Menstruation is a normal and healthy bodily function for half the global population of a certain age, and yet menstruating individuals suffer from burden, stigma and hardship — even right here in New Jersey. NCJW/Essex’s Period.Project is here to help. 

Did you know that:

• 40% of people with periods say they struggle to purchase products.
• 27% of all respondents said the COVID-19 pandemic made it difficult to access period products, with two-thirds (65%) of those who have struggled stating they lacked access because they could not afford them.
• Over one-third (38%) of low-income women report missing work, school or similar events due to lack of access to period supplies.
• For the nearly 1/5 of the American teenagers who live in poverty, the lack of menstrual products and support can lead to lost educational opportunity.
• 35% of Blacks and Hispanics with periods strongly agree that they’ve struggled to afford period products in the past year. 
• Those experiencing homelessness report infection caused by using tampons and pads for longer than recommended or by using improvised items.
• Incarcerated individuals and those caught in the criminal justice system often beg or bargain with staff for basic hygiene needs, part of a degrading and dehumanizing power imbalance.
• Menstrual necessities are not covered by SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) or WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children), or other welfare programs, and are rarely available at food pantries.