By Nicole Dhanraj
She skipped her MRI because she didn’t have a pad.
“I didn’t want to lie on the MRI table like that. I was on my period, I didn’t have anything with me, and I was too embarrassed to say anything.”
Stories like this don’t make it into the chart. But they happen more often than we realize. Across the U.S., patients are canceling or avoiding imaging appointments – not because of cost or transportation – but because they’re menstruating and unprepared.
Period poverty, or the lack of access to menstrual hygiene products, affects nearly 17 million people in the U.S. It’s a quiet but powerful barrier to care – and one that radiology departments can no longer afford to ignore.
Radiology is often the entry point for diagnosis. If patients skip that step due to shame, lack of access, or fear of embarrassment, we’re not just losing an appointment – we’re losing trust, time, and critical opportunities to intervene early.
THE REALITY BEHIND THE NUMBERS
- 1 in 4 teens in the U.S. has missed school due to lack of access to period products (PERIOD & Thinx, 2021).
- 44% of teens say they feel stressed or embarrassed when they don’t have products; 49% say the lack of access makes them feel like institutions don’t care about them (Campoamor, 2024).
- Period poverty is also linked to higher rates of depression, especially among college students (Gupta, 2024).
Globally, 800 million people are menstruating at any moment, and 500 million lack access to adequate hygiene (UNFPA, 2023). In clinical settings, that lack of access can quietly block people from showing up for care, especially in imaging where patients are expected to change clothes and lie still – often without much privacy.
THE TAMPON TAX: A STRUCTURAL BARRIER IN DISGUISE
The tampon tax adds insult to injury. In 20 U.S. states, menstrual products are taxed as “luxury goods,” while essentials like condoms, some medications, and even golf memberships are tax-exempt (Alliance for Period Supplies, n.d.).
The average menstruating person spends $1,773 on menstrual products in their lifetime – and between $100 and $225 of that goes to tampon taxes, depending on where they live (UNFPA, 2023). All of this in a country where women earn 23% less than men on average, and where 12.8% of women and girls live in poverty.
Removing the tampon tax in California, for instance, was projected to reduce state revenue by $55 million annually. In New York, the number was $14 million. But for millions of patients, the value is measured not in lost tax revenue, but in restored dignity and access to care.
WHAT RADIOLOGY DEPARTMENTS CAN DO
This is not just a public policy issue – it’s a departmental practice issue. Here’s how imaging centers and radiology leaders can help:
- Stock free menstrual products in restrooms and prep areas – especially in facilities serving public health or school-based populations.
- Train staff to offer compassionate care without stigma. Menstruation affects patients of all genders, and dignity should never be conditional.
- Partner with local nonprofits like The Pad Project, PERIOD, or Alliance for Period Supplies to provide products and distribute resources.
- Advocate internally for policy changes that recognize menstrual equity as part of your health equity initiatives.
CLOSING THE LOOP ON EQUITY
The patient who skipped her MRI didn’t need counseling. She didn’t need a prescription. She just needed a pad.
That moment – avoidable and invisible – represents a wider pattern that radiology departments have the power to break. By recognizing menstrual equity as a clinical access issue, not a side conversation, we take one step closer to delivering the kind of inclusive, barrier-free care that all patients deserve.
Let’s make sure no one delays diagnosis because they couldn’t afford a product that should have been there waiting.
References
Alliance for Period Supplies. (n.d.). State policy map and tampon tax overview. Retrieved from https://www.allianceforperiodsupplies.org/
Campoamor, D. (2024, August 13). The one back-to-school item teens shouldn’t have to buy. Parents. Retrieved from https://www.parents.com/how-period-poverty-affects-today-s-teens-8669010
Global Citizen. (n.d.). Everything you need to know about the tampon tax. Retrieved from https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/tampon-tax-explained-definition-facts-statistics/
