Growing Awareness of “Period Poverty” in Schools
Delaware high school teacher Kerry Stahl keeps a stash of tampons and menstrual pads—which she pays for herself—in her classroom for students. This way, she says, students can grab one, run to the bathroom, and be back in class in five minutes.
Otherwise, Stahl’s students would have to trek to the nurse’s office (their school has one, but many don’t), wait for the nurse to triage the sick kids, and possibly miss a whole class. Even worse, because of lack of access to period products, some of her students might simply stay home.
It’s called “period poverty,” and according to a national study, one in five teens said they have struggled to afford period products, or haven’t been able to purchase them at all. As a consequence, 84 percent say they’ve missed school, or know somebody who has.
That’s why Stahl, who also is vice president of the Delaware State Education Association (DSEA), is excited about legislation that would require Delaware’s middle and high schools to have free tampons and pads in middle and high school bathrooms. “It’s a common sense law,” she says. “Especially in low-income communities, if these things are free and accessible, it could encourage students to CONTINUE READING: Growing Awareness of "Period Poverty" in Schools - NEA Today