According to the Child Health Equity Center, in central Massachusetts alone, over 150,000 people, or 1/4 of people struggle on a regular, month-to-month, basis to afford and access adequate menstruation products that they need. This lack of access is known as period poverty, defined by the UN as "the inability to afford and access menstrual products, sanitation and hygiene facilities and education and awareness to manage menstrual health". This is a lesser known issue, but if effects nearly half of the world and can have serious consequences such as health risks, including dangerous infections and even toxic shock syndrome. However, this is unfortunately only part of the many results of lack of menstruation care recognition. Often times, there is a stigma and misinformation that surrounds menstruation, and these stigmas and misinformation only work to keep menstruating individuals who are experiencing period poverty feel more embarrassment and shame, forcing many to have to suffer in silence. This  is due to a lack of education around menstrual health that has been widely accepted. However, this doesn't have to be the case. For example, Mayor Wu's recent Menstruation Equity Initiative, that works to provide Boston citizens with free and public menstrual products and educative courses about menstruation that can work to help young menstruators or even older ones who were never taught these things. 

Communities and programs such as these are not a rare occurrence, as the students at Natick High School  have shown through their efforts to help reduce missed school because of period poverty around them. While these efforts have made incredible progress, it is an isolated progress. These efforts are often isolated to these certain schools and cities, leaving a large gap between from these communities to under-privileged ones in more rural areas. Relying on students and local organizations to take charge of issues such as these is the result of lack of care from legislatures and law makers. Without a statewide legislation, these inequalities will continue to grow and more people will face the unnecessary consequences. However, there has been a proposed solution to this, and that is the  I Am Bill. 

The I Am Bill, originally introduced to Massachusetts legislation in January of 2019, almost exactly 7 years ago, has still failed to be passed into law. This bill provides a clear and achievable solution to the issue that is period poverty by ensuring free menstrual products for all Massachusetts citizens, especially those who are from low-income and under-privileged areas. Since its introduction, several other bills have been passed to that share similar goals and potential outcomes, but these are simply not enough. Being able to guarantee that nearly half of our state population can help improve public health and can reduce the shame that surrounds menstruating individuals each month. It is time for the state to take action against period poverty and ensure access to essential menstrual products is a reality for everyone, menstruation products should not be a privilege, but a right.