Q&A: Providing period products to homeless youths makes ‘a big difference’
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Key takeaways:
- Menstrual Health Equity Initiative provides up to 400 packs monthly to shelter partners in the greater Philadelphia area.
- Nearly all homeless youths benefiting from this program report that it has been helpful.
In the greater Philadelphia area, the Menstrual Health Equity Initiative provides period products on a reliable basis for women and girls experiencing homelessness, so they can attend school and work without disruption.
A perspective on this initiative was recently published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
“Unfortunately, one in four youth in the U.S. struggle to afford period products, and youth experiencing homelessness have additional challenges and barriers,” Sarah Revak, MD, primary care pediatrician in the department of pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, told Healio. “Anyone who has experienced a period, or loved someone who has, knows that not having the products you need can be disruptive to so many facets of your life. As people who care about children, as pediatricians and advocates for children, it is important that having a period is not a reason that someone has to miss school or not be able to participate in their job.”
Each month, a multidisciplinary team from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia distributes packs of period products to shelters in the greater Philadelphia area, so homeless individuals have consistent access to this resource. Healio spoke with Revak about the Menstrual Health Equity Initiative and how it has benefited women and girls since its initiation.
Healio: What are some achievements the Menstrual Health Equity Initiative has accomplished since its start?
Revak: We started around December 2020 and we have experienced amazing growth. We started with two shelter partners delivering maybe 20 packs a month. Most recently, we have been up to between 350 and 400 packs every month distributed to 14 shelter partners in the greater Philadelphia area. This includes shelters for families, shelters for survivors of domestic violence and shelters for teens and adolescents, among others. I think we have supported more than 8,000 periods since we started.
Healio: What prompted this initiative?
Revak: Unfortunately, period products are expensive. If you have never purchased them, that might be a surprise. Worse, in many states, period products are considered nonessential, which means they are also subject to sales tax. So, for many people, and especially our population of youth and young adults who are already experiencing homelessness, having the resources to purchase those goods every month can strain financial resources. Where this project really came from was hearing from one of our teenage patients, who said that she did not have the pads and tampons that she needed. That meant she was going to have to skip school when she had her period. That really upset us as pediatricians and as people who care about children. School is such an important place for youth. We wanted to eliminate this barrier. We learned from talking to our partners at the different shelters that they rely on small grants or one-time, private donations for these products. It creates a system where one month, they will have a ton of products and then the next month, there is nothing. That is not a system people can rely on.
It was important to us that we created a system that was dependable. We were going to be there for a partner every month. We put the products in discreet packaging, something people can put in a bag or a room, and preserved as much choice as we could. We make deliveries every month and we have different types of packs. Every month, we ask our shelter partners what the people who are currently staying there would like so that we can make sure people get the products that work best for them.
Healio: How do homeless adolescents and young adults feel about the Menstrual Health Equity Initiative?
Revak: We have received great feedback. We include a survey with each pack to make sure that we are doing the best we can for the people that we are serving. In a recent survey, 99% of people said the period packs were helpful to them, and a large proportion also said the packs made a difference in terms of going to school, going to a job interview, or attending a job that they already had.
When we take the packs to the shelters, everyone is always very excited. We try to pick colorful packaging for the pack so that there is not as much stigma and shame. We want people to understand that this is part of what they need to keep themselves healthy.
Healio: What future work is needed to continue improving period equity in the U.S.?
Revak: There are a lot of amazing organizations in different parts throughout the country who are tackling this problem in different ways. As a first step, we are excited that we were able to publish this work because we are hoping that it will allow us to connect with other institutions that are interested in doing this for their community, and we can share lessons learned along the way.
The overall goal of all our work is that there would not be a need for this program anymore.
We would love to see a world in which we had sustainable policies that meant initiatives like this were not needed to fill the gaps in the system as it exists now. In the meantime, we can all learn from each other and build on this model and unite people who care about this issue, so that eventually these projects are not needed anymore.
Healio: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Revak: As a physician and as a pediatrician, I encourage all physicians to think about this issue when they are talking with patients who experience a period. Period products are not something everyone thinks about, and discussing this topic can make a big difference in someone’s life. When checking in with patients about all the parts of their health, make sure that they have access to food, housing and that they have the products they need to manage their menstruation, so that is not a barrier to living their daily life.
For people who are interested and passionate about this issue, talk with community members at local homeless shelters or public schools about what this need looks like for them, and how to use this type of model to fill some of those gaps. There are also great opportunities for advocacy. I would encourage anyone to research if period products are still subject to a sales tax in their state. I would encourage people to keep an eye on their state legislature for bills that are proposed to bring period products to public places, like public schools, libraries and government offices.
I like to make the analogy that period products should be freely available the same way toilet paper is freely available in public spaces. There are many opportunities to make sure that the public spaces we offer for all sorts of needs are also considering providing products for people to thrive and do all the things that they want to even when they have their period, which is a totally normal part of life.