Women's reproductive health - Statistics & Facts

A woman’s reproductive health is integral to her overall well-being. Reproductive health is defined as a state of physical, emotional, mental, and social well-being in relation to all aspects of reproduction, not merely the absence of disease, dysfunction, or infirmity. An often-forgotten aspect is also menstrual health marking the beginning and menopause marking the end of reproductive health. While women in the United States generally enjoy better reproductive health than women of less developed countries, they are still plagued by issues such as a lack of education and information on various topics, period poverty or stigma, a lack of access to services, and gender disparities.

Menstrual health

The average age a girl in the United States reaches menarche – first menstruation period – is usually around 12 years old. For millions of women, menstruation is associated with pain and for nearly a quarter of teens, menstruation is associated with financial difficulties otherwise known as 'period poverty' – the inability to access menstrual hygiene products. This is a real problem in the United States, not just in developing nations, and it has only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Some campaigns have been successful in abolishing the 'tampon tax', sales tax on tampons and other menstrual products. In several countries across the globe, from Kenya to the UK, period supplies now come tax-free. In the United States, 21 states still tax period products at standard rate categorizing them as 'luxury goods' and not recognizing them as a basic necessity, like toilet paper. While removing the tampon tax is a great way to highlight discrimination, a more effective approach of reducing period poverty is actually providing products to those who need it most. To that end, some states in the U.S. have legislations in place to increase free access to period products. However, currently still only nine states both require and fund schools to provide period supplies freely. Moreover, education is often lacking in menstrual health and a survey in 2021 found that roughly three quarters of teens agreed they “were taught more about the biology of frogs than of the human female body at school” and 42 percent were confused or unprepared for their first menstruation. Despite menstruation being a sign of fertility and health, even today, there is stigma and shame associated with it and many young women suffer for this.

Menopause and perimenopause

On the opposite end of menarche there is menopause, the end of a woman’s menstruation cycle. While the average age of menopause is 51 years, most women go through perimenopause, the transitional period before menopause, usually starting around the age of 45. Women experience various symptoms during menopause, the top three, according to a survey, are hot flashes, weight gain, and sleep difficulties. The length of time before women receive a formal menopause diagnosis from their health care provider could be up to a year for one fifth of women experiencing symptoms. This shows that there is again a lack of information and education, and not enough open discussions about menopause.

Reproductive health concerns

There are several female reproductive health concerns that lack public awareness and receive little attention despite being highly prevalent and possibly debilitating. One of them is endometriosis which is when lining of the uterus (endometrial tissue) grows outside the uterus causing chronic inflammation and severe pain. Other gynecological concerns include polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), which is a hormone imbalance and metabolic disorder, and uterine fibroids, which are non-cancerous growths in the uterus. It is estimated that all three conditions are underdiagnosed. In fact, endometriosis, PCOS, and uterine fibroids are leading causes of infertility and not until they have trouble conceiving, do many women find themselves confronted with these disorders and receive a diagnosis.

This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.

States with the highest tampon tax in the U.S.: Tennessee, Indiana, and Mississippi

Share of teenage girls unable to do schoolwork because of a lack of access to period products: 25%

Percentage of women who said menopause has extremely impacted their sleep: 45%

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

U.S. population: Usage of sanitary pads and napkins from 2011 to 2024

Cosmetics & Personal Care

Usage of sanitary pads and napkins in the U.S. 2011-2024

Projected market value of the feminine hygiene market worldwide in 2018 and 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Cosmetics & Personal Care

Sales value of the global feminine hygiene market 2018 & 2023

Number of states in the United States that have passed legislation to provide free period products in schools as of August 2023

State of Health

States in the U.S. that require or fund period products in schools as of 2023

Recommended statistics

Reproductive health education

Basic Statistic Share of U.S. adults who were well-informed on menstruation or menopause as of 2022
Share of U.S. adults who were well-informed on menstruation or menopause as of 2022
Percentage of adults in the United States who said they were knowledgeable about menstruation or menopause as of 2022
Basic Statistic Women's knowledge on the uterus and uterine disorders in the U.S. as of 2022
Women's knowledge on the uterus and uterine disorders in the U.S. as of 2022
Percentage of women in the U.S. with knowledge about select facts on women's health as of 2022
Basic Statistic Women's knowledge on uterine fibroids in the U.S. as of 2022
Women's knowledge on uterine fibroids in the U.S. as of 2022
Percentage of women in the U.S. with knowledge about select facts on uterine fibroids as of 2022
Basic Statistic U.S. teens who report a lack of communication and education on periods 2023
U.S. teens who report a lack of communication and education on periods 2023
Percentage of female teenagers in the United States who reported a lack of communication and education on menstrual periods as of 2023
Basic Statistic Share of U.S. teens who reported a need for menstrual health education 2023
Share of U.S. teens who reported a need for menstrual health education 2023
Percentage of teenagers in the United States who reported a need for more education concerning menstrual health as of 2023

Menstruation and Period Poverty

Basic Statistic Rating of menstrual cramp pain among female respondents in the U.S. in 2023
Rating of menstrual cramp pain among female respondents in the U.S. in 2023
Rating of menstrual cramp pain among female respondents in the United States in 2023
Basic Statistic Period symptoms experienced by female respondents in the U.S. in 2023
Period symptoms experienced by female respondents in the U.S. in 2023
Percentage of female respondents in the United States who experienced select period symptoms in 2023
Basic Statistic Share of U.S. teens who experienced period poverty as of 2023
Share of U.S. teens who experienced period poverty as of 2023
Percentage of teenagers in the United States who struggled to afford feminine hygiene products as of 2023
Basic Statistic U.S. college students facing period poverty in 2023
U.S. college students facing period poverty in 2023
Percentage of female college students in the U.S. who have felt forced to decide between menstrual products and other personal costs in 2023
Basic Statistic U.S. college students with limited access to period products in 2023
U.S. college students with limited access to period products in 2023
Percentage of college students in the United States who have known someone or personally struggled with access to menstrual products in 2023

