If you were to be asked how many days a menstrual cycle lasts on average, would you know the answer?

Whether your answer is yes or no, allow me to share with you why it’s important.

Aunt flow, code red, that time of the month or my favorite — Shark Week. All of these are euphemisms that say, “I have my period.” Most of us learned about periods either by experiencing it ourselves or knowing someone who has. But how often do we talk about it? Not just with coded-language, but openly expressed. More importantly, what is the harm of not doing so?

Period poverty is defined as the lack of access or inability to afford monthly menstrual products, sanitation and hygiene education.

Recently, I watched the Academy Award winning Netflix documentary “Period. End of a Sentence.” Released in 2018, the film takes place in rural India as women fight the stigma of menstruation by learning how to use a machine to make low-cost period products.

This economically empowers women in the village as they can go to school or work without having to worry about not having hygiene products. The film discusses a worldwide issue that surpasses continents and seas — which is known as period poverty.

Period poverty is a public health issue that happens nationwide — even at Quinnipiac University. In fact, The National Institutes of Health estimates that 16.9 million menstruating women in the U.S. live in poverty. Of those millions of women, two thirds are low-income and food insecure and cannot afford basic menstrual hygiene products.

Most women and gender neutral bathrooms on campus do not provide free menstrual products, as pads and tampons cost roughly 25¢ each. This is odd to me considering that the gender distribution at Quinnipiac is mainly that of female students.

If you get your period in between classes and don’t have a quarter on you, you’ll have to travel to the health center for a free menstrual product or hope that a friend or stranger has a spare to share.

You might be thinking, “Well the health center isn’t that far,” but that isn’t the problem. The problem is that people with periods have to go out of their way to access hygiene products that without, can have a negative impact on their education, employment and mental health.

More than four out of five students in the U.S. have missed class time or know someone who has because they did not have access to period products.

Some states impose a sales tax burden on menstrual hygiene products. Fortunately, menstrual products and diapers are tax free in Connecticut since 2018. However, according to the Alliance for Period Supplies, the average sales tax on menstrual products in the U.S. ranges from 4-7% in states that tax them. This can make it more challenging for women with heavy menstrual bleeding or low-income women to afford on a monthly basis.

Period poverty significantly impacts college students, as they may be forced to decide between purchasing menstrual products and paying bills, buying groceries or other living expenses.

With the financial burden looming, some may use disposable products that cannot be reused. Wearing pads or tampons for longer than recommended, can cause health risks like toxic shock syndrome and urinary tract infections.

Toxic shock syndrome is a rare, life-threatening bacterial infection that can land someone in an emergency room. Symptoms include fever, low blood pressure, vomiting, muscle aches and dizziness that develop in as little as three days.

The concept that everyone should have access to menstrual products and education, free from stigma is menstrual equity.

Nearly 500 million lack access to menstrual products and adequate facilities for menstrual hygiene management, according to the World Bank.

The roots of period poverty can be traced to oppressive systems such as sexism, misogyny, racism and classism. This is why it is important to spread awareness about access or the lack thereof to reduce the stigma.

The ways that we can reduce period poverty, both on and off campus, is to openly talk about menstruation, advocate for free menstrual products, understand the impact of accessibility and make donations of products to places and people in need.

Quinnipiac can demonstrate inclusivity by providing free menstrual products in dorm and academic building bathrooms on campus.