JACKSONVILLE, Fla.— The Center for Biological Diversity, Justice Advocacy Network, Jax Period Pantry and Central Florida Mutual Aid will give away sexual health emergency preparedness kits at Really, Really Free Markets in Jacksonville (Sept. 7), Tampa (Sept. 8) and Orlando (Sept. 29). The groups will also offer the kits in Miami at Yaya Por Vida’s mural and mobile unit unveiling event Sept. 27. September is FEMA Emergency Preparedness Month.
The kits are being distributed to highlight the importance of preparing for sexual and reproductive health disruptions during extreme weather events.
“Reproductive rights are under attack in Florida and fossil fuel-driven extreme weather is increasing, creating the perfect storm for Floridians’ sexual health,” said Kelley Dennings, a senior campaigner at the Center for Biological Diversity. “These kits provide essential items for people to take care of their sexual health during severe weather events. Since family planning is a climate change mitigation solution, they help build resilience, too.”
The kits include condoms, emergency contraception, period products, pregnancy tests and lubricant.
Extreme weather can limit access to abortions and birth control, making reproductive autonomy more difficult. Hurricane Katrina caused disruption in family planning services for young women in New Orleans even five to six months after the storm. At that time 40% of young women reported they weren’t using birth control and 4% experienced an unintended pregnancy because they couldn’t access care.
“With Florida’s extreme abortion laws, including the recent six-week ban, it’s critical that people have access to sexual health and hygiene products during extreme weather events,” said Kaitlyn Kirk, co-founder of Justice Advocacy Network. “The South’s deteriorating reproductive healthcare landscape is already affecting millions. Climate disasters exacerbate the situation by further hindering people’s financial stability and limiting access to vital services. These kits were created by Floridians for Floridians with this in mind.”
A study on the effects of Hurricane Ike in Texas found that Black women reported greater difficulty than their white or Hispanic counterparts in accessing contraception following the hurricane.
“Hygiene supplies can be limited during a disaster,” said Alyx Carrasquel, founder of the Jax Period Pantry. “It’s important for people to have menstrual products in their emergency preparedness kits so they aren’t left scrambling for essential products during already stressful times.”
The climate crisis has a disproportionate effect on women and gender-diverse people, but sexual and reproductive health concerns are often left out of emergency preparedness plans.
The kits are being distributed at Really, Really Free Markets to highlight the need to support community mutual aid in preparing for disasters and following extreme weather events in Florida.
"While we distribute condoms and emergency contraceptives for free all year long, we also do a lot of community work to prepare for and respond to hurricanes,” said Rachel Kinbar, an organizer with Central Florida Mutual Aid. “This project highlights the need to include these kinds of items in emergency prep kits and have them available for free, especially in under-resourced communities."
Florida is one of the states most at risk from climate change. The effects of rising greenhouse gas emissions are more harmful to women, gender-diverse people, and Black, Indigenous and all people of color, although these communities contribute less to climate change. This underscores the importance of supporting the needs of vulnerable communities during FEMA’s emergency preparedness month.