Menstrual Stigma and Tampon Tax

Basic Statistic Share of U.S. teens who reported negative associations surrounding periods 2023
Share of U.S. teens who reported negative associations surrounding periods 2023
Percentage of teenagers in the United States who said menstrual period has negative associations as of 2023
Basic Statistic Negative impact of period poverty on schooling among U.S. teens as of 2023
Negative impact of period poverty on schooling among U.S. teens as of 2023
Percentage of teenage students in the United States who reported select negative impacts of period poverty and shame on schooling as of 2023
Basic Statistic Number of states in the U.S. with tampon tax as of October 2023
Number of states in the U.S. with tampon tax as of October 2023
Number of states in the United States with and without "tampon tax" (tax on period products) as of October 2023
Basic Statistic Sales tax on period product purchases as of 2023, by state
Sales tax on period product purchases as of 2023, by state
"Tampon tax" (tax on period products) rates in the United States as of October 2023, by state
Basic Statistic States in the U.S. that require or fund period products in schools as of 2023
States in the U.S. that require or fund period products in schools as of 2023
Number of states in the United States that have passed legislation to provide free period products in schools as of August 2023

Contraception

Basic Statistic U.S. women who used contraception within the past 12 months in 2017-2022
U.S. women who used contraception within the past 12 months in 2017-2022
Percentage of sexually active women who used contraception within the past 12 months in the United States in 2017, 2020, and 2022
Basic Statistic Methods of contraception used by U.S. women as of 2022
Methods of contraception used by U.S. women as of 2022
Percentage of reproductive-aged U.S. women who used select methods of contraception within the past 12 months as of 2022
Basic Statistic Reasons why U.S. women used contraception in 2022
Reasons why U.S. women used contraception in 2022
Percentage of U.S. women that used contraception for select reasons as of 2022
Premium Statistic Share of U.S. women reporting select side effects from contraception as of 2022
Share of U.S. women reporting select side effects from contraception as of 2022
Percentage of contraceptive-using women in the U.S. who had experienced select side effects that were unexpected or more severe than expected as of 2022

Perimenopause and Menopause

Basic Statistic Menopause's level of impact on lives of older women in the U.S. 2023
Menopause's level of impact on lives of older women in the U.S. 2023
Percentage of older women in the United States who reported menopause being extremely or very impactful on select aspects of their lives as of 2023
Basic Statistic Menopause symptoms impacting older U.S. women the most as of 2021
Menopause symptoms impacting older U.S. women the most as of 2021
Percentage of women aged 40-65 years in the United States who said select menopause symptoms impacted them the most as of 2021
Basic Statistic Perimenopause symptoms impacting older U.S. women the most as of 2021
Perimenopause symptoms impacting older U.S. women the most as of 2021
Percentage of women aged 40-65 years in the United States who said select perimenopause symptoms impacted them the most as of 2021
Basic Statistic Length of time before formal menopause diagnosis by HCP among older U.S. women, 2021
Length of time before formal menopause diagnosis by HCP among older U.S. women, 2021
Share of U.S. women aged 40-65 years who experienced symptoms for select lengths of time before formal menopause diagnosis by a health care provider (HCP) as of 2021
Basic Statistic Treatment of menopause symptoms among older U.S. women as of 2021
Treatment of menopause symptoms among older U.S. women as of 2021
Percentage of women aged 40-65 years in the United States who were not currently treating their symptoms of menopause as of 2021
Basic Statistic Share of U.S. adults who avoid talking about menstruation or menopause as of 2022
Share of U.S. adults who avoid talking about menstruation or menopause as of 2022
Percentage of adults in the United States who avoid talking about menstruation or menopause as of 2022

Reproductive health concern: Endometriosis

Basic Statistic Most common symptoms of endometriosis according to U.S. women in 2021
Most common symptoms of endometriosis according to U.S. women in 2021
Percentage of women with endometriosis who reported the following symptoms in the United States in 2021
Basic Statistic Most common types of endometriosis diagnoses among U.S. women in 2021
Most common types of endometriosis diagnoses among U.S. women in 2021
Percentage of women with endometriosis in the United States with select types in 2021
Basic Statistic Share of U.S. women with endometriosis who worried about their symptoms as of 2021
Share of U.S. women with endometriosis who worried about their symptoms as of 2021
Percentage of women with endometriosis who worried about the recurrence of symptoms or feel powerless in the United States in 2021
Basic Statistic Research funding for endometriosis in the United States by NIH 2008-2024
Research funding for endometriosis in the United States by NIH 2008-2024
Total endometriosis funding by the National Institutes for Health (NIH) from FY 2008 to FY 2024 (in million U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic Share of U.S. college students who saw a health professional for select reasons 2023
Share of U.S. college students who saw a health professional for select reasons 2023
Percentage of college students in the U.S. who reported seeing a healthcare professional for select conditions in the past year, as of fall 2023*

Miscellaneous

Premium Statistic Usage of sanitary pads and napkins in the U.S. 2011-2024
Usage of sanitary pads and napkins in the U.S. 2011-2024
U.S. population: Usage of sanitary pads and napkins from 2011 to 2024
Premium Statistic Femtech companies in North America in 2022 by subsector
Femtech companies in North America in 2022 by subsector
Distribution of femtech companies in North America in 2022, by subsector
Premium Statistic Use and awareness of femtech in the U.S. 2021, by age
Use and awareness of femtech in the U.S. 2021, by age
Distribution of the use and awareness of femtech among women in the United States as of 2021, by age

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