If you walked into a public restroom five years ago, you would see the traditional gray metal stalls, glossed white sinks and dull tile floors all accompanied by the hygiene box charging quarters for menstrual products. As students at East High School and across the state entered school restrooms upon returning from summer break, they were pleased to see an admirable new addition- period product dispensers, filled to the brim with hygiene products, that are free!

The Utah Period Project, a local nonprofit with the admirable and ambitious goal of ending period poverty across the state of Utah is the incredible cause of such a momentous occasion. Founded in 2019, Emily Bell McCormick started a Period Revolution, sprouting from her desire to help fix genuine issues in her community and create policies that would change lives for the better. With the goal to change the culture of bathrooms across the state, individuals and organizations involved with the Period Project began to take action. After years of advocation and state-wide support, on February 10, 2022, the Utah Legislature passed House Bill 162, requiring all public and charter schools in the state of Utah to provide period products in women and unisex bathrooms, free of charge. This increased access to free, safe, and good quality menstrual products has directly impacted thousands of students this year and uplifted communities across the state.

What prevented a state bill like this from being implemented earlier, and why is the lack of accessible period products still an issue if it affects 16.9 million citizens across the nation? The short answer to this is the irrational but stagnant stigma around menstruation that has been prevalent for decades. Negative connotations associated with menstruation has not only affected the treatment of women and girls, but has created barriers for their education, opportunities, experiences, and self-esteem. Students across America have been forced to miss school because of their period or have had to choose between hygiene products and food. Two rightful necessities. This stigma has contributed to the unnecessary and continual high price of period products, known as “Tampon Tax”. This is the consideration that menstrual products are luxury items are not necessities, making the taxes higher and products less accessible, especially to less fortunate families and youth.

The impact of period product dispensers at East High School has been profound. Fewer students are needing to miss school or worry about starting their periods without a hygiene product. Students report this new addition as “a very helpful thing to have around” and that it has “saved [her] multiple times!” Nonprofits like the Utah Period Project across the nation are eliminating the stigma state after state, creating a more supportive, inclusive, and empowered world. The implementation of Aunt Flow period product dispensers has had a largely positive impact at our school, removing the need for our peers to stay home for such a natural and vital occurrence. The Utah Period Project, Aunt Flow, and the Utah Legislature have truly provided a safety net for students and have eliminated much of the stress we often have around our periods. A big THANK YOU to everyone who is a part of these organizations, and to all those who help, support, and advocate; East High is very grateful!