One of the most prominent groups fighting the stigma against menstruation is PERIOD The Menstrual Movement. Founded by Nadia Okamoto and Vincent Forand when they were in high school, PERIOD is a non-profit organization that has grown nationally and strives to educate people about menstrual inequality.

One of the best aspects of PERIOD is that it is fairly simple for anyone to start a chapter in their community. There are chapters in over 40 states and 20 countries, including the one at Fontbonne of which I am president.

One of PERIOD’s main goals is to eliminate the tampon tax in the United States. They constantly host advocacy events, such as workshops on how to meet with ̀local legislators to discuss repealing the tampon tax. They believe that “period poverty is a public health crisis,” and that “this is a systemic issue, so in order to find sustainable solutions, we must look at legislative action.”

Pronounced "Free Period", this organization was founded by Kenzie Blackwell who is both a menstrual activist and a parishioner at St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church. She was shocked to learn how many people in her hometown of Higham, Massachusetts are in dire need of menstrual products, and the unsettling reality of just how close the threat of period poverty is. She decided to start a “permanent ministry dedicated to getting period products to the people who need them”. She argues that menstruation should not be an unmentionable issue in Church, saying “Our bodies are divinely created, and every function is intentional. . . There is no shame in creation.” The movement has sparked inspiration among many other ministries across the U.S. that have taken their own steps to promote menstrual equity such as providing free period kits to local high schools, or converting churches into free period stores. Blackwell says that, at first, many of her patrons were “visibly uncomfortable talking about menstruation in church.” However, the movement soon caught on as people quickly realized that if we are taught not to be ashamed to ask the Catholic Church for food, then there should be no shame in asking for menstrual products.