Health experts say period poverty can have far-reaching consequences.
For decades, menstrual health conversations have focused on access. We have fought to ensure that girls stay in school, women can go to work, and menstrual products become more accessible to those who need them most. These efforts are important and necessary.
But there is a question we are not asking often enough:
What exactly are women putting into their bodies every month?
Millions of women use sanitary pads throughout their reproductive years. On average, a woman may use thousands of pads over her lifetime. Yet very few stop to ask what these products contain, how they are manufactured, and what the long-term effects of repeated exposure to certain chemicals may be.
