SCHENECTADY – The Schenectady Menstrual Health Coalition is running to fight “period poverty” through access to hygiene products.
Period poverty, an undisputed term, refers to not having access to menstrual products like pads or tampons. SMHC promotes the fitness of other menstruating people in the region by offering loose menstrual conditioning products.
Brynn Watkins and Claire Jennings are New York State Public Health Corps fellows working with Schenectady County Public Health and Cornell Schenectady Cooperative, who created the SMHC.
Watkins painted around STI prevention and part of those paintings offering loose condoms to local organizations. She explained that she would make phone calls to see who was interested in the loose condoms. One of the organizations he called Mohawk Opportunities, which declined the offer but asked if he could attach them to loose menstrual hygiene products.
“I said, ‘Let me take a look at this,’ but there wasn’t a position I could place where I could attach them, at least with my basic studies and asking,” Watkins said. “So let’s start ourselves. “
Watkins and Jennings applied for a grant from The Pad Project organization and won a $2900 grant in June 2022. SMHC also won an investment from Target and CVS and a donation from Market 32 for 144 boxes of matching pads and tampons.
“We clearly knew there was a need,” Watkins said. “So we started our initiative by bringing tampons and pads to those organizations that help underserved populations, such as shelters for victims of domestic violence, homeless shelters, addiction centers. “
Watkins and Jennings set up their pantry for the second term in Schenectady on Albany Street earlier this month. A menstrual pantry is a small weather-protected box that contains a variety of loose menstrual products for those in need. They serve as a small pantry where everyone is invited to take what they need.
“And we have a third box, put it in some other Schenectady domain with a similar need,” Jennings said. “We’re getting to the most productive position to place right now. “
The need for menstrual products is something many other people don’t necessarily think about, Jennings explained.
“Through contact organizations alone, we distribute pieces to nine or 10 other organizations,” he said. “And they want them, they settle for them very well. “
Other low-income people want to be careful about what they spend their money, so they can fulfill fundamental desires like food or shelter, Watkins said.
“One thing that helps keep showing up in poverty studies is that other people who are menstruating have to decide, ‘Do I buy a tampon box for myself?Or do I have dinner for my family?” Watkins said. ” One in 4 people who menstruate struggle at some point to buy menstrual materials for themselves. And, in general, they are expensive.
People go out to check their periods, Watkins said. He explained that other people who can’t buy products may be left with rags, tissues or toilet paper, all of which can be dangerous. They could also go out to use the limited source of products they have for longer than they are intended to be used safely.
“We know that with things like tampons, keeping them for an extended period of time is bad. It can cause things like poisonous surprise syndrome,” Watkins said. “Using anything that’s not hygienic, like rags or toilet paper, and that’s not hygienic, can cause things like genital infections, urinary tract infections. It’s destructive to people’s health. “
The Schenectady Menstrual Health Coalition will launch an education program in January. They will teach women through Girls, Inc. and other organizations on menstruation, the menstrual cycle and will work to eliminate stigma.
“People don’t blatantly communicate the fact that they know this absolutely general physical function,” Watkins said. “No one is going to hide the fact that they have a cold, [but] for some reason, periods are so taboo. “
Topics: News, News, Schenectady, Schenectady County
I hope the word woman is not missing from the discussion, but below and here are the “menstruating people. “