Homelessness and Menstruation

“Menstruation is not a problem, poor menstrual hygiene is”
— Anurag Chauhan
 

A Personal Look

A glimpse into what many women who are experiencing poverty endure on a monthly basis.

 

Every month, thousands of homeless women are placed in a crisis situation when they get their periods. Women and girls who are unable to purchase both feminine products and food are forced to make a choice between them. As a result many of them are left to deal with infections they contract from using sanitary products that they've had to construct with items they have on hand such as toilet paper, socks or even rags. This also leaves them unable to maintain proper hygiene during their menstrual cycles. Watch this video to see what its like to experience your period while experiencing homelessness. 

Homelessness in Numbers

In the United States, over 550,000 people experience homelessness . About 39.1% of this group are women.

A Closer Look at Seattle

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According to a survey, on January 25, 2019 a total of 11,199 individuals were experiencing homelessness in King County.

 
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Of the survey respondents, an estimated 56% of individuals experiencing homelessness identified as male. 40% of individuals identified as female, 2% identified as transgender, and 3% identified with another gender.

For more information on this 2019 Point-in-Time analysis, please click the button below.

What do these numbers tell us?

This data gives us eye-opening insight about the thousands of women in our country, who are not only struggling to meet the same basic needs, but are also forced to manage a reoccurring, natural phenomenon. The period.