Farmácia Popular distributes sanitary pads to vulnerable people – 01/18/2024 – Balance

The Federal Government began distributing sanitary pads to the 31,000 units of the Popular Pharmacy Program in the country.

The offer is valid for public school students (low-income), people living on the streets or in extreme vulnerability and the population housed in units of the prison system.

According to the Ministry of Health, the target audience comprises 24 million Brazilian or foreign women living in Brazil, aged between 10 and 49 years old, registered in the Single Registry (CadÚnico) and with a monthly family income of up to R$218 per person.

Students from public educational institutions must also be on CadÚnico, but the monthly family income per person is up to half the minimum wage (R$706). For those living on the streets, there is no income limit.

For those collected in units of the penal system, delivery will be coordinated and executed by the Ministry of Justice and Public Security.

The initiative is a result of the actions of the Program for the Protection and Promotion of Menstrual Health and Dignity already carried out by the Federal Government in 2023.

Data from the UN (United Nations) indicate that menstrual poverty, associated with the taboos that still surround this condition, can lead to school dropout and unemployment. In Brazil, one in four girls misses school during their menstrual period and around 4 million suffer from lack of hygiene in the school environment (access to sanitary pads, bathrooms and soap).

How to access the benefit

To collect the pad, simply go to an accredited Farmácia Popular unit, present an official identification document with CPF number and the Menstrual Dignity Program Authorization, in digital or printed format, which must be generated via the Meu app or website SUS Digital (new version of the Conecte SUS application), valid for 180 days.

The guidelines are available on the Meu SUS Digital page or on Dial Saúde 136. Purchases for children under 16 must be made by a legal guardian.

If you have difficulty accessing Meu SUS Digital or issuing authorization, simply go to a UBS (Basic Health Unit).

Homeless people can also go to Cras (Social Assistance Reference Centers) and Creas (Specialized Social Assistance Reference Center), POP Centers, (Specialized Reference Centers for Homeless Populations), reception centers and Street Consultancy teams.

As part of the Todas initiative, the Sheet gifts women with two months of free digital subscription