The Case for Free Tampons and Pads in Schools

As of April 2024, twenty-seven states and Washington, DC provide students with free access to menstrual products in schools. This article addresses the continued need to advocate for free access to menstrual products for students across the United States. It is not just a matter of cost, but we must also address the stigma around menstruation. Period poverty in schools can deeply impact a student's quality of education.

Right now, there is little national data about teenagers' access to menstrual products. But what little information there is suggests the lack of access is worse for poor students. The only publicly available study tracking the impact of period poverty among U.S. teenage students, which was funded by PERIOD and Thinx, found that 23 percent of students have struggled to afford period products.

SOURCE: NPR • AUTHOR: Mansee Khurana • LAST UPDATED: December 2, 2021