Funded Projects

Addressing Period Inequity in the Bronx

Project Year

2026

City & State

Bronx, New York

Program Name

Resident

Topic

Adolescent Health

Program Description

The Problem:   Period poverty, which is defined as financial or material barriers to obtaining necessary menstrual health products, is estimated to affect approximately 24% of teenagers who menstruate (Rome and Tyson, 2024; State of the Period, 2025). Lower-income populations and People of color, particularly Black and Latinx individuals, tend to experience period poverty at disproportionate rates (Cardoso et al., 2021). Adolescents and young adults are particularly prone to period poverty due to factors such as limited financial resources, along with increased likelihood of abnormal or irregular periods due to proximity to menarche and immaturity of the HPO-axis (Sacca et al., 2025; Harrison et al., 2022). Period poverty is linked with negative mental health outcomes, increased disruption to daily activities (such as school attendance), and worse mental and physical health outcomes (including depression, anxiety, urogenital infections, and skin infections) (Cardoso et al., 2021; Das et al., 2015). While social determinants of health are being more broadly incorporated into primary care visits, these assessments often miss further exploration of period poverty, including affordability of menstrual products or access to products in public buildings, such as schools.   Period inequity encompasses period poverty and additionally includes disparities in healthcare, education, material goods, and the experiences of stigma and discrimination that serve as barriers in various aspects of life among those who menstruate (Holst et al., 2022). In a qualitative study of adolescents at an urban medical center, experiences with period poverty were associated with a desire to normalize menstruation, improve accessibility of menstrual products, and provide comprehensive menstrual health education to menstruators and non-menstruators alike (Davies et al., 2024). Menstruators often wish they had more information about menarche and that education included practical considerations for period management, such as discussion of various period products and how often to change them (López et al., 2023).  Therefore, promotion of period equity should ideally address material resources and education, as well as continue to promote understanding and normalization of menstruation among all adolescents.  

Primary Setting:   Approximately 28% of those living in the Bronx experience poverty, and the majority of those living in the Bronx identify as Black, Hispanic, or Latino (U.S. Census Bureau, 2021). Given a poverty rate that is more than twice the national level, it is more than likely that adolescents living in the Bronx are experiencing various aspects of period inequity. Anecdotally, some of my patients report difficulty with accessing period products in public spaces and with inadequate education about menarche.   Project Goal, Proposed Intervention,

Anticipated Outcomes:   The goal of this project is to identify and explore period inequity among adolescents attending a clinic in the South Bronx through patient surveys and interviews. We will connect adolescents experiencing period poverty with in-clinic and community resources working alongside community partners. Using the data we collect, we intend to create an educational curriculum for providers to assist with assessing and counseling patients on topics related to period inequity. Outcomes of this educational intervention will be measured with a pre- and post-survey.  

Project Goal

The goal of this project is to explore and improve period inequity in the Bronx, defined as financial, material, and educational barriers to maintaining menstrual wellness. This will be accomplished through surveys and interviews intended to characterize period inequity in the Bronx community, identifying and referring patients to period resources, and developing an educational curriculum for providers to better address period inequity in our patients. 

Project Objective 1

By August 2026 (month 3), enroll a cohort of 50 menstruating children and adolescents (aged 11-21) who attend a primary care clinic in the Bronx to complete a survey that incorporates an assessment of period poverty, access to period products, and menstrual health education/attitudes with a 75% completion rate. Also plan to recruit 5-10 adolescents willing to complete a more in-depth interview.  

Project Objective 2

By November 2026 (month 6), refer at least 75% of adolescents identified through a brief period poverty screening during well child visits at a single pediatric primary care clinic in the South Bronx to in-clinic and/or community resources with a goal to distribute at least 300 period kits in the clinic and provide families with period resources. Also, complete 5-10 in-depth interviews with interested adolescents.

Project Objective 3

By May 2027 (month 11), use data collected from surveys/interviews in collaboration with community groups to create a live and recorded asynchronous educational session on addressing period inequity for providers in the Bronx. This educational intervention will be provided to residents/attendings and school health practitioners with a goal to administer brief pre- and post- surveys to 50% of available providers to assess effectiveness of sessions. 

AAP District

District II

Institutional Name

Montefiore Einstein

Contact 1

Caroline Bandurska, MD