Period Poverty: The Lack of Access to Menstrual Hygiene Products While Homeless

-

Images from Pexels and Editing by Aliyah Akers
 

    

    For those with uteruses and menstrual cycles, hygiene of that area is essential. But the fact of the matter is menstruation products cost on average $13.25/month, which comes to about $6,360 in a person's menstruation timeline (around 12-52). Though this amount may not seem like much to some, many houseless individuals can not produce the funds needed to get menstruation products every month. This is where the problem lies because, without proper menstruation hygiene, individuals are more prone to a plethora of things such as urinary tract infections (UTI) and the psychological damage that comes from the awkwardness of menstruation in the eye of the public. 

 

    Isn’t it silly that you have to pay for menstrual products, even though menstruation is something you can not control? Luckily there are efforts across the US trying to get free menstrual products for those who menstruate. But let's just take a look at some of the local efforts in Portland and the greater area. Did you know that Oregon is the first state to have the legalization of free menstrual products in schools? This is great news for homeless youth that attend public school, but what about those who don’t and adults? The Jewish Federation of Greater Portland (JFGP) has a program called Dignity Grows, in which they provide monthly menstrual hygiene products to individuals who menstruate that can not afford such products. To help provide for these products they sell $10 totes that you can purchase on their website. But are organizations like this enough? No, they are not because most of the time a lot of houseless folks don’t know about them because they are solely advertised online. That is why I believe that in the future, hopefully near, we should have a Bill implemented that would make it so those who need menstruation products but can’t afford them can get them for free.


Written By Aliyah Akers

Sources: Sadlier, A., 2022. New research reveals how much the average woman spends per month on menstrual products. [online] digital hub US.


Pitawanich, C., 2021. Oregon schools implement Menstrual Dignity Act, requiring free menstrual products. [online] KGW8. 

 

Dignity Grows. [online] Jewish Federation of Greater Portland. 

     

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Understanding Homelessness

-
Image
  Source (American Addiction Centers)      Homelessness has a myriad of different reasons it can happen. The similarity between all scenarios in which a person is experiencing homelessness is that each person is human. A popular belief is that homelessness is a choice. People believe there is a set amount of circumstances that cause homelessness and that it is a choice not to fight to get out of those problems. The problems can range from mental health issues to drug addiction. There is no one size fits all, and it is not a choice.  Over the last few weeks, I have learned that there are many factors that can lead to homelessness. One big one that focuses on our class is how affordable housing, or the lack thereof, is a significant contributor to people not getting back on their feet. If you want to learn more about that subject and if affordable housing can help, click here.   This lack of affordable housing is a big roadblock for those trying to overcome homelessness. However,
Read more

Domestic Violence within the Homeless Community

-
Image
  Domestic Violence within the Homeless Community Source: Unsplash The Facts                                                                                          According to  Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), 233,832 are people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in the United States. Of the 233,832, 50,767 are families with children.  Currently, 30% of homeless people are adult women.  (portlandoregon.gov)   Bradley Angle , which works to support survivors of  domestic violence , reported that 70% of domestic violence reports are from homeless women. ( www.kgw.com)  Homeless women are 1/3 of the fastest growing populations HUD homeless populations. ( portlandoregon.gov)   Specifically, in Portland, Multnomah County has experienced a 20% rise in homelessness in 2023, the total amount of people homeless in Portland is currently  6,297 . (w illametteweek.com)                                                                     Source: Unsplash   The Problem        
Read more

Helping Fuel a Better Future

-
Image
Feeding the Homeless in Portland, Oregon. Back in 2011 ' Occupy Portland' set up over 300 tents to house,   feed, and check on some of the city's homelessness population . Today, tri-county officials have reported that there are more than 7,000 homeless people living within the Portland City metro area and that number only seems to be increasing. Not only do these people have to worry about not having a stable shelter but one of the biggest issues for them is their lack of food and water. Every single day these individuals wonder about what their next meal will be and where it will come from. Although this blog post is focusing on the homeless populations in Portland it's important to know that Feeding America has stated over 400,000 people in the whole state of Oregon have reported 'hungry'. That is equivalent to 1 in 10 people, so the resources I will mention below are not only for the homeless but anyone who feels they may be in need as well.  Never be afraid
Read more