We can’t reach menstrual equity without transgender awareness.

Because society has wrongly framed periods as a “women’s issue,” the barriers to healthy periods faced by trans and nonbinary menstruators are often neglected. 

1. A Heightened Risk of Period Poverty

Trans people have lower incomes than all other sexual and gender minority groups, putting them at a higher risk of period poverty than their cisgender counterparts. 

Period stigma also affects trans folks differently. Many have reported hesitation over talking to a medical professional about their periods due to fear of being misgendered, invalidated or disrespected. 

2. Periods and Gender Dysphoria

For trans men and nonbinary folks, gender dysphoria can be intensified by the feminine branding of period products. If we’re serious about dignifying menstruation for everyone who experiences it, we need to degender it. 

Periods are a natural, human health issue – not an issue in “feminine hygiene.” The latter term is loaded with judgment, shame and exclusion, and yet, we still see it on product packaging and grocery aisle headers today.

3. The Public Washroom Problem 

A trans man might face safety concerns around bringing a pad or a tampon to a public washroom. This can “out” them in an unsafe, unpredictable environment. 

Also, men’s washrooms don’t usually have garbage bins in stalls. This can complicate a trans man’s access to proper facilities for period management – which is, in itself, a form of period poverty that’s specific to trans menstruators. 

The Way Forward

We can all be better allies to trans people by:

• Reframing menstrual equity as an issue of human dignity and health, rather than a gendered one. 

• Listening to the voices and needs of trans and nonbinary menstruators – and amplifying them in our advocacy. 

• Saying “menstruators” or “people who menstruate” when we talk about periods instead of limiting the conversation to women only. 

At the end of the day, our movement is all about making period care dignified and accessible for everyone who menstruates. Why strive for anything less?