Ladies, think about the last time you were caught off guard during your time of the month. That time when you didn't have access to a feminine product and it felt like the end of the world. Maybe experienced this at school, at work, at a game, or possibly on vacation. In any case it is a stressful, traumatizing, and mortifying experience you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy. Many public restrooms now allow for these feminine products to be easily accessed through vending machines or coin operated dispensers but often enough these machines either don't exist or are empty. In this instance you probably improvised and hoped either nobody would notice or sent the sign of distress to a friend, co-worker, or sympathetic bystander. But what if there was a way to end this embarrassment. What if there was a way to make sure that no one feels the same way you did? Would you do what you could to put an end to it?

Well now there is...and they're making progress. Free the Tampons is an organization/campaign working to educate businesses and schools the importance of providing free feminine products just as they do other amenities such as toilet paper, paper towels, soap, and seat liners. Students from schools across the United States are demanding that free feminine products be stocked in bathrooms and administrators are responding. Schools like University of Arizona, University of Minnesota, newly added Brown University, among dozens of others are beginning to respond to the cry for free feminine products in restrooms across the country. Finally colleges and universities are not only worried about sexual/reproductive health but also basic female health as well.

There are many ways to get involved. I challenge you to go to your school's administration, your boss, a CEO even, and demand they provide these essential amenities to everyone. Feminine products are not a luxury, they are an essential part of life and should be treated as such. Don't let someone experience the frustration and embarrassment of being unprepared when your time has come. Be confident in knowing that you are protected.

For more information on this campaign, to get involved, or to read stories posted by people around the country go to freethetampons.org