According to research studies a million girls are absent from school in Kenya when menstruating because they cannot afford sanitary pads.  It affects their education adversely, with dire consequences for their ability to find decent employment and improve their socioeconomic status.  In primarily rural arears, period poverty plays a significant role in the sexual exploitation of girls and teen pregnancies. Where access to menstrual products is lacking, some girls might resort to using newspapers, dirty rags, or sometimes leaves, to manage their periods, which pose a major health risk.  Period poverty, limited reproductive and sexual health education, and social stigmatisation, also affect the mental health of menstruators.