BENTONVILLE, Ark. - s4story -- Every woman has a story. The time their period made an unexpected visit, or maybe they were just unprepared. Not being adequately prepared for a period can be devastating mentally, emotionally and physically to the menstruating person. Created with emergency protection in mind, femPAQ, the feminine emergency kit, launches to bring peace of mind to menstruation and close the period poverty gap.

Founded by April Roy, femPAQ was created to fulfill a friend's emergency need during a girls' trip.

"I was on a trip with friends when one of my friends got her period," said Roy. "We looked for a quick solution so that she could feel comfortable on her flight back to New York. There was nothing. She settled on pads and griped about not having enough room in her travel bag for them. Once home, I started researching to see if there was anything on the market that can assist during emergency situations like this. There was nothing. At that moment, I made it my mission to end period stigma and create period equity for all menstruators."

As a quick and easy solution to prevent embarrassing moments, femPAQ also serves a greater purpose.

Worldwide, there is a stigma against female hygiene, particularly menstruation. In the U.S. alone, 30 states have a tax on period solutions, also known as a "pink tax," because they are considered "nonessential" goods. Women living in poverty may have to choose between buying food for their children and buying period products, while girls may miss school while on their periods.

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"Having a period is not an option," said Roy. "Research shows 25 million women live in poverty in the U.S., but food stamps don't cover menstruating products. Globally, 1.25 billion women and girls do not have access to safe and private toilets. Without proper access, many menstruating people use inadequate substitutes like socks, newspapers, and even plastic bags in lue of period products."

Even today, women and girls don't have access to menstrual hygiene in everyday places, like work and school, and one in five collegiate girls suffer from period poverty. Discreetly packaged, the femPAQ emergency kits contain a pad, pair of black panties, a tampon, a liner, a wipe, ibuprofen and of course, chocolate.

To learn more about femPAQ, or make a period equity investment, visit https://fempaq.com/.

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About femPAQ
A woman-owned business, femPAQ was designed to bring comfort and peace of mind to the sensitive and very personal process of menstruation. Complete with period products like tampons, wipes, pads and panties, femPAQ puts the "shh…" back into the "oh, sh*t" moments. To learn more about femPAQ, visit https://fempaq.com/.