What Is Period Poverty?

Period poverty refers to scarcity of menstrual products due to financial factors, leading to problems such as limited frequency on changing for clean menstrual products, lacking hygienic menstrual products, and subsequent health and social impact.

1. Finance

In Hong Kong, purchasing menstrual products poses a huge financial burden on menstruators. We estimate that Hong Kong menstruators spend at least HKD50 a month on disposable menstrual products (which makes it HKD35,100 for 40 years of menstrual cycle), and the amount is ever-increasing. We hope to provide a financially sustainable alternative to low-income women by introducing and supplying reusable menstrual products, including cloth pads and menstrual cups.

2) Health

Some menstruators, especially low-income groups, intentionally reduce the frequency of changing for clean menstrual product in order to save on disposable menstrual products. This can lead to the use of products beyond the suggested time of use, and hence causes undesirable menstrual hygiene and potential health threats.

3) Society

Through organising menstrual education workshops and training menstrual education ambassadors etc., we envision to popularise and strengthen menstrual health and hygiene education and eliminate misunderstandings about menstrual products. In the long run, we hope to shatter myths and misconceptions about menstruation with extensive and comprehensive public education.

4) Environment

Disposable menstrual products chiefly made of plastic are non-biodegradable and cause a huge burden on our environment. We hope to provide menstrual products that are safe, affordable and environmentally sustainable to our customers and beneficiaries, so that they can be kind to Mother Earth without having to sacrifice their health and suffer from higher living expenses.