Combating period poverty: menstrual hygiene options for students

8 | SPIRITUALITY 9 | MENTAL HEALTH 10 | BEING QUEER

ELENI KOPSAFTIS

Period is not a dirty word. At the University of Guelph, students with periods have access to free menstrual hygiene products, an initiative that hopes to combat period poverty.

The availability of menstrual hygiene products on campus has fluctuated throughout the years. In the 90s, such products were removed from bathrooms at U of G, prompting the Guelph Resource Centre for Gender Empowerment and Diversity (GRCGED)–formerly the Women’s Resource Centre–to offer them at their office.

“At first we had mainstream pads and tampons, but added reusable pads and cups shortly after starting the program,” said Lori Guest, volunteer and resource coordinator for the GRCGED.

“Then we added unbleached pads and tampons to the mix.” She also told The Ontarion that in 2018 the CSA passed a motion to create a menstrual hygiene program. Ever since, students on campus can access free menstrual products in gendered and non-gendered bathrooms. The GRCGED also continues to offer products at their office.

“I think it is important that menstrual products are available on campus–either in washrooms or in centres like GRCGED, Wellness Education, and the CSA office–as there weren't any stores on campus that sold them for several years,” said Guest.

In 2018. the CSA created the menstrual hygiene program. CREDIT: PEXELS

“Another reason is something called period poverty. There are a lot of students that access the food bank on campus and other food programs in the community, and having to struggle to pay for menstrual products is a barrier for those students and inhibits their ability to access campus.”

A 2019 article by Family Medicine Physician Vanora D’Sa states that Canadian women spend up to $6,000 on menstrual hygiene products throughout their lifetime. For those hailing from rural communities, prices are often double that of products in larger cities.

“Canada eliminated the tax on menstrual hygiene products,” writes D’Sa.”However, the high cost of menstrual products still causes these essential items to be out of reach for homeless, low-income, and marginalized women.”

As such, the initiative to have menstrual hygiene products widely available at U of G also ensures that those with periods can more easily practice sanitary measures during their periods. Without them, unsanitary practices such as using the same tampon for extended periods of time can cause complications and infections.

And with such initiatives, students on campus can rest a little easier knowing they have resources should they need menstrual hygiene products when that time of the month inevitably comes.

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