ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Kimberly Haven couldn't get the feminine hygiene products she needed in Maryland's only prison for women while serving a 15-month sentence, so she made her own using toilet paper.
She told Maryland lawmakers she suffered from toxic shock syndrome and needed an emergency hysterectomy after her release in 2015. Haven says it's the price women pay for bad policies.
Growing recognition of the problem has prompted states around the country to act to guarantee women free access to basic feminine hygiene products on request.
Each chamber of the Maryland legislature has passed its own version of the measure and both are expected to approve each other's so that it a bill can be sent to the governor.
