The 28-Day Promise

    Flow Without Fear

    Comprehensive Program Blueprint ensuring no woman or girl living with PCOS or fibroids in Arizona ever has to go without menstrual products, restoring dignity, health, and equity.

    Mission

    To ensure that no woman or girl living with PCOS or fibroids in Arizona ever has to go without menstrual products, restoring dignity, health, and equity for those in the most vulnerable situations — from jails and shelters to schools and transitional housing.

    Vision

    A world where menstruating with PCOS or fibroids never becomes a barrier to full participation in education, employment, or daily life, regardless of economic circumstance or institutional setting.

    The Problem: Period Poverty Crisis

    64%

    of women in a low-income urban sample could not afford menstrual products in the past year

    Source: Kuhlmann et al., Obstet Gynecol 2019
    46%

    had to choose between menstrual products and food in that same sample

    Source: Kuhlmann et al., Obstet Gynecol 2019

    Arizona-Specific Challenges

    In a low-income urban sample, 64% of women could not afford menstrual products in the past year

    Source: Kuhlmann et al., Obstet Gynecol 2019

    Arizona ranks among states with highest reported school absenteeism due to lack of menstrual supplies

    In rural and tribal communities, many Native women report inconsistent access to safe menstrual products

    Arizona still imposes sales tax on menstrual products, creating cost barriers

    Incarcerated women face limited access, often receiving insufficient monthly supplies

    PCOS and Fibroid-Specific Challenges

    Women with PCOS and fibroids face amplified period poverty due to heavier, more unpredictable bleeding

    PCOS
    8-13%

    of women of reproductive age are affected by PCOS

    Source: World Health Organization
    PCOS
    Up to 70%

    of PCOS cases worldwide go undiagnosed

    Source: World Health Organization
    Fibroids
    80% / 70%

    of Black women and nearly 70% of white women develop fibroids by age 50

    Source: Baird et al., Am J Obstet Gynecol 2003

    Our Solution: Flow Without Fear

    Universal Menstrual Product Access

    Free menstrual care kits with organic, reusable, and sustainable products through schools, clinics, prisons, public buildings, and mutual aid groups across Arizona's underserved communities.

    Education & Empowerment

    Menstrual equity workshops equipping participants with tools for understanding heavy bleeding, safe product use, hormonal links to menstrual health, and self-advocacy in medical settings.

    Policy Action & Advocacy

    Support and advocate for legislation to end the tampon tax, guarantee free menstrual products in institutions, and expand Medicaid coverage for menstrual health supplies.

    Policy Action Goals

    We support and advocate for local and national legislation

    End the tampon tax in Arizona

    Guarantee free menstrual products in schools, shelters, and correctional facilities

    Expand Medicaid coverage for menstrual health supplies

    Target Populations & Priority Locations

    Women and girls with diagnosed or suspected PCOS/fibroids in Arizona's most vulnerable settings

    Churches & Faith Communities

    Congregations hosting Emergency Flow Stations in their restrooms

    Church food pantries and clothing closets distributing period kits

    Women's ministries and youth groups hosting menstrual health workshops

    Faith-based outreach teams serving unsheltered neighbors

    Correctional Facilities

    Arizona state prisons and county jails serving incarcerated women

    Youth detention centers with female populations

    Federal detention facilities in Arizona

    Emergency & Transitional Housing

    Homeless shelters serving unsheltered individuals in Maricopa County

    Domestic violence shelters providing safety for women and families

    Transitional housing programs and halfway houses

    Emergency youth shelters serving runaway and homeless teens

    Educational Institutions

    Title I public schools in high-need districts (grades 6-12)

    Community colleges with significant BIPOC enrollment

    Universities serving low-income student populations

    Alternative education programs and continuation schools

    Healthcare Settings

    Title X clinics and community health centers

    Rural health clinics with limited resources

    Mental health facilities and residential treatment centers

    Geographic Priority Areas

    Our program's own planned budget allocation across Arizona communities — an internal program target, not a research finding.

    60%

    Maricopa County (Phoenix metro)

    Primary focus area with highest population density

    25%

    Pima County (Tucson area)

    Secondary focus area including border communities

    15%

    Rural Arizona counties

    Navajo, Apache, and Cochise counties priority

    Free Emergency Flow Stations

    Where to find free emergency flow kits across Arizona

    Free supplies available in restrooms and public spaces to ensure dignity and access. Select a region to see where our Emergency Flow Stations are hosted.

    • Community church restroom stations

      PhoenixFaith-based host site

    • Emergency & domestic violence shelters

      PhoenixShelter host site

    • Title I middle & high school nurse offices

      MesaSchool host site

    • Community health center restrooms

      GlendaleClinic host site

    • Community college campus restrooms

      TempeCampus host site

    Exact addresses and hours are shared on request so host sites keep control of their access rules. Contact us to find the station nearest you or to host one.

    Part of Flow Without Fear

    Request a Free Period Kit

    Through Flow Without Fear, we provide free 5-day period kits to women and girls in Maricopa and Pima County. Each kit includes pads, tampons, panty liners, feminine wipes, ibuprofen, a heating pad, pimple patches, a period health info card, and more — at no cost.

    • Serves all of Maricopa & Pima County
    • We respond within 2 hours of your request
    • Only a phone number and ZIP code are required
    Request Your Free Kit

    Free • Confidential • Delivered with dignity

    Join the Fight Against Period Poverty

    Help us ensure every woman and girl in Arizona has access to the menstrual products they need, when they need them, regardless of their circumstances.

    Sources & References

    Every statistic on this page is drawn from the peer-reviewed literature or federal public health data. Follow any link to read the original source.

    1. Unmet Menstrual Hygiene Needs Among Low-Income WomenKuhlmann AS, Peters Bergquist E, Danjoint D, Wall LL • Obstetrics & Gynecology2019 • In a low-income urban sample, 64% could not afford menstrual products in the past year and 46% had to choose between period products and food
    2. Polycystic ovary syndrome — fact sheetWorld Health Organization2025 • PCOS affects an estimated 8–13% of women of reproductive age; up to 70% are undiagnosed worldwide
    3. High cumulative incidence of uterine leiomyoma in black and white women: ultrasound evidenceBaird DD, Dunson DB, Hill MC, Cousins D, Schectman JM • American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology2003 • Ultrasound screening study; cumulative incidence by age 50 of >80% in Black women and ~70% in white women