Hawaiʻi groups launch statewide survey on menstrual product access

An advocacy group and a state agency are partnering on a new survey aimed at gauging access to menstrual products across Hawaiʻi, five years after a government report found widespread struggles with “period poverty.”

Maʻi Movement Hawaiʻi and the Hawaiʻi State Commission on the Status of Women released the questionnaire this month as part of a follow-up to the 2021 state report, “Understanding Period Poverty in Hawaiʻi.” The survey invites Hawaiʻi residents to share experiences related to menstrual product access, health education and related well-being impacts.

“When we released the first survey in 2021, nearly one in three households struggled to access period products and young people in Hawaiʻi told us they were using newspapers, baby diapers and plants,” said Nikki-Ann Yee, co-founder of Maʻi Movement Hawaiʻi. “Five years later, we need to understand what barriers still remain. This survey is how we keep menstruators at the center of the policy that affects them.”

Period poverty refers to limited access to menstrual products, health education and sanitation facilities due to financial constraints, stigma or lack of resources. Researchers and advocates say the condition can contribute to missed school or work.

“Menstruation is a matter of health, equity and opportunity,” said Commission Executive Director Llasmin Chaine. “Reducing stigma and understanding the barriers many local menstruators continue to face are important steps toward meaningful change.”

The survey was co-developed with a commission intern and is being released during Period Poverty Awareness Week, May 11–17.

Previous advocacy and research efforts in the state have been credited with expanding access to menstrual products in public schools.

Information on how to participate in the survey is available through Maʻi Movement Hawaiʻi.

To take the survey, go here.