It is about Bloody time!
The dread wraps around her body and settles in her stomach. Is she just sweaty? Is it discharge? Or is it…her period? These are the anxieties and worries that plague menstruating students across the world and keep them from being mentally present in school. Perhaps they go to the bathroom to check and maybe, by some miracle, they find a crumpled pad in their backpack. Or maybe they do not, and their only option is to walk sheepishly through campus to the health office, bleeding all the way there. Billions of individuals are made to feel ashamed every month by such a natural process when instead they should be able to menstruate with dignity. The enactment of the recent Menstrual Equity for All Act called for the offering of free menstrual products in public schools and beyond, a great first step in fighting period stigma. It was not until the Period Project was created on campus in 2022 that this conversation finally began at Peninsula.
It is imperative to understand that period products are not a luxury, but a medical necessity. Although dispensers were installed throughout campus in various bathrooms, functionality was minimal and they were not restocked throughout the year to account for usage. There can be a myriad of factors as to why the dispensers are not functional, including lack of allocated funding, lack of resources or it could just be that they cannot be bothered. Either way, it is absurd that a club had to be formed in order for the school to be pressured into taking action and properly supplying the dispensers with products. Going beyond being able to focus in school, period poverty is apparent throughout the U.S. with around 25% of menstruating persons struggling to afford menstrual products (Meng House). Legislation promoting accessibility and affordability have only recently started popping up in 2021 despite centuries of struggle and discomfort.
Menstrual products are as essential as toilet paper and should be provided with the same abundance. Previous legislation has required schools to show proof of having 40% of their student population experiencing poverty before providing funds for proper feminine hygiene products. This contingency mindset is what keeps menstruation legislation from reaching its potential. Some may say having free and accessible menstrual products in all schools is too optimistic of a goal, but to those who menstruate, it is an inalienable human right. Estimates from the National Organization of Women report that the typical menstruator has to spend an average of $20 per menstrual cycle. That is $20 less to spend on food, rent and other necessary costs every month, which can make a huge difference in someone’s life. Menstruating people should not suffer financially from a process in which they have no choice.
Period poverty disproportionately affects people of color and their standard of living. As the prices of period products balloon from inflation, those living in economically disadvantaged areas are forced to turn to other alternatives. According to a survey conducted by the organization Parents, 20% of Black people have to resort to utilizing toilet paper and fabrics. Although the Menstrual Equity for All Act provides traction, a rough trail has to be trekked in order to provide equitable opportunities for everyone. It is of utmost importance to educate the population on the facts of periods and their effect on the well-being of a substantial portion of the public. Periods should not be whispered as a secret that travels from an ear, to an open palm, to a trash can wrapped in toilet paper. The stigmatization of periods must end. Society needs to do its part to ensure the comfort of a process that should have been naturalized a long time ago. It is about bloody time.
