Red.Lined.Period is a branch of Red.Lined with a focus on increasing access to menstrual Hygiene supplies in Rhode Island’s most vulnerable communities. 

 

In 2020 A chance encounter with a woman experiencing housing insecurity uncovered a simple truth: access to tampons and other menstrual hygiene products is obstructed in vulnerable communities due to cost, availability, and portability.

 

Menstrual hygiene products are prohibitively expensive (taxed at the state level in many cases), and their bulk packaging can make it difficult to justify the cost, especially if funds or space are limited. Additionally, menstruation is unfairly stigmatized, and those in need of menstrual hygiene supplies face judgment or ridicule, which can lead to feelings of embarrassment and shame.

 

This got us thinking: who else might go without menstrual supplies, and how could we help increase access to supplies, and build awareness about the importance of hygiene products to mental health?