Sanitary Pads and the Fall of Communism: Reconceptualizing Period Poverty in State Socialist Poland

Abstract: This article surveys the history of menstruation under state socialism, taking Poland as its case study. By analyzing various dimensions of period poverty such as hygiene, education, and the (un)availability of modern sanitary products, this article historicizes the transformation of menstrual discourses under state socialism from those concentrating on individual hygiene to those of human rights. It also highlights continuity in women's experiences of shame and taboo, which have been, to a large extent, unaffected by the changing social and cultural landscape. Drawing on a wide array of sources—from advice literature to personal testimonies—this article inquires into ways in which both the menstruating population and the experts discussed the availability of products and desirable hygiene practices as well as broader economic and political implications of period poverty under state socialism.