Heidi Cuevas | Staff Writer
The menstrual product dispensers that were funded by FIU Student Government Association have been empty for months. If they aren’t replenished soon then students will continue to be victims of the global health crisis known as period poverty. A dreaded nightmare many of us have is starting our period before or during class and not having an emergency stash of pads or tampons. With empty dispensaries in every bathroom, we’re left with no other choice but to awkwardly ask the girl next to us if they have a spare product. This leaves students feeling a range of negative emotions like shame, anxiety and embarrassment that make it extremely difficult to do anything else.
Empty menstrual dispensers in Graham Center and Primera Casa | Heidi Cuevas, PantherNOW
The bottom line is that having access to free menstrual products on campus shouldn’t be up for debate, and once upon a time, SGA agreed.
According to the Executive Order 03-04, the 2023 SGA president allocated $20,000 “to be extended over the course of three years for the resupply of the products [pads and tampons].” These dispensaries were developed to help college students and enhance their educational experience; without them, the positive impact they have made over the years will go down the drain and interfere with the education of students.
Arriving to class late, leaving early, or not being able to show up at all can affect any student’s attendance grade or have them miss out on the lecture. It puts students in a position to either ignore their health needs or sacrifice their education in one way or another.
And the products serve a larger purpose to students aside from a feeling of reassurance in case of an emergency, they prevent “period poverty” from growing at FIU.
Period poverty is a global health crisis that affects two in five people as period supplies continue to be less affordable and scarce. Therefore making it critical that students— who are always pinching every penny they can to buy necessities like food or rent— have access to these products.
In a nationwide survey of college students, one in five students have found themselves in a position to decide between buying menstrual products or other expenses. And 48% of the students surveyed struggled to access menstrual products due to different barriers. Students should not have to decide between buying health products or paying for other vital bills like tuition, food, and rent, yet the decision to not replenish the dispensaries can put them in that position.
Menstrual products shouldn’t be treated as a privilege to have, they are a basic health necessity that shouldn’t be ignored. Efforts need to be continued by SGA to allocate the necessary funds to replenish these dispensaries for the same reasons they documented in 2023.
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The opinions presented on this page do not represent the views of the PantherNOW Editorial Board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect the perspectives of contributing writers and/or university community members.
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