Menstruation and Housing Insecurity: Evidence for Creative Solutions to Increase Resource Access

The Challenge

Over 500,000 people experience homelessness in the United States. For those who menstruate, this creates a health and dignity crisis that is rarely discussed: access to menstrual products is inconsistent, expensive, and often deeply stigmatized.

The realities are stark:

• 93% of study respondents improvised using makeshift materials — toilet paper, socks, or other substitutes — due to lack of access to commercial products
• 74% had sacrificed meals or other necessities to afford menstrual products at some point
• 74% had missed school, work, or important interviews because of challenges managing their period

And stigma compounds the problem: 36% cited embarrassment as a barrier to asking for help. 87% agreed they felt “sad, embarrassed, and worried” when unable to maintain hygiene.

The Research

Think Dignity and the University of San Diego’s Changemaker Hub partnered with GroupSolver® to test four proposed interventions with 168 respondents who menstruate and have experienced homelessness.

The Four Concepts Tested

What Respondents Valued Most

Across all four concepts, respondents consistently emphasized dignity and privacy as the most important dimensions of any solution — not just the product itself, but how it was delivered and received.

“This would help out so much — to have access to hygiene products without having to walk far or take public transportation would be amazing.”

Conclusion

The research gave Think Dignity and the Changemaker Hub clear evidence to prioritize the backpack distribution model as their lead concept — combining high adoption likelihood with the dignity-centered delivery respondents cared most about. Transportation barriers emerged as the single biggest structural obstacle to access, shaping both product design and distribution strategy.