Texas Public Health
SoHE Activity Series
TPH Public Health Initiative
Texas Public Health hopes to raise awareness on public health issues around the globe and foster strong ties of responsibility and dependability campus-wide, as well as to our local Austin community. This semester, we focused on period poverty.
Period poverty describes the struggle many low-income women and girls face while trying to afford menstrual products. Below are some of the realities faced by those experiencing period poverty.
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Lower-income students and students of color, particularly Latinx students, are more impacted by lack of access than white and middle-income students.
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Nearly two thirds (64%) of women were unable to afford needed menstrual hygiene supplies during 2022.
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Poor access to menstrual products can impact the mental well-being of women and has been shown to lead to depression.
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One in five girls have had to switch to less suitable sanitary wear due to cost.
What can you do to help end period poverty?
You can educate yourself and others about the realities of period poverty, donate period products, and talk to your school leadership to make menstrual education part of the curriculum for all students! Below are some helpful sites to take action against period poverty.
Caritas of Austin Period Pack Kitting
As part of the SoHE Activity Series, we asked attendees to donate various menstrual hygiene items such as tampons, pads, underwear, sanitary wipes, and more. Attendees decorated and put together these packs for Caritas of Austin, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness in Austin. We are proud to announce that we exceeded are expected goal and were able to make 50 period packs for those experiencing homelessness in Central Texas.
