Welcome! If you’re new to my vagina talk series, check out parts one and two to see what this series is all about. If you’ve been here before, welcome back, and thanks for joining me on this journey to end the stigma surrounding vaginas. This week, we’re going to be talking about an incredible up-and-coming company called Conscious Period.

Conscious Period’s mission is simple: provide menstrual products that are safe to use, while also providing products to women in need. Women are 25 percent more likely to live in poverty than men (cough, wage gap, cough). This means that these women might not have (consistent) access to pads, tampons, or even a bathroom to use while they’re on their periods. Conscious Period donates a box of pads to a woman in need for every purchase of a box of tampons. These products are made with 100 percent natural cotton, a BPA-free plastic applicator, and no dyes or chemicals. Pretty spectacular, if you ask me.

When homeless women do not have access to menstrual products, they are putting their bodies at risk for infections and diseases. According to Conscious Period, "Without access to period products these women resort to using unsanitary socks and rags." This exposure to the socks and rags puts women at risk for cervical cancer and HPV, along with other vaginal infections.

Unfortunately, menstrual products are often the least available products for homeless women, despite the medical need for them. These products often come with a luxury tax (because, apparently, using products that typically contain carcinogens and other toxins to soak up blood and uterine lining is a luxury), and are not covered by food stamps, further obstructing availability to homeless women and women in need.

You might be asking a question that I had when I first learned about this company's mission: Why do they only donate pads? What if a homeless woman wants to use tampons? According to Conscious Period, homeless women prefer pads over tampons because "pads can be used for a longer period of time, ... are more convenient to change, even if there is no bathroom available, ... [and] pose fewer hygiene challenges."

What can you do to help? Buy a box of Conscious Period tampons for yourself, and they will donate a box of pads to a homeless woman. You'll both get comfortable, safe, and eco-friendly products.

Periods are natural, so we should have access to natural, safe menstrual products.