MEDIA

"A recent survey conducted by The Flow Initiative of 100 women on public assistance in Hudson County revealed that 78% of them were embarrassed to speak about period poverty. If women are not talking about this issue, it creates a silent crisis that is hard to eradicate."

"The Flow Initiative typically gets requests for pads, which are more popular in many of the Latinx communities it serves, but tampon requests are up, particularly for people experiencing homelessness, who may prefer tampons because they don’t require having underwear."

"There are so many women that have never heard of terms like period poverty or menstrual equity, yet once they do, it’s as though a veil is lifted and they become allies, spokespeople, advocates in the fight to end it,” she said. “When we discuss it, we open the door to eradicating the shame and stigma associated with periods and period poverty, which will lead to a more menstrual equitable society.”

"To make an impact, the End Period Poverty campaign encourages people to email their representatives and to support the Menstrual Equity For All Act, which would increase access to free menstrual products for vulnerable communities. The bill also requires Medicaid to cover menstrual products, as well as liners, cups, and similar items used by individuals with respect to menstruation which will help address barriers to access for those in need."