Pads and tampons can be horrifically expensive, leading to differences in accessibility of period products. To remedy that, the school administration has begun providing free pads in the girls’ and gender neutral bathrooms in the last few months. “The district is supplying [plastic] dispensers, pads, and tampons for every female [and gender neutral] bathroom at our school,” school nurse Darcy Miccio Pace said.

Menstruators are in favor of the new upgrade in the bathrooms. “It’s a really good idea, and I support it,” said sophomore Safia Sabir. 

Two girls from Grandview High School, Annaliese Austin and Lauren Campell started the “Period Project” and earned the Silver Award from the Girl Scouts. Annaliese Austin and Lauran Campel were determined to end period poverty—a lack of access to sanitary products, at their school and schools around the district. Through an online store that sells graphic design necessities and a GoFundMe account, they earned enough money to buy pad dispensers for the girls’ bathrooms at their school and schools around the district.

The Period Project, benefits those that cannot afford sanitary products. 

Creek nurses in the East building used to provide pads in the bathrooms. However, due to the misuse, they stopped. “They would actually take them out of the [packaging], and stick them on the walls. I would see them on the walls when I did my bathroom checks,” ex security guard Andrea Davis said. 

This left no choice for menstruators to walk to either the East or West nurse’s office to collect pads. For some students it’s too far to talk in relation to the IC and the FA building. “It’s really annoying when we have to walk to the other buildings,” said sophomore Alani McQueen. 

Even though the pads are useful to menstruators, some are seen misusing it, and wasting them, said Sabir. Pads are witnessed scattered around the bathroom. “People are just stealing [the pads],” sophomore Arushi Kumar said. The fact that people are wasting and stealing such useful things is disappointing. 

School-provided sanitary products are a privilege that not every student has. Period Products In School says, on October 12th, 2022, Colorado is one the 17 states that passed legislation to ensure that schools provide menstruating students free access to sanitary products during school hours. The rest 33 states either have funding and no requirement, or no funding nor requirement. 

Almost 22 million women in the United States go through period poverty. According to Forbes’ article on Almost A Quarter of Students Struggle To Access Period Products, A New Study Finds, 23% of US teens suffer from period poverty because they cannot afford sanitary products. Some menstruators have two choices on what they have to spend their money on, food or pads for the month. Having free pads at schools leaves the money to be spent on food. 

The pads they stuck on the wall could have prevented someone from picking food over their hygiene.