Provide Pads in Restrooms in Shrewsbury High School
Provide Pads in Restrooms in Shrewsbury High School
The Issue
According to statistics shown for the 2023-2024 school year, 54% of Shrewsbury High School’s student population were assigned female at birth, while the total enrollment is 1,834 students. This means that there are roughly 990 students who menstruate. We are extremely fortunate that our school is able to provide menstrual hygiene products for free, and we are grateful to the administration and the nurses’ office for providing this. However, during this year’s Town Hall meeting that took place on the 21st of November, an issue was pointed out by a student: there are none in the restrooms.
If someone is experiencing a period, they have to walk all the way to the nurse’s office for a pad—a situation that can easily make them a victim of public humiliation and embarrassment, especially if they bleed through. Although they can alternatively go to a grade administrator’s office, this still has room for improvement, as they are not only having to directly ask for a pad but may also still need to walk across the main hallway twice if they are coming from the B-wing. Plus, asking for pads can make people feel uncomfortable. Menstruation has always been a stigmatized topic amongst students. Many young people do not want to discuss this topic with their peers in fear of being ridiculed or mocked, especially amongst those who do not experience periods and may not take these students seriously. Although our society is progressing towards inclusivity and acceptance, there is still much to fix today. While Shrewsbury has done a wonderful job in educating its students about menstruation and has always upheld standards about how such topics should be treated, many of its circumstances are still an inconvenience to people who menstruate. Due to the fact that many students have grown up avoiding the topic of menstruation and keeping it secretive, it can be incredibly anxiety-inducing for them to address it, especially to an adult with a high position in our school. Most of us do not interact with our grade administrators nor the nurses on a daily basis; it is naturally hard for anyone to approach people they barely interact with about something so personal. Asking for something that should be a basic human need may also feel degrading–such a product should be readily available to all who need it, not asked for.
As for the cost of menstrual products, costs can be saved by reallocating some of the pads that are currently in the offices of administrators and the nurses to the restrooms instead so students do not have to make the trip across the hallway or risk embarrassment or shame by having to ask someone else. We understand that this may not be feasible; however, it is not entirely unreasonable to request that schools also fund any more menstrual pads that may need to be purchased due to it being a health necessity the same way that band-aids and paper towels are bought. Toilet paper can be used instead of pads, but that is unsanitary and is inefficient most of the time, as students may need to make multiple trips to use an abundance of toilet paper (it’s very thin) when one trip for a pad would have been sufficient for the same time frame. Purchasing more pads would not only be more efficient and hygienic, but also should be a basic health necessity. Just this year, Governor Murphy of New Jersey passed a bill (S-1221/A-1349) that would require all public schools serving grades 6-12 to provide free menstrual products to students in at least half of all female and gender neutral bathrooms. Any costs or debts resulting from schools attending to their students’ needs would be paid by the State. Assemblywoman Mosquera states, “Menstrual products are not a luxury, but a necessity. Providing students with menstrual products is not only the right thing to do, but it is also good public policy that has been proven to lower school absentee rates. I thank Governor Murphy for signing this legislation, which will ensure future generations of New Jersey students have access to proper hygiene products.”
New Jersey is just one of places in the country advocating for menstrual equality, echoing many more. According to Alliance for Period Supplies, 19 states in the United States require all public schools to supply menstrual supplies free of charge, 9 of which have state governments that directly fund the schools.
With all these circumstances considered, it is not the first time requests have been made for Shrewsbury High to provide menstrual hygiene products in bathrooms. Much of the denials include reasons such as “dispensers are expensive to install”, “these products can be misused and create a mess”, and “they can just ‘disappear.’” Here are some counter arguments as to why dispensers should still be provided.
We first start with the concerns regarding money and the district’s budget. While we can acknowledge that money is scarce in today’s economy, especially with rising inflation, we also believe that ensuring the safety and comfort of every student should be the school’s top priority. 86% of people who menstruate have started their periods unexpectedly in public (Alliance for Period Supplies). It is not unrealistic to take steps towards helping these individuals. In fact, if it’s the cost of the dispensers that stops the school from installing them, we can simply use some buckets or containers that people can just pick up supplies from. The goal at the end of the day is to help students get through their day without any disruption to their education, this does not have to be accomplished with fancy dispensers. As the student at the Town Meeting acknowledged, cheap plastic buckets can be placed instead of dispensers; the main issue is the ease of access. To save costs, some of the pads that are currently in the offices of administrators and the nurses can be reallocated to the girls restroom instead. It is much more efficient so students do not have to make the trip across the hallway or potentially feel embarrassment or shame—although, there should be no shame or stigma attached—with having to ask someone else. (Just because students should not feel embarrassed does not mean that they always won’t.) Additionally, students staying back after school for clubs or sports may not have access to pads either, and by then, the nurses office will have been closed. Pads in restrooms would ensure that they have access to hygiene products without having to drive back home, wait for their ride home to arrive as well as the drive back home, walk, or wait for the late bus as well as the ride back home. Plus, students in gym or health classes would have much easier access as well; any trip to an office with menstrual products would require either a long trip, confrontation(s), or a combination of both.
