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UT organizations provide free menstrual products, but are they available when students need them most?
Maybe your period came early, or maybe you forgot to bring a spare pad or tampon with you, or maybe your menstrual cycle is just unpredictable. Getting caught off-guard without the necessary hygienic products is a frustrating experience, and anyone who menstruates likely goes through it at least once in their lives.
For those who struggle with period poverty, which refers to an inability or struggle to afford menstrual products, lacking necessary menstrual products is a monthly struggle. 36% of a sample group of participants reported having to choose between buying period products or other basic needs according to a study published in Women’s Health in August of 2024, .
Regardless of the reason, finding yourself without necessary menstrual products is never ideal. Thankfully, UT’s campus does provide menstrual products free of charge at certain locations.
The main force behind UT’s free menstrual products is “PERIOD. @UTK”, which is the campus chapter of the global organization PERIOD. This chapter was founded by UT alumni Rachel Schutte during her time as a senior in order to battle period inequality and educate the campus on these issues which she details in an interview for “The Daily Beacon.”
PERIOD. @UTK maintains two areas where they provide free menstrual products. The first is in the all-gender restroom on the first floor of the Student Health Center, and the second is in various restrooms in Hodges Library. For more information on this club, visit their VolLink or follow them on Instagram at period.utk.
However, there is one other spot on the engineering side of campus. On the first floor of the Zeanah Engineering Complex, the all-gender restroom is stocked with free menstrual products provided by the Tickle College of Engineering Office of Student Success.
While these efforts are greatly needed and appreciated, they only work if these stations are actually stocked with menstrual products. UT freshman Dia Manoj spoke about her experience with the free menstrual products on campus.
She said she had “not once” used the free products on campus. In her experience, the bins are empty when she needs them.
“It’s just never available when I’m actually on my period because I think we’re all synced up on campus, so we all need it at the same time,” Manoj said.
Manoj bases her explanation for the lack of available products on the theory that women who live together, such as in a community on a college campus, eventually “sync cycles” and menstruate at the same time. Scientific evidence for this phenomenon is inconclusive, and while some studies, like this 2023 study published in the “Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care,” find evidence for period synchronization. Other studies, like this 2006 study published in “Human Nature,” have failed to find evidence for the syncing phenomenon.
On May 2, only the Student Health Center all-gender bathroom was stocked with tampons. The women’s restrooms on the first, second, fifth, and sixth floors of Hodges Library contained empty baskets, and in Zeanah’s all-gender restroom I found a cart full of empty baskets save for a box of napkins. While I suppose regular napkins might do in a pinch, sanitary napkins are no doubt what most people would hope to find instead.
The disappointing absence of available products could stem from many areas besides the intriguing theory Manoj proposes. All of these products are provided pro bono, so funding may simply not allow for more than a limited supply. The availability of products might also vary based on the restocking schedule. Some bins may be full in the mornings but empty by the evening. To complicate matters further, summer is fast approaching. Supplies may no longer be coming in this late in the year.
Whatever the cause for the absence of products may be, PERIOD @UTK is working to find a solution. They hold monthly meetings as well as period product drives to help alleviate need for those experiencing period poverty. Additionally, Zeanah’s bathrooms contain a printed QR code to a survey asking for feedback on preferred products, so feedback on availability could also be submitted there.
