Imagine missing out on daily life simply because you do not have the money to afford feminine supplies. This is an all-too-common reality for women living in poverty. Not having the feminine supplies they need means they are unable to go to school. They miss days of work. This absence perpetuates a cycle of poverty that is at the core a public health issue known as period poverty. – Jennifer Gaines.

According to the latest Period.org research, one in three (37%) women in the United States have experienced period poverty in their lifetime which may require them to make a decision between purchasing food or product periods. In South Carolina, 1 in 5 women and girls between the age of 12 and 44 live below the Federal Poverty Line. One in four students struggle to purchase period products. This leads to embarrassment, depression, and unhealthy substitution of products.

Other Facts:

• 49% of women in the US reported having an ongoing health condition that requires monitoring, medical care, or medication.
• 26 million women ages 15-50 have uterine fibroids. More than 80% of black women develop uterine fibroids by age 50.
• 1 in 10 women have endometriosis.