During the Town Meeting, our principal voiced concerns that making pads readily available in bathrooms could lead to theft or sudden disappearance. We would like to point out that if a student is “stealing” such things from the school, there is a good chance that they are struggling to purchase these products themselves. According to a study conducted in 2021, nearly 1 in 4 students have struggled to afford period products in the US (https://period.org/uploads/State-of-the-Period-2021.pdf Considering that these dispensers would only be found in women’s restrooms, all who go there will either be in need of these pads or understand why they are there at the very least. It is irrational to believe anyone would commit theft or that these products would just disappear; if these products are disappearing, it means that students are using them. They are not simply to be put back into the basket. A potential way to prevent possible vandalism would be to place the basket by the trash can seen when one enters the restroom; hall monitors would be able to see those who take pads, and if someone is ripping up several pads to stick into the walls, the sounds would be very obvious as pads make a loud sound when torn off of the wrapping plastic. However, we acknowledge that not all students would be okay with that due to the privacy issues, so it would be best to implement this in the chance that issues do arise. Furthermore, many commonplace items found in a bathroom pose a risk of being misused. Just 2 years ago, there was a TikTok trend by the name of “devious lick” where participants would steal things from their public schools’ bathrooms and/or vandalize them. These items included soap, paper towel dispensers, mirrors, and even the doors of stalls. It appears unfair to reject the idea of providing pads out of the fear that they will create a mess. Messes will happen regardless, with hall passes littered on the floor, feces stained on the walls, graffiti on the stalls made by pencils, and more. The issue is not the existence of free pads in the restrooms to students but the irresponsible students themselves. Furthermore, the belief of misbehavior of a small minority—who also experience periods—should not be a reason to punish the majority. If the idea of asking your nurse for soap or toilet paper seems humorous or strange to you, the same logic should be applied to feminine hygiene products. We should not let fear dictate our decisions.
Last but not least, we realize that this petition could reach a wide audience, and perhaps you do not attend a school that provides materials at all. You may not experience periods, and you may not think that schools should be involved in providing menstruation products. We have attached some additional resources below for this reason, so that you can be better informed about what you are signing for.
Thank you for your time, and please make your voice be heard!
Instagram account: shspadpetition
Email: shspaddispenserpetition@gmail.com
Sources/Additional information:
https://www.npr.org/2021/12/02/1056830306/free-tampons-public-schools
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9580679/
https://www.freethetampons.org/
https://allianceforperiodsupplies.org/period-products-in-schools/
285
The Issue
According to statistics shown for the 2023-2024 school year, 54% of Shrewsbury High School’s student population were assigned female at birth, while the total enrollment is 1,834 students. This means that there are roughly 990 students who menstruate. We are extremely fortunate that our school is able to provide menstrual hygiene products for free, and we are grateful to the administration and the nurses’ office for providing this. However, during this year’s Town Hall meeting that took place on the 21st of November, an issue was pointed out by a student: there are none in the restrooms.
If someone is experiencing a period, they have to walk all the way to the nurse’s office for a pad—a situation that can easily make them a victim of public humiliation and embarrassment, especially if they bleed through. Although they can alternatively go to a grade administrator’s office, this still has room for improvement, as they are not only having to directly ask for a pad but may also still need to walk across the main hallway twice if they are coming from the B-wing. Plus, asking for pads can make people feel uncomfortable. Menstruation has always been a stigmatized topic amongst students. Many young people do not want to discuss this topic with their peers in fear of being ridiculed or mocked, especially amongst those who do not experience periods and may not take these students seriously. Although our society is progressing towards inclusivity and acceptance, there is still much to fix today. While Shrewsbury has done a wonderful job in educating its students about menstruation and has always upheld standards about how such topics should be treated, many of its circumstances are still an inconvenience to people who menstruate. Due to the fact that many students have grown up avoiding the topic of menstruation and keeping it secretive, it can be incredibly anxiety-inducing for them to address it, especially to an adult with a high position in our school. Most of us do not interact with our grade administrators nor the nurses on a daily basis; it is naturally hard for anyone to approach people they barely interact with about something so personal. Asking for something that should be a basic human need may also feel degrading–such a product should be readily available to all who need it, not asked for.
As for the cost of menstrual products, costs can be saved by reallocating some of the pads that are currently in the offices of administrators and the nurses to the restrooms instead so students do not have to make the trip across the hallway or risk embarrassment or shame by having to ask someone else. We understand that this may not be feasible; however, it is not entirely unreasonable to request that schools also fund any more menstrual pads that may need to be purchased due to it being a health necessity the same way that band-aids and paper towels are bought. Toilet paper can be used instead of pads, but that is unsanitary and is inefficient most of the time, as students may need to make multiple trips to use an abundance of toilet paper (it’s very thin) when one trip for a pad would have been sufficient for the same time frame. Purchasing more pads would not only be more efficient and hygienic, but also should be a basic health necessity. Just this year, Governor Murphy of New Jersey passed a bill (S-1221/A-1349) that would require all public schools serving grades 6-12 to provide free menstrual products to students in at least half of all female and gender neutral bathrooms. Any costs or debts resulting from schools attending to their students’ needs would be paid by the State. Assemblywoman Mosquera states, “Menstrual products are not a luxury, but a necessity. Providing students with menstrual products is not only the right thing to do, but it is also good public policy that has been proven to lower school absentee rates. I thank Governor Murphy for signing this legislation, which will ensure future generations of New Jersey students have access to proper hygiene products.”
