Menstruation is Not Black and White - and "The Red Thread" is an art form by the former non-profit, RedLinedRI.org, founded by me, Erin (EJ) Nascimento in Rhode Island. One of our core missions is to reduce period poverty, stigma, and school absences caused by insufficient access to menstrual supplies.

The purpose of this project is to raise awareness about how young many students are when menstruation begins. Each time we receive a response, we add a symbolic string to our growing tapestry, representing the lived experiences of menstruation across Rhode Island.

We collect no identifying information beyond zip code. This allows us to observe geographic trends in access and need. Based on the responses we've received, age range, grade level, and school type (elementary, middle, or high school) vary significantly from one city to another, making zip code data especially valuable.