The University of New Haven started implementing menstrual hygiene product dispensers in various bathrooms around campus as part of ongoing equity and accessibility efforts. The dispensers contain both pads and tampons to accommodate menstruation needs and are free to individuals who need them. Currently, these dispensers are in a select few men’s, women’s and gender-neutral bathrooms across campus. However, there are plans to expand the program. This program, implemented by the dean of student’s office, is one that I pushed for since the spring of 2022.
Menstrual hygiene products can be expensive and are considered luxury items rather than necessities, as Boston obstetrician and gynecologist and Harvard Medical school instructor Dr. Huma Farid wrote for Harvard Health Publishing in 2021. These products, Farid writes, are not covered under the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, which assists with necessities through SNAP, formerly food stamps and subsidies. She also wrote that menstruating individuals who cannot afford period products resort to cheaper alternatives, such as toilet paper or paper towels, and that has negative health implications for individuals, including toxic shock syndrome.
Attending college adds to economic stress and the need to pay for college along with trying to keep up with personal health can be costly. Some students may have to choose between paying for college and investing in their health and well-being. Making such compromises creates a further divide between poor and non-poor college students.
Three issues drove me to push to implement this program in all bathrooms around campus, regardless of gender. The first was not all people who menstruate identify as a woman. It is important to recognize this because a community cannot be healthy unless the needs of all are met equitably. Only focusing on women’s bathrooms ignores the needs of transgender individuals, thus creating a disconnect within the campus community. Secondly, this project aims to address health equity issues that directly affect those who do not have the resources or means to obtain menstrual hygiene products, such as people with lower incomes. Lastly, a period can start unexpectedly, and one may not have the proper products at that moment, regardless of socioeconomic status. This forces them to improvise and potentially put their health at risk.
Our school prides itself on its DEIAB initiatives; there are still many ways that it can improve, especially in terms of socioeconomic equity. However, this project is a huge step in the right direction. As stated in my project proposal to the university, “[putting] this program in place will mean huge progress for our school’s DEI efforts by catering to non-cisgender identifying students, the health and well-being of students who experience menstruation, and students of lower-income backgrounds.” As of now, free menstrual hygiene products can be found in the following bathrooms on campus:
● Bartels Campus Center 2nd Floor Men’s & Women’s Bathrooms (2)
● Bergami/Buckman Gender Inclusive Bathroom (1)
● Peterson Performance Center Gender Inclusive Bathroom (1)
● One Care Lane Gender Inclusive Bathroom (1)
● Westside Hall FOD Lobby Men’s and Women’s Bathrooms (2)
● Anemona & Steven Kaplan Hall Gender Inclusive Bathroom (1)