Ahead of Menstrual Hygiene Day, Always Participates in a U.S. Congressional Event and Releases New Global Data to Break Period Stigma with Shocking Stats Around Menstrual Health and Hygiene

In honor of Menstrual Hygiene Day on May 28, Procter & Gamble’s leading menstrual care brand Always is reaffirming their long-standing commitment to championing young people’s confidence through period education and other efforts aimed at tackling period stigma and improving access to period products.

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Tomorrow, Always will participate in the Ending Period Poverty for Women and Girls event sponsored by the Women’s Congressional Policy Institute, in cooperation with the bipartisan Women's Caucus leadership. Made possible through a grant from Procter & Gamble and Always, the one-hour virtual event will discuss the prevalence of period poverty in the U.S. and its effect on young people’s education and their economic independence.

Research commissioned by Always revealed nearly 1 in 5 girls have missed school because of lack of access to period productsⁱ and more recently, since the COVID-19 pandemic, 1 in 3 young people feel less confident because they’ve missed after school activities due to the same reasonⁱⁱ. To help address this need, Always has donated more than 30 million period products over the past year. But despite continued efforts to drive awareness and provide donations, there is a lot more work to be done. Always believes that private and public collaboration will play a critical role in finding sustainable ways to solve period poverty, improve period and puberty education and destigmatize periods.

“For over 35 years Always has provided free puberty and confidence education to children, parents and teachers around the world, and we now reach over 15 million young people, parents & teachers per year,” said Jennifer Davis, President, Feminine Care, Procter & Gamble. “We are committed to continuing this work, but in order to eliminate the period-related barriers that prevent young people from reaching their fullest potential, we must strengthen our cross-sector collaboration.”

In their ongoing effort to champion these issues, Always will continue to support critical legislative efforts and policies that support confidence through period education and other efforts aimed at tackling period stigma and improving access to period products.

“We must recognize that period stigma and the inability to access or afford period products inflicts serious harm on young people,” says Congresswoman Dean, Co-Chair of the bipartisan Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues. “My hope is that we can work towards bipartisan policies that enable getting period products to those who need them most and continue our conversations so periods become a topic we can all talk about freely, without shame or embarrassment.”

To highlight what we can do to help young people navigate periods with confidence, Always is releasing a new report entitled “Period Stigma Around the World Today,” in partnership with WASH United, the initiators of Menstrual Hygiene Day and Glocalities, a global research agency. The findings confirm that period shame, taboos and misinformation are still prevalent globally and have a negative effect on young people’s confidence and self-esteem. According to those surveyed, the top three emotions young people feel when getting their first period are scared (41 percent), confused (38 percent) and embarrassed (34 percent)ⁱⁱⁱ. Additionally, less than half of U.S. adults say they feel comfortable talking openly about periods and are more comfortable talking about other sensitive topics like sex, politics, family problems and STDs^iv.

To promote an open dialogue and help people who menstruate manage their periods confidently and comfortably, Always supports an ongoing partnership with Plan International USA, which encourages people to share their period stories. For every story shared since International Women’s Day on March 8, 2021 through Menstrual Hygiene Day on May 28, 2021, Always and Plan USA will donate a pack of period products to those in need in the U.S., up to a maximum donation of 140,000 pads.

To join Always and their partners as they fight to tackle period stigma and #EndPeriodPoverty, you can:

• Get educated about periods – access free resources at Always.com.
• Get comfortable talking about periods openly and positively – share your period story at PlanUSA.org, or on social using #ItsNormalPeriod.
• Attend the policy discussion on period poverty tomorrow – join the Ending Period Poverty for Women and Girls congressional event here.
• Support period friendly legislation in states and in Congress – making sure that no one is held back because of their period.
• Take a stand against period stigma – by posting a story or picture of yourself wearing a digital menstruation bracelet sticker on Instagram! Learn more here.

About the Period Stigma Around the World Today Report

The Period Stigma Around the World Today Report, released by Always, WASH United and Glocalities, is a culmination of six research studies fielded by independent research agencies, including Glocalities, an international research agency specialized in societal values. To read the full report, head to Always.com.

About Plan International USA

Powered by supporters, Plan International USA partners with adolescent girls, young women and children around the world to overcome oppression and gender inequality, providing the support and resources that are unique to their needs and the needs of their communities, ensuring they achieve their full potential with dignity, opportunity and safety. Founded in 1937, Plan is an independent development and humanitarian organization that is active in more than 80 countries.

About WASH United & Menstrual Hygiene Day

Initiated and coordinated by Berlin-based non-profit WASH United, Menstrual Hygiene Day (MH Day) on 28 May is a global campaign that brings together individuals and more than 700 organizations to catalyze awareness, advocacy and action towards a world where no one is held back because they menstruate. Since 2014, MH Day has reached more than 1 billion people with positive stigma-busting messaging around menstruation.

About Always

Always, the world's leader in menstrual protection, offers a wide range of pads, wipes, and liners designed to fit different body types, period flows, and preferences. For over 35 years, Always has been empowering millions of young people globally through puberty and confidence education, providing products to those in need, and tackling societal barriers to their confidence through the Always #LikeAGirl movement. Together, Always believes we can create a world where neither periods nor gender get in the way of young people reaching their full potential. Visit www.always.com for more information.

About Procter & Gamble

P&G serves consumers around the world with one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always®, Ambi Pur®, Ariel®, Bounty®, Charmin®, Crest®, Dawn®, Downy®, Fairy®, Febreze®, Gain®, Gillette®, Head & Shoulders®, Lenor®, Olay®, Oral-B®, Pampers®, Pantene®, SK-II®, Tide®, Vicks®, and Whisper®. P&G is committed to fostering equality and inclusion, supporting their communities and protecting the planet is embedded in how we do business. They believe we have a responsibility to make the world better — through the products they create and the positive impact their brands and Company can have. Under their Lead with Love campaign, P&G and its brands like Always have committed to 2,021 acts of good this year. Visit www.pg.com for more information.

ⁱ Research Now, 2017. Quantitative nationally representative survey of females 16-24 yrs, in U.S. n=1000.

ⁱⁱ Survey Monkey, 2020. Quantitative survey of young people 13-17 yrs in US. n=1,022.

ⁱⁱⁱ SurveyMonkey, 2020. Quantitative survey of young people 13–21 yrs in Canada, UK, US. n=4,147.

^iv Glocalities, 2020. Quantitative nationally representative survey of adults 18–70 yrs in Canada, China, Russia, UK, US. n=5,139

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