A study in North Central Texas found what many already assume — homeless women are at a disadvantage when it comes to reproductive health
The study looked at women experiencing homelessness during June 2014 and July 2015. The 25-61 year olds in north central Texas served as a concentrated focus group for the plights that exist for women who are homeless.
“Women experiencing homelessness report higher rates of reproductive health-related traumas, including unplanned pregnancy, miscarriage, and abortion than their non-homeless peers,” explains the study.
In addition to lack of preventative reproductive health options, like birth control options, homeless women are also more susceptible to be forgotten in the fight for reproductive health rights.
According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, over 50,000 women are homeless nationwide. A Bustle special project found that in many cases these women, and the shelters they seek asylum in, are ill-equipped with sanitary options for menstrual cycles or other woman-specific reproductive needs.
The study emphasizes not only the need to implement systems that would assist those who are homeless, but to also partner those same systems with education and empowerment programs. Breaking the cycle of homelessness is oftentimes not achieved alone, instead it’s a community effort led through education and empathy.
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