social norms towards menstruation. Scotland offers its residents free period products while Kenya and New Zealand offer free period products for students in public schools. Many organizations are spreading awareness to policy makers about the problem of girls missing school due to period poverty. However, period poverty remains a prevalent issue in the United States. In the United States, federal aid programs including food stamps, SNAP benefits, and WIC benefits do not cover purchases of feminine hygiene products. With the lack of government support and high taxes on menstrual products, many women choose forgo purchase of sanitary products for other needs. For instance, two-thirds of 16.9 million low-income women cannot afford sanitary products and have to choose between sanitary products and food. Currently, there are 14 states that ensure students have access to menstrual products in school bathrooms. But school closures during the early onset of the COVID-19 pandemic challenges low-income students’ access to pads and tampons. The homeless population also has difficulty accessing menstrual products. In a mixed-method study conducted from May to August 2019 in New York City with homeless individuals, many participants reported that they had uncertain access to safe, clean, and private spaces for changing period products. Many reported that the bathrooms in their homeless shelters were dirty or flooded. They also reported feeling shamed and embarrassed in the public with the possibility of menstrual leakage. While most of the research on period poverty in the United States has largely focused on the homeless population and low-income school students, college students also report high rates, affecting school attendance and mental health, respectively. In 2021, approximately 14.2% of menstruating college students reported experiencing period poverty. Access to materials In low-income countries, girls’ choices of menstrual hygiene materials are often limited by the costs, availability and social norms. Absorption materials that may be used by women who cannot afford commercially produced materials include: sand, ash, small hole in earth, cloth, whole leaf, leaf fiber (such as water hyacinth, banana, papyrus, cotton fibre), paper (toilet paper, re-used newspaper, brown paper bags, pulped and dried paper), animal pelt (such as goat skin), double layer of underwear, socks, skirt, or sari. A lack of affordable hygiene products means inadequate, unhygienic alternatives are used, which can present a serious health risk. Menstrual cups offer a long-term solution compared to some other feminine hygiene products because they do not need to be replaced