Partners in Prevention’s Go With the Flow is a collaboration among civic groups, schools, youth-serving organizations, faith communities, businesses, high school students, and others interested in decreasing period poverty and increasing menstrual equity for girls in the Longview area by providing menstrual products to students via school personnel and organizations. Go With the Flow meetings are held on the third Wednesday of each month at 1:30 p.m. (call 903-237-1019 for location) and are open to anyone interested in addressing menstrual equity in the greater Longview area.
What is Period Poverty?
Inaccessibility to safe and hygienic menstrual products or the inability to afford products during monthly cycles.
What is Menstrual Equity?
Menstrual Equity refers to equal and comprehensive access to menstrual products and education.
Why is this a concern in Longview?
In March 2024, Partners in Prevention hosted a meeting to hear from those highly engaged with youth based on informal conversations about whether period poverty exists in Longview. The findings showed it is a problem, and to a surprising level. Nationally, 1 in 5 girls misses school (one class up to several days) for lack of product accessibility. Statistics align with the schools in the Longview area, especially for economically disadvantaged students.
Community Needs Assessment Findings
In May 2024, Partners in Prevention emailed a survey to school nurses and counselors asking to what extent period poverty was a problem on their campus. Here are some of the results:
- Only 36.4% responded that their campus has a budget to purchase menstrual products for students. Slightly more than 27% reported no product budget, and 36.4% weren’t sure.
- Of those reporting that the school had a budget for products, only 50% replied that the budget lasted the entire school year.
- Ninety percent of respondents reported that menstrual products are stored in the nurses' office, with the remaining 10% located in the counselors’, coaches’, or main office.
- No schools stated they have a budget for take-home products for students who may not have access to products at home.
You can view the full report here. The Needs Assessment findings and feedback from collaboration members, or at collaboration meetings, from high school students and women of all ages positioned Partners in Prevention to move forward to serve as the backbone organization for Go With the Flow.
How can you help?
- Educate yourself about Period Poverty.
- Attend Go With the Flow meetings (1:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month).
- Share information to break the stigma and bring awareness to this preventable issue.
- Donate products. You can order products directly from our Wishlists. The products will be shipped directly to Partners in Prevention for distribution, or you can drop items off at 306 W. Whaley St. in Longview.
- Donate funds. Make a monetary contribution, and Partners in Prevention will shop for you. We'll purchase products and discreet bags for students. If they choose, teachers can accept bags with products to give to students to prevent lost class and school time by going to the nurses’ office.
