It’s mean. It’s nasty. It’s painful. It’s…well, it’s a menstrual cycle, and it’s really nothing that any female can run away from. It is natural for us, but that in no way means that it is not also dreadfully inconvenient—especially when you realize that your travel supply of sanitary napkins has been completely depleted and you are not in the position to replenish it. In that moment, as you curse mother nature, you realize that you have three options: phone a friend (which might be difficult if it is during class time), ask a stranger (which, again, might be difficult if it is during class time and you find yourself to be the only one in the restroom), or “MacGyver” it and then rush to the nurse’s office. This could all be avoided if the school was to install tampon and pad dispensers in the restrooms around campus.
Ask any girl and they will tell you that there is nothing nice about being on their period. With symptoms like aggressive cramps, migraines, back pains, and bloating, it is no surprise that, at times, one might forget her travel supply of tampons or pads at home. The biggest problem with this is what to do next when your travel supply is no longer there. However, with dispensers in the restroom, there is nothing to fear. No more asking friends, no more awkwardly going up to strangers, and no more unnecessary trips to the nurse’s office.
It should also be noted that the dispenser would not only benefit those that have fallen victim to absent-mindedness, but also to those who find themselves in awkward positions when they stuff a pad or tampon in their pocket, hoping that no one noticed them. Furthermore, having such items already available in the restrooms will keep long trips to the office at a minimum. In addition to this, the dispensers will keep female students from having to awkwardly explain to teachers why exactly they are bringing their bags to the bathroom or trying to discreetly hide products in their pockets or up their sleeves and rush to the restroom.
According to Sustainable Supply and Grainer, the average price of a dispenser costs from $250-$290. Now, these prices are not cheap, but they are quite reasonable and CHS would not be giving these supplies out for free. By charging a small fee of 25 cents, these dispensers would allow CHS to earn back what they spent in a short period of time. Another concern is how CHS students will treat these machines: if they will respect them and accept the responsibility to treat them with care. While there is no guarantee, there is always the option of starting off on a trial-run basis. One dispenser can be placed in the most frequently used female restroom and monitored for performance and overall status within the restroom.
For CHS, a school that strives to do right by helping its students, installing the dispensers would only aid its efforts. By adding the dispensers, the school would be creating an environment that is beneficial to a large part of its student body. This may seem like an unnecessary expense on the surface level, but the dispensers would be a small, short-term investment that would not only benefit the school, but help in relieving some very unnecessary stress for the female students on campus.