Periods Without Privacy: Menstrual Equity

By Becca Stock

For many of us, getting our period means reaching into a bathroom cupboard, changing the period product of your choice, and carrying on with our day. It might be uncomfortable or inconvenient, but we usually have somewhere private to manage it. Now imagine having to search for an open washroom, ask a stranger for a tampon, or worry about whether you can afford enough products to last the week. For people experiencing homelessness, these everyday needs can become exhausting obstacles.

When we talk about homelessness in Ontario, we often focus on food and shelter. Menstrual needs deserve a place in that conversation too. Periods continue regardless of whether someone has a home, money, or a safe place to change.

More than the price of a pad

Period poverty involves more than being unable to afford menstrual products. It also includes limited access to menstrual health education, clean water, appropriate washrooms, and safe disposal. Menstrual equity means having the resources and support to manage a period with dignity (Lee, Toory, & Harrison, 2024).

For someone without stable housing, having a pad does not necessarily mean having somewhere to use it. Changing, washing, disposing of products, and cleaning stained clothing all require facilities that many of us take for granted. Women, trans men, and non-binary people who menstruate can face these barriers, and support should account for their different needs.

When help comes at the cost of privacy

A 2024 Western University thesis by Kristina Fernando explored menstrual experiences at a Southern Ontario shelter through interviews with 13 residents and three staff members. Although products were available, residents described barriers to actually using them. Requesting certain supplies meant approaching the front desk and asking staff to retrieve them from storage. Some residents felt embarrassed or uncomfortable disclosing their needs, particularly when a trusted staff member was unavailable (Fernando, 2024).

Product choice mattered, too. 10 of the 13 residents interviewed purchased their own menstrual products; nine of those ten attributed that decision to inadequate shelter supplies. Available products did not always meet their needs for size, absorbency, or comfort. Some spent their limited money on alternatives even though the shelter offered free supplies (Fernando, 2024).

This was a small study at one shelter, rather than a picture of every shelter in Ontario. Still, it raises an important question: can we call something accessible if someone has to sacrifice their privacy or comfort to use it?

The everyday burden of managing a period

Often challenges stem from limited access to private washrooms, showers, laundry, and suitable menstrual products. Some people rely on toilet paper or other improvised materials when supplies are unavailable. (Boden et al., 2023).

These experiences show how much time and energy menstrual management can require. Finding a safe washroom or dealing with leaks can interrupt work and daily activities. Menstrual stigma can compound the judgment people already experience because they are unhoused.

Listening directly to people experiencing homelessness is essential to understanding what support actually works to help manage the burden of someones menstrual cycle. 

What menstrual equity could look like

There are encouraging examples close to home. In February 2026, London Public Library announced a partnership with the Period Equity Project to expand access to free pads and tampons. The library reports that products are available in all washrooms across its locations, without needing to ask staff. Placing supplies where people use them helps preserve privacy and independence.

We can build on this approach by advocating for consistently stocked products in shelters and public washrooms, clean facilities with working locks, disposal bins, and access to showers and laundry. Offering different sizes and absorbencies matters, as does making menstrual health information and care accessible. 

As Western students, we can contribute through product drives planned with local organizations, asking which supplies are needed rather than assuming. 

Donations can offer immediate support. Nobody should have to disclose their period to a stranger to obtain a basic necessity. Everyone deserves the privacy, choice, and resources to care for their body, wherever they are living.

References

Fernando, K. D. N. (2024). Period poverty and menstrual perceptions among unhoused menstruators in an urban center in Southern Ontario [Master’s thesis, Western University]. Western University repository.

Boden, L., Wolski, A., Rubin, A. S., Oliveira, L. P., & Tyminski, Q. P. (2023). Exploring the barriers and facilitators to menstrual hygiene management for women experiencing homelessness. Journal of Occupational Science, 30(2), 235–250. https://doi.org/10.1080/14427591.2021.1944897.

Lee, A. C., Toory, L., & Harrison, M. E. (2024). Menstrual health inequities and “period poverty” in Canada. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 115, 502–506. https://doi.org/10.17269/s41997-024-00853-1.

London Public Library. (2026, February 9). Partnership expands access to period products.