Period Poverty and Domestic Violence: Why Fleeing Abuse Often Means Losing Access to Period Products

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It is a time to recognize the many forms abuse can take, including financial abuse, and to support resources that help survivors move toward safety.

One need is often overlooked: access to period products.

When someone leaves an abusive home, they may leave with little more than the clothes they are wearing. Pads, tampons, liners, period underwear, pain relief, and clean underwear may not make it into a small bag. For someone managing a period during an emergency, this creates another immediate problem.

The Period Pantry addresses this need through H.O.P.E. Kits: emergency period kits created specifically for people fleeing domestic violence.

Period poverty statistics show a serious access gap

Period poverty means not having reliable access to menstrual products, safe facilities, information, or the money required to manage a period with dignity.

Recent research shows that this is a widespread problem:

• The 2025 State of the Period study found that 24% of U.S. teens who menstruate struggle to afford period products.
• 39% of teens reported that economic pressure has affected their ability to purchase period products.
• 45% said they had worn a period product longer than recommended because they could not access another one.
• 42% of teens reported that free Wi-Fi was easier to access than free period products.
• Brookings reports that 38% of U.S. respondents were currently struggling to afford period products in 2021, up from approximately 30% in 2018.

The 42% statistic is not a claim that 42% of all people experience period poverty. It measures the gap between access to free Wi-Fi and free period products among teens. It still shows how easily basic menstrual care can be overlooked in places where other services are available.

Period poverty affects students, workers, people experiencing homelessness, people in addiction recovery, and people facing domestic violence. Financial hardship is not the only barrier. Safety, transportation, privacy, housing, and control over money also affect access.

Read more about period equity and community support in Maryland.

Financial abuse can create period poverty

Financial abuse is a pattern of controlling or restricting another person’s access to money and resources. It may include:

• Controlling bank accounts or paychecks
• Preventing someone from working
• Monitoring every purchase
• Refusing to provide money for basic needs
• Creating debt in someone else’s name
• Withholding identification, credit cards, or benefits

Menstrual products can become part of this control.

An abusive partner may refuse to buy period products, question how many products someone uses, restrict access to shared money, or prevent them from leaving the home to shop. These actions can force a person to depend on the abuser for a basic hygiene need.

This is not a personal budgeting failure. It is a safety and access issue.

When money is controlled, someone may have to choose between period products and food, transportation, medication, child care, or a phone. If they are unable to work or access their own income, even a small product purchase can become impossible.

Why people fleeing abuse may leave without period products

Leaving an abusive situation often requires speed and privacy. A survivor may need to leave when the abuser is away, while an argument is happening, or when a safe opportunity becomes available.

Packing period products may not be possible because:

• The person has only a few minutes to leave.
• Products are stored in a bathroom the abuser is monitoring.
• The person is moving between shelters, hotels, or temporary housing.
• A packed bag could reveal plans to leave.
• The person has limited space for belongings.
• The person does not know where they will stay next.
• The person is focused on children, medication, identification, or immediate safety.
• The person does not have money or transportation to purchase supplies.

A person fleeing abuse should not have to delay leaving to collect menstrual products. Safety comes first.

However, the need does not stop after someone reaches a shelter or another safe location. A period may begin during transportation, intake, relocation, or the first night in temporary housing. Access to an emergency period kit can remove one urgent barrier while a survivor works with trusted providers on longer-term needs.

What H.O.P.E. Kits provide

The Period Pantry’s H.O.P.E. Kits are designed for people fleeing domestic violence. They provide practical period supplies during a time when privacy, choice, and stability may be limited.

H.O.P.E. Kits can help a survivor:

• Manage a period during an emergency move
• Avoid spending limited funds on menstrual products
• Reduce the need to ask an abusive partner for supplies
• Access products through a shelter or trusted partner
• Maintain personal hygiene and comfort
• Focus attention on safety, housing, transportation, and recovery

The Period Pantry ships emergency period kits nationwide to all 50 states. H.O.P.E. Kits and other period supplies are distributed through domestic violence shelters, homeless shelters, addiction recovery centers, and partners such as Baltimore Safe Haven.

A kit cannot solve every problem connected to domestic violence. It is one practical form of support. Each survivor has different needs, risks, identities, health considerations, and preferences. Shelter staff and trusted providers should help determine what support is safest and most useful.

Period products support dignity and safety

Period products are basic hygiene supplies. Access to them can affect more than physical comfort.

Without reliable products, someone may:

• Use toilet paper, paper towels, socks, or other substitutes
• Wear a product longer than recommended
• Avoid work, school, appointments, or support services
• Feel increased stress during an already difficult transition
• Avoid asking for help because of shame or fear of judgment
• Spend money needed for transportation, food, or medication

For a survivor, a discreet kit can provide a sense of control during a period when many choices have been taken away.

Support should be offered without requiring someone to share personal details. A survivor does not need to explain the abuse, prove financial hardship, or disclose more information than is necessary to receive basic care.

The Period Pantry’s Maryland hub and national reach

The Period Pantry is Maryland-based, with a physical hub in Pasadena, Maryland. The hub provides a place for community members to donate supplies, organize support, and help prepare kits.

The organization also works beyond Maryland by shipping emergency period kits to people in need across the country. This national reach matters because survivors may relocate for safety. A person leaving an abusive situation may not remain in the same city or state.

Local partnerships remain central to this work. Shelters, recovery centers, and community organizations understand the needs of the people they serve. The Period Pantry helps provide the period products and kits that partners can distribute in trusted settings.

Learn more about The Period Pantry and its community programs.

Dignity & Dollars supports financial independence

Emergency supplies meet an immediate need. Long-term safety may also require access to financial information, planning, and resources.

The Period Pantry’s Dignity & Dollars pro bono financial education program provides a path toward financial independence. Financial education can help participants build knowledge around budgeting, banking, credit, benefits, debt, and financial planning.

Financial education is not a substitute for legal, housing, counseling, or safety services. It is one optional resource that may support a survivor’s goals over time.

The right next step depends on each person’s situation. Dignity & Dollars can be part of a broader support network that respects survivor choice and avoids pressure.

How to help with period poverty and H.O.P.E. Kits

You can support survivors and people facing period poverty in several ways.

Donate period products

Donate unopened pads, tampons, liners, and other requested menstrual supplies. Product donations help keep emergency kits and partner shelves stocked.

Give financially

Financial gifts help cover product purchases, shipping, packaging, storage, and urgent kit requests. Use the The Period Pantry donation form to give or sponsor H.O.P.E. Kits.

Host a donation station

Businesses, schools, faith communities, offices, and community groups can host a donation station. Display a clear list of requested products and provide a secure collection point.

Host a period pantry

A period pantry creates a consistent place where people can access menstrual products without shame. Contact The Period Pantry to discuss space, supplies, restocking, and community needs.

Volunteer

Volunteers can sort donations, pack kits, prepare shipments, support outreach, and help maintain the Pasadena hub.

Contact The Period Pantry to ask about volunteer opportunities or hosting support.

Immediate safety resources

If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 911.

For confidential support, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline:

• Call 800-799-SAFE (7233)
• Text START to 88788
• Use the online chat at thehotline.org

If contacting a hotline could create risk, use a safe device when possible and follow the guidance of a trusted advocate.

A H.O.P.E. Kit is a practical resource. It does not replace a safety plan or individualized support. It can help remove one urgent barrier so a survivor can focus on the next safe step.

Period care should be available during every transition, including the transition from an unsafe home to a safer future. Donate products, sponsor a kit, host a donation station, host a period pantry, or volunteer with The Period Pantry.