Availability of Feminine Products in Elon Restrooms

Allowing women of all ages to have free and convenient access to feminine products should be something more people are focusing on. The average woman uses about 250 feminine products a year, accounting for about 6K in a woman's menstrual lifetime purely dedicated to feminine products. This does not account for any type of birth control or other costs that can be associated with a woman's period. 

Back in 2019, Elon students came together to pass a bill allowing for a specific amount of feminine products to be stationed in bathrooms throughout campus. But, the problem here is that their availability is very slim. In reality, about one bathroom per building (if that) contains feminine products. How is this helpful? An article posted by Elon News Network stated that only 15 bathrooms around campus had any form of feminine products available in them. Elon's campus is home to 34 academic buildings. There is not even one bathroom per building that holds feminine products. The same article went on to speak about how Elon provides 2,250 products per month, which are divided among the 15 bathrooms that provide products (Eisner). Many female students have admitted to not even knowing that there were feminine products in bathrooms around campus. They should be putting these products in every bathroom, not just some; a woman's menstrual cycle is not going to wait until she is in a bathroom with feminine products. 

On a college campus, many students are also financially independent, and buying feminine products is, sadly, not cheap. Some women cannot afford them, and having the availability of products like this around campus is such an important thing for female students. At a school, with a student body consisting of over 60% women, you would think that feminine products would be much more readily available. 

With the feminine products that are currently stationed around campus, there comes concern about their quality. We at The Edge are not saying that they should have to break the bank for the best tampons on the line, but most girls can agree that a piece of cardboard is not the most comfortable option. A lot more students would use the products provided if they were made from a better material; even no-name drug store feminine products would do the trick. In addition, the product dispenser displays a sign that says “only use for emergencies,” which creates a stigma around using these products. Women should feel comfortable in their own skin — especially when it comes to their menstrual cycle. It is important that women feel comfortable using these products and not as if they are being judged or if they are a burden. 

The availability of feminine products in our university bathrooms is something that needs to become destigmatized and more available in all bathrooms around campus, not just a select few. With the overall 9% increase in Elon’s tuition, we would hope that they would derive some of those new funds to replenishing and growing the supplies of feminine products and increasing their quality.