“Period poverty refers to the inability to afford and access menstrual products, sanitation and hygiene facilities and education and awareness to manage menstrual health. Simply put, period poverty costs women and girls too much and it doesn’t have to be this way.” – UN Women, 2025 _[1]

“Period poverty” refers to the situation where menstruating people, no matter rich or poor, are affected by menstrual-related costs that impact their quality of life. It often manifests as the inability to afford or access adequate menstrual products, sanitation tools and hygienic facilities. It also impacts people via underlying health risks from prolonged usage of products to cut costs, as well as hindrance of social engagement and lack of resources and knowledge to tackle menstrual-related health issues and social stigma.

How does Period Poverty affect people?

1) Financial

We estimate that Hong Kong menstruators spend about HKD50 per month on disposable menstrual products, which makes it HKD35,100 for 40 years of menstrual cycle; and this has not even accounted for other relevant costs such as painkillers and income loss from missing work. Due to inflation, the amount is foreseeably 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 changing frequency for clean menstrual products to save on disposable menstrual products usage. This can lead to prolonged usage of products beyond the suggested time, hence causing undesirable menstrual hygiene and potential health threats. For example, it is recommended to change to a clean disposable pad every 4 hours (i.e. about 3-4 times per day); however, some people may only change 1-2 times per day. 

3) Societal

Through organising activities such as menstrual education workshops and training menstrual education ambassadors, we envision popularising and strengthening menstrual health and hygiene education and eliminating misunderstandings about menstrual products. In the long run, we hope to shatter myths and misconceptions about menstruation through extensive and comprehensive public education, and raise societal awareness to the importance of menstrual health.

4) Environmental

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 as an option, so that menstruators can be kind to Mother Earth without having to sacrifice their health and suffer from higher living expenses.

Does Hong Kong really have Period Poverty problem?

Period poverty poses challenges even in a prosperous city like Hong Kong. Many people who menstruate – particularly those from low-income backgrounds – resort to using lower-quality menstrual products or delay changing them to save money. These cost-saving measures, driven by financial stress, can lead to recurring physical and mental health problems related to menstruation.

Although there is no city-wide survey data available at the moment, smaller scale local surveys have revealed that period poverty indeed exist in the margins of our society. According to the phone survey conducted by Plan International (HK) in 2025, 1 in 10 respondents struggle to purchase or access menstrual products due to financial constraints, and nearly half (49.6%) of respondents find menstruation troublesome, with some saying they would rather not be female._[2] The survey conducted by Free Periods HK in the same year discovered that nearly 70% of foreign domestic workers surveyed said they routinely face financial stress over the cost of menstrual products, of which 55% resort to unhygienic or unhealthy alternatives during shortages._[3]

Why do we talk about Period Poverty?

Although period poverty in Hong Kong is not as extreme as in some countries, the impact prevails and affects us in different, sometimes hidden, ways. From facing financial struggles to purchase hygienic products and lacking information of proper product usage and options, to needing societal support in discussing menstrual health struggles and having the awareness of addressing menstrual health needs as valid and essential, an open attitude to the discussion of menstruation can foster a community where people no longer need to suffer in silence with menstruation-related issues.

Period poverty is not a women-only issue: period poverty causes financial, physical, social and emotional setbacks to menstruators, accounting for almost half the population, who are not “only women”, but also our family, co-workers, community members, leaders and more. We believe that knowledge circulation and an empathetic understanding of menstrual health not only enable menstruators to break the shackles of shame and stigma, but they also help us tackle the hidden societal costs and allow everyone to reach their full potential with proper knowledge and support.

Reference: 

[1] UN Women. “Period Poverty – Why Millions of Girls and Women Cannot Afford Their Periods”, 28 July 2025, https://www.unwomen.org/en/articles/explainer/period-poverty-why-millions-of-girls-and-women-cannot-afford-their-periods.

[2] Plan International Hong Kong, “Fight Period Poverty in Hong Kong – Support Vulnerable Girls’ Growth and Well-Being”, 2025, https://www.plan.org.hk/en/end-period-poverty-in-hong-kong-project/ .

[3]  Chan, Emily. “Nearly 70% of Hong Kong domestic helpers struggle to afford menstrual hygiene products”. South China Morning Post, 23 Nov. 2025, https://www.scmp.com/video/hong-kong/3333706/nearly-70-hong-kong-domestic-helpers-struggle-afford-menstrual-hygiene-products.