New Jersey is just one of places in the country advocating for menstrual equality, echoing many more. According to Alliance for Period Supplies, 19 states in the United States require all public schools to supply menstrual supplies free of charge, 9 of which have state governments that directly fund the schools.
With all these circumstances considered, it is not the first time requests have been made for Shrewsbury High to provide menstrual hygiene products in bathrooms. Much of the denials include reasons such as “dispensers are expensive to install”, “these products can be misused and create a mess”, and “they can just ‘disappear.’” Here are some counter arguments as to why dispensers should still be provided.
We first start with the concerns regarding money and the district’s budget. While we can acknowledge that money is scarce in today’s economy, especially with rising inflation, we also believe that ensuring the safety and comfort of every student should be the school’s top priority. 86% of people who menstruate have started their periods unexpectedly in public (Alliance for Period Supplies). It is not unrealistic to take steps towards helping these individuals. In fact, if it’s the cost of the dispensers that stops the school from installing them, we can simply use some buckets or containers that people can just pick up supplies from. The goal at the end of the day is to help students get through their day without any disruption to their education, this does not have to be accomplished with fancy dispensers. As the student at the Town Meeting acknowledged, cheap plastic buckets can be placed instead of dispensers; the main issue is the ease of access. To save costs, some of the pads that are currently in the offices of administrators and the nurses can be reallocated to the girls restroom instead. It is much more efficient so students do not have to make the trip across the hallway or potentially feel embarrassment or shame—although, there should be no shame or stigma attached—with having to ask someone else. (Just because students should not feel embarrassed does not mean that they always won’t.) Additionally, students staying back after school for clubs or sports may not have access to pads either, and by then, the nurses office will have been closed. Pads in restrooms would ensure that they have access to hygiene products without having to drive back home, wait for their ride home to arrive as well as the drive back home, walk, or wait for the late bus as well as the ride back home. Plus, students in gym or health classes would have much easier access as well; any trip to an office with menstrual products would require either a long trip, confrontation(s), or a combination of both.
During the Town Meeting, our principal voiced concerns that making pads readily available in bathrooms could lead to theft or sudden disappearance. We would like to point out that if a student is “stealing” such things from the school, there is a good chance that they are struggling to purchase these products themselves. According to a study conducted in 2021, nearly 1 in 4 students have struggled to afford period products in the US (https://period.org/uploads/State-of-the-Period-2021.pdf Considering that these dispensers would only be found in women’s restrooms, all who go there will either be in need of these pads or understand why they are there at the very least. It is irrational to believe anyone would commit theft or that these products would just disappear; if these products are disappearing, it means that students are using them. They are not simply to be put back into the basket. A potential way to prevent possible vandalism would be to place the basket by the trash can seen when one enters the restroom; hall monitors would be able to see those who take pads, and if someone is ripping up several pads to stick into the walls, the sounds would be very obvious as pads make a loud sound when torn off of the wrapping plastic. However, we acknowledge that not all students would be okay with that due to the privacy issues, so it would be best to implement this in the chance that issues do arise. Furthermore, many commonplace items found in a bathroom pose a risk of being misused. Just 2 years ago, there was a TikTok trend by the name of “devious lick” where participants would steal things from their public schools’ bathrooms and/or vandalize them. These items included soap, paper towel dispensers, mirrors, and even the doors of stalls. It appears unfair to reject the idea of providing pads out of the fear that they will create a mess. Messes will happen regardless, with hall passes littered on the floor, feces stained on the walls, graffiti on the stalls made by pencils, and more. The issue is not the existence of free pads in the restrooms to students but the irresponsible students themselves. Furthermore, the belief of misbehavior of a small minority—who also experience periods—should not be a reason to punish the majority. If the idea of asking your nurse for soap or toilet paper seems humorous or strange to you, the same logic should be applied to feminine hygiene products. We should not let fear dictate our decisions.
Last but not least, we realize that this petition could reach a wide audience, and perhaps you do not attend a school that provides materials at all. You may not experience periods, and you may not think that schools should be involved in providing menstruation products. We have attached some additional resources below for this reason, so that you can be better informed about what you are signing for.
Thank you for your time, and please make your voice be heard!
Instagram account: shspadpetition
Email: shspaddispenserpetition@gmail.com
Sources/Additional information:
https://www.npr.org/2021/12/02/1056830306/free-tampons-public-schools
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9580679/
https://www.freethetampons.org/
https://allianceforperiodsupplies.org/period-products-in-schools/
285
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Petition created on December 16, 2023