might have in a lifetime, but it also assumes the person having a period is never pregnant or doing something to stop their period. At $13.25 per period, for 480 periods, hygiene products would cost on average $6,360 in a lifetime.
The most interesting part about this data to me is that many people have taken to using products that initially cost more but can be re-used many times. This list includes menstrual cups and period underwear, but it did not cross my mind to make an option like "high up front cost" in my original survey because those are not products I was very familiar with. Products like those are much better for the environment because they create much less waste, but having them can be even more of a luxury than regular products for people with periods in lower-income families, as they cost more when you buy them. This is commonly known as the "boot theory of socioeconomic disparity."
To those unfamiliar with the boot theory, a poor person can buy a low quality boot for cheaper, while a rich person can buy a more expensive, higher quality boot. The poor person's boot will wear out sooner and that person will have to buy another low-quality boot, while the rich person's boot will last a long time. The poor person could save up to buy a higher quality boot, but they need shoes right then, not after months of saving. In this way, people experiencing homelessness and people in lower-income families can often only afford the cheap option that they will have to keep buying eventually.
However, there are many great programs in place at organizations like The Pad Project, Period OKC, Days for Girls International, and more that are working to provide reusable cloth pads or reduced-price menstrual cups to people in need across the world. If you find yourself in a position where you feel like you can help people with periods experiencing a need for supplies you can research a company whose values align with your own and donate, or help make hygiene kits for a local homeless shelter.
Based on the data from this graph, is is safe to assume that the current estimate of approximately $13.25 per period makes sense. This number has been used in many calculations, along with the following numbers: 12 -52 (the average start and end ages of periods) and 12 (the number of periods per year. That leads to approximately 480 periods that someone
Hygiene Cost Data
Most respondees either paid $10-20 a month for their period hygiene products or paid a high cost up front for longer lasting products such as period underwear or menstrual cups.
