This episode of the Making Public Health Personal Podcast is about a hot topic you may have been hearing about lately, period poverty, otherwise known as menstrual product insecurity. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the inequity that women endure as a result of menstruation. Not only are these essential items (tampons, pads, etc.) taxed in a lot of US states, they are also not covered under public assistance or emergency response programs. These gendered (and sex-based) burdens have a negative impact on people’s physical and mental health, especially for the most vulnerable populations with lower incomes.
Host Laura Meoli-Ferrigon speaks about this important topic with Dr. Andrew Maroko, Associate Professor in the Environmental, Occupational, and Geospatial Health Sciences department here at CUNY SPH. His research examines health disparities, inequities, exposures, accessibility, and environmental justice. Dr. Maroko recently collaborated with faculty at Columbia University and here at CUNY SPH on a US based study called “Menstrual Product Insecurity Resulting From COVID-19‒Related Income Loss”.
In this episode, we will learn:
● who is most affected by the inability to afford menstrual products
● how this issue (like many other issues) was exacerbated due to the COVID-19 pandemic
● how the policies we have in place in the United States surprisingly do very little to combat this problem
● how his research is being used to influence lawmakers towards more equitable policies
● and what you can do to make a difference.

Episode Links:
Contact & find out more about Dr. Andrew Maroko: https://sph.cuny.edu/about/people/faculty/andrew-maroko/
Chasing COVID Study: https://cunyisph.org/chasing-covid/
Menstrual Product Insecurity Resulting From COVID-19‒Related Income Loss: https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/full/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306674.
Ways to get involved and make a difference:
www.period.org
www.allianceforperiodsupplies.org
www.periodlaw.org
Queens Congresswoman Grace Meng: https://meng.house.gov
Want to be a guest on a future episode of this show? Contact our host: [email protected]
Interested in finding out more about CUNY SPH? Visit: SPH.cuny.edu
Download a transcript of this episode: https://www.dropbox.com/s/h23zvpran9oqnnb/Ep9%20transcript.txt?dl=0

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