In the September/October edition of its Journal on Pediatric Healthcare, the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) released a position statement affirming its belief that all adolescents deserve equitable, free, or low-cost, untaxed access to safe menstrual products and adequate education about their menstrual cycle for health and wellness.

In the United States, two in every five women report difficulty purchasing menstrual products, and many adolescents do not receive comprehensive menstrual education. These access issues are often referred to as “period poverty” or “menstrual poverty,” and may result from social stigmas, socioeconomic status, inadequate federal or state policy and a host of other reasons.

Menstruating adolescents feel the effects of access limitations acutely, as they are more prone to heavy, prolonged and/or irregular cycles and are more likely to lack the financial resources to obtain period products, often resulting in unsafe or prolonged use. Moreover, transgender and gender-diverse adolescents are subject to compounding effects from period poverty that increase risk for worsening mental health and dysphoria.

“The consequences of period poverty in adolescents are clear and profound,” said Felesia Bowen, PhD, DNP, PPCNP-BC, FADLN, FAAN, president of NAPNAP. “Pediatric-focused APRNs must advocate for equitable access to period products and comprehensive education on menstruation in order to protect and promote adolescents’ well-being.”

The full position statement was published in the September/October 2025 edition of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners’ Journal of Pediatric Health Care and can be accessed here. It contains a list of clinical recommendations for pediatric health care providers in addition to health policy NAPNAP encourages pediatric-focused APRNs to advocate for in an effort to mitigate period poverty and its harmful effects on adolescents.

 

October 7, 2025