Feminine Hygiene Products Free to Patients

Free Hygiene Products for Patients from the Coachella Valley Volunteers in Medicine.

INDIO —Coachella Valley Volunteers in Medicine received a grant from the Guillermo J. Valenzuela Foundation for Women’s Wellness programs, to help women including the free distribution of feminine hygiene products to its patients who are unable to purchase the menstrual products they need.

Awareness of Period Poverty is becoming greater as millions of young girls and women around the world, and right here in our backyard, struggle to afford the monthly products they need.  Period Poverty is a public health crisis not often talked about and affecting an estimated 500 million people worldwide.  In some cases, this means that they cannot go to school or work or otherwise participate in daily life. As a consequence, this has social and economic inequalities, such as long-lasting impacts on their education and economic opportunities. Period Poverty causes physical, mental and emotional challenges. It can make women of all ages feel shame for menstruating, and the stigma surrounding periods prevents individuals from talking about it.

“We tend to assume that everyone is able to afford feminine hygiene products; however, this is not the case for everyone. Our patient population is not only in need of healthcare but other services that will uplift them, improve their self-esteem, health, quality of life, and lower behavioral health issues. Providing female hygiene products is a necessity not a luxury” Maria Anaya, MPH, Social Worker at Coachella Valley Volunteers in Medicine, said in a prepared statement.