T* wakes up to the sound of cars honking around her. Blinking her eyes, she stretches her arms and yawns. The air is fraught with the smell of gasoline. The crisp breeze is cruel and merciless, blowing scattered litter around and causing goosebumps to arise on T’s skin. Her head throbs, and her body is sore from spending the night lying on the hard concrete. It is only when she musters up the courage to stand, that she feels a sharp pain in her lower stomach, causing her to hunch over in distress. She closes her eyes and inhales shakily; her menstrual cycle has begun.
While that may not sound like a big deal to many, the conditions of T’s life dictate that her menstrual cycle is always an issue. A woman in her thirties, she is homeless, living with her dog Sweetie and partner on the streets of San Francisco. Unable to financially support herself, she spends her days searching for food and money.
T’s situation, however, is not unique. Studies done by the city of San Francisco show that over 8,000 residents of San Francisco are homeless, almost 3,000 of which are female.
During their menstrual cycles, homeless women rely on free cups of water from fast-food restaurants, the usage of public restrooms, and other public utilities to keep clean. Unable to afford necessary feminine products, their hygiene suffers and causes them to become much more vulnerable to diseases throughout the duration of their period.
Each day spent on their period is unpredictable and brings forth a new set of challenges. Homeless women constantly need to adapt.
“Every day is so different,” T said. “We get ourselves whatever it is that we need to [get to deal with our periods], and then we go get something to eat.”
T’s head throbs and feelings of nausea threaten to spill over. Her head instinctively turns towards her partner, who is still sleeping soundly. Scratching her dog’s head, she smiles momentarily.Â
“Sweetie,” she says before she feels another sharp pain in her lower abdomen.
Clutching her stomach, T crosses the street and walks down the road to the nearest Burger King.
Pulling the large double doors open, she steps inside the warm building, the smell of cooked potatoes immediately enveloping her.Â
As she awaits her turn in line, T thinks back to her life before homelessness. It wasn’t always like this.
It started to go downhill when mental health issues arose in T’s life, causing her to drop out of school. Left with no financial stability, T had to accustom herself to life on the streets. She now suffers from addiction as well.Â
When her turn comes, T steps forward and places her hands on the counter.
She asks for a cup of water.
According to Marlon Di, an employee at a local Burger King in San Francisco, around 10 women come in every day, each asking for a free cup of water. Some need it for their menstrual cycles, others just to stay hydrated.
They are usually dressed in tattered clothing and smell of body odor and gasoline.Â
Some come in holding the hands of their children, while others come alone.
Burger King’s policy is to provide anyone with a free cup of water if they ask for one. However, it is not illegal to refuse this. As California law states, as long as someone is not being unlawfully discriminated against, restaurants can set whatever policy they’d like, which includes refusing someone a glass of water.
“Some of [the homeless women are] with their children,” Di said. “[They’re] like, ‘Can you give me some water?’ and I’ll just give it to them.”Â
After thanking the clerk for the cup of water, T makes her way to the bathroom. She cleans herself as best she can, not wanting to occupy the bathroom for longer than necessary.
T grabs a few sheets of toilet paper. Layering them onto each other, she folds the corners upwards, creating a cup-like shape to hold in the blood.
Although T tries her best to purchase feminine products when her menstrual cycle comes, more often than not, it is simply not a possibility for her given her financial state.
Having access to toilet paper is also a privilege for T. She can recall many times when she’s had to rely on mere rainfall to keep herself clean during her menstrual cycle due to the high cost of feminine products.
“If I didn’t have to buy [feminine products], I would eat,” T said. “I would use [the money] for food and toiletries.”
One regular pack of pads designed for the lightest flow averages between $10 and $20, which forces women like T to think outside the box. Some use toilet paper, while others use things such as socks, cotton balls, magazines, and more.
These materials are often dirty and uncomfortable, resulting in rashes and various diseases.
Not all women use restaurant bathrooms to clean themselves. Some use public toilets like the ones at parks.
San Francisco has also recently converted a parking lot into a place for homeless people to stay. Tents have been put up over the entire area, and bathrooms with showers are provided to those who stay there.
“I do have access to showers during the weekdays,” T said. “But I have been without that access, and it was extremely difficult.”
However, the area, T claims, is mismanaged. Those with severe mental health issues are not allowed to stay there, and pets aren’t allowed either.
“I think it’s pretty unfair, the way things are handled in the system,” T said. “Specifically, people who have psychological or mental health issues are not taken into consideration at all.”
While T is still able to take refuge there, her partner and dog cannot. Not wanting to be away from them, she chooses not to stay there.
This predicament thins out T’s options drastically and makes her life that much more complicated.
“[There should be] standard, operating procedures for specific situations with people who have mental health on the record,” T said, in regards to the new area that the city has opened.
