Earlier this month, New York City became the first major city in the United States to approve a bill that would give all women in public schools, prisons and homeless shelters access to menstrual products free of charge. While undoubtedly this was a monumental leap in menstrual activism for the country, it is an action that should be followed in more bathrooms across the country, because as a woman, I'll come out and say it - having to shell out an extra few bucks each month for something as necessary as a pad or tampon is another reason to add to the list of why I'm moody AF every 28 days. And for those who are struggling financially, it really is a hassle to put out money like this for something that should be free. A pad or tampon isn't a luxury - it's a need.
Alright, let’s rewind to middle school (and why public schools should offer free sanitary products for girls). I put myself in the position of a middle school girl who just got her period unexpectedly. Now, for those of you reading who lack the necessary lady parts or do not fall into this age range of monthly moodiness, try to picture yourself in the place of a 12-year-old girl who goes to use the bathroom during class, only to find quite the mess in her underwear. She’s in a rough situation and she needs a tampon, a sanitary napkin and maybe a chocolate bar immediately (I know what you're thinking - "Is she really writing this?" "Is she really talking about periods on the internet?" That's ludicrous of her!).
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I remember being in this girl's spot. Having a freak out in my school bathroom stall because mother nature had decided to visit me at the worst possible time and I didn’t have a pad or tampon on me. I also didn’t have 50 cents on me to purchase one from the machine in my school bathroom, which 75 percent of the time, would just eat up students' lunch money and not return them with one of those cheap and comfortable cotton products.
While now, I’m more susceptible to my body and when I may or may not be expecting my period, a lot of women aren’t. And at 14, I didn’t know what was going on with my body. Heck, I didn’t even know what was going on in Algebra class. And then BAM, my period would come, I’d be unprepared, I would build some makeshift sanitary napkin out of toilet paper and then run back to class asking all of my girlfriends if they had spare change to purchase an extra pad or tampon for me. Crossing my fingers it wouldn’t bleed through my pants (I KNOW, SO GROSS). A good public school would have had these necessary products readily available.
It was embarrassing, but also I know I’m not the only one this has happened to. I’ve been asked several times by friends of mine if I had an extra pad or tampon or to check their backside to make sure they were good. It’s practically girl code. Even if I didn’t like a girl, and she needed a tampon, I would give it to her because no girl should ever have to suffer like that. It’s a necessity and it’s such a hassle that these products are not easily available for women in public restrooms. While some public bathrooms have machines where women can put money in, some don’t and it leaves a woman on her period in a helpless situation. If bathrooms can be stocked with rolls and rolls of toilet paper, would it be outrageous if feminine products were also offered? Sometimes, we ladies forget to pack an extra few pads in our backpacks or briefcases in the morning and then we have to face the repercussions (like embarrassing stains in the back of our pants).
So bottom line, thank you to the strong females in the New York City council for this historic period progress, but we need more. We need free tampons and pads in ALL public schools, homeless shelters and correctional facilities. They're a necessity, and making progress in one city is great, but we need more period progress. All females, no matter where located, have to deal with these dilemmas.
Women shouldn't have to be throwing money away every month for something as necessary as a pad or tampon, especially if money is a struggle for them. Young girls shouldn't have to freak out in their school bathrooms and resort to tying a sweater around their backside to hide their blooper because it was so hard for them to find a sanitary product.
Oh, and maybe free candy bars should be provided also (but yeah, that’s up for debate). Promote period progress!
Disclaimer: this was not written under the influence of me being moody and having a lot of 'feels.'
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