{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,9]],"date-time":"2026-07-09T19:14:56Z","timestamp":1783624496698,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":28,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,8]],"date-time":"2026-05-08T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1778198400000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Journal of Women's Health"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>One in four persons with a uterus is unable to afford menstrual products, with even higher prevalence among low-income populations, an unmet need that contributes to preventable infections, missed school and work, and persistent health inequities. Despite the essential role of menstrual products in basic health and hygiene, many public health coverage programs across the United States, including Medicaid and other assistance programs, continue to exclude items such as pads and tampons. This gap disproportionately harms individuals who already face significant economic and health disparities. Although Flexible Spending Accounts and Health Savings Accounts now permit the use of funds for menstrual products, these mechanisms primarily benefit individuals with stable employment and disposable income, leaving the most vulnerable populations unprotected. Continued exclusion by insurance and assistance programs imposes an unnecessary financial and health burden and undermines dignity and well-being. Federal and state policymakers, including Congress, the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services, and state Medicaid agencies, have clear authority to address this inequity by expanding definitions of \u201cdurable medical equipment\u201d and \u201chygiene supplies\u201d to explicitly include menstrual products and by removing administrative barriers to coverage. The American Medical Women\u2019s Association calls for federal action to classify menstrual products as essential health services under Medicaid and other public assistance programs.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/15409996261449999","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,9]],"date-time":"2026-05-09T05:27:53Z","timestamp":1778304473000},"page":"809-812","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["American Medical Women\u2019s Association Position Statement on Period Poverty: Advancing Menstrual Equity Through Health Coverage Reform"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"35","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-6061-9378","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rhea","family":"Manohar","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"St. George University School of Medicine, St. George, Grenada."},{"name":"George Washington University Milken School of Public Health, Washington, District of Columbia, USA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-0512-9822","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Meghan","family":"Etsey","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"St. George University School of Medicine, St. George, Grenada."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-4137-9945","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Leah","family":"Liszak","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"St. George University School of Medicine, St. George, Grenada."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mallory","family":"Johnson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"St. George University School of Medicine, St. George, Grenada."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Vaishnavi J.","family":"Patel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Population Health, Division of Family Medicine, The University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, San Antonio, Texas, USA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Devki","family":"Patel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine, Lubbock, Texas, USA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ariela L.","family":"Marshall","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Brianna","family":"Clark","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Russell Regional Hospital, Russell, Kansas, USA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rosy","family":"Thachil","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Elmhurst Hospital Center and Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Elmhurst, Illinois, USA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Roberta","family":"Gebhard","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"AMWA President Emeritus, Reston, Virginia, USA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"name":"on behalf of the AMWA Gender Equity Task Force","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,8]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_2_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12905-021-01315-8"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_3_1","unstructured":"2.Internal Revenue Service [IRS]. (2020 June 17). IRS outlines changes to health care spending available under cares act. Available from: https:\/\/www.irs.gov\/newsroom\/irs-outlines-changes-to-health-care-spending-available-under-cares-act"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_4_1","unstructured":"3.Kaiser Family Foundation. (2022 February 17). Medicaid coverage for women. Available from: https:\/\/www.kff.org\/womens-health-policy\/medicaid-coverage-for-women\/"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1089\/jwh.2023.0367"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/AOG.0000000000003060"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2105\/AJPH.2021.306674"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jpag.2024.06.004"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_9_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/17455057241254713"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_10_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.7189\/001c.137889"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_11_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12978-025-02103-0"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_12_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/26410397.2021.1911618"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_13_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jadohealth.2024.02.018"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_14_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12905-020-01149-5"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_15_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jpag.2023.07.010"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_16_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.japh.2023.10.015"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_17_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-024-18379-z"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_18_1","volume-title":"Medicaid and coverage of menstrual hygiene products: Review of state-level approaches","author":"U.S. Government Accountability Office [GAO]","year":"2024","unstructured":"17.U.S. Government Accountability Office [GAO]. (2024a). Medicaid and coverage of menstrual hygiene products: Review of state-level approaches. U.S. Government Accountability Office."},{"key":"e_1_3_2_19_1","unstructured":"18.U.S. Government Accountability Office [GAO]. (2024b October 30). Medicaid: Menstrual product coverage. Medicaid: Menstrual Product Coverage. Available from: https:\/\/www.gao.gov\/products\/gao-24-106960"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_20_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0306624X251319406"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_21_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12978-021-01133-8"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_22_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0252946"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_23_1","unstructured":"22.U.S. Congress. (2023 May 24). H.R.3646\u2014118th Congress (2023\u20132024): Menstrual equity for all act of 2023. U.S. Congress. Available from: https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/118th-congress\/house-bill\/3646\/text"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_24_1","unstructured":"23.NYC Commission on Gender Equity. Menstrual equity in New York City: 2023 Annual report. 2023. Available from: https:\/\/www.nyc.gov\/assets\/genderequity\/downloads\/pdf\/CGE-Annual-Report-2023.pdf [Last accessed: October13 2025]."},{"key":"e_1_3_2_25_1","unstructured":"24.Scottish Government. (2022). Period products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act 2021: Implementation and outcomes. Available from: https:\/\/www.gov.scot\/publications\/period-products-free-provision-scotland-act-2021-equality-impact-assessment\/"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_26_1","unstructured":"25.California Association of Food Banks. California menstrual products pilot: Addressing period poverty in Los Angeles & San Diego. California Association of Food Banks; 2023. Available from: https:\/\/www.cafoodbanks.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Menstrual-Products-Pilot-2.pdf [Last accessed: October13 2025]."},{"key":"e_1_3_2_27_1","unstructured":"26.City of Boston. City of Boston expands menstrual equity initiative citywide. October 8 2025. Available from: https:\/\/www.boston.gov\/news\/city-boston-expands-menstrual-equity-initiative-citywide [Last accessed: October13 2025]."},{"key":"e_1_3_2_28_1","unstructured":"27.Martinez GS. (2024 December 5). Care plans cover menstrual products for Medicaid recipients. The Alpena News. Available from: https:\/\/www.thealpenanews.com\/news\/michigan-news-apwire\/2024\/12\/care-plans-cover-menstrual-products-for-medicaid-recipients\/"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_29_1","unstructured":"28.NJ Department of Human Services. (2024). Governor Murphy signs bill to establish menstrual hygiene and diaper benefit programs. 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