they require an upfront purchase and may depend on access to clean water, washing facilities, private storage, dexterity and personal comfort. Menstrual equity means having suitable choices rather than expecting everyone to use a reusable product.
Where can I get free period products?
Share the Dignity's How to Access Products page can help you find publicly accessible Dignity Vending Machines and local support services. Schools, universities, community organisations, health services and some public facilities may also provide free period products, depending on where you live.
Related blogs and resources
- Periods and gender inclusivity
- Embracing period positivity
- A guide to talking to young people about periods
- Are menstrual cups safe? What the science says
- Menstrual Products Comparison Hub
Sources and further reading
- Share the Dignity: Bloody Big Survey 2024
- Share the Dignity: How to access products
- NACCHO: Period Products Program
- Australian Government: Free pads and tampons for people in remote First Nations communities
- ACT Government: Period Products and Facilities (Access) Act 2023
- Sumpter C, Torondel B. A systematic review of the health and social effects of menstrual hygiene management. PLOS ONE. 2013.
- Better Health Channel: Toxic shock syndrome
This article provides general educational information and isn't a substitute for individual medical advice.