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Chumps, dates, strawberry week — God knows how many slang words or phrases we have taught ourselves to convey a simple message: We are on our period. Amid all of the conversations about restoring reproductive justice, we have forgotten the most important conversation of all — menstrual health care. Ironically, we have all been taught how important a period is to maintain a person’s reproductive health. Yet when we talk about it, it is only in whispers, or met with disgust.
We at NYU pride ourselves on providing free menstrual products across almost all of our campus buildings and are still working to keep up this commitment. Now it is time to ensure that not just NYU, but New York as a whole declares its commitment to treating menstrual health care as a fundamental right.
In 2017, the New York State Senate introduced the Total Access to Menstrual Products —TAMP — Act into assembly. The bill would ensure that every public washroom, both women’s and gender-neutral, across every public space and workspace in the state of New York would have free access to menstrual products. Since then, the bill has undergone multiple amendments to ensure it is as inclusive as possible and includes every space, even if it is a temporary construction space. It’s been seven years since, and the bill has not yet passed. Moreover, the bill does not include men’s washrooms, completely overlooking the fact that there are groups of men who experience periods.
So, how can we win this fight? With the help of the Health and Wellness committee of NYU’s Student Government Assembly, I drafted a letter of support to amend and pass the bill, which was unanimously passed by the body. I urge you to join our fight in destigmatizing menstrual health by signing the letter. You can also go to the state Senate website and vote “AYE” for the bill, letting your local senator know your support.
Given that everyone experiences periods differently and not many have the luxury of experiencing a comfortable period, the bill, if enacted, would be a landmark step in safeguarding menstrual health and would pave the way for future legislation that would further support reproductive justice for all. It would provide the opportunity to universities and organizations to come together to reevaluate and improve the availability of menstrual products in their institutions and design new strategies to ensure menstrual health is prioritized.
I’ll end by saying this: it’s 2024. Menstrual products should be free and accessible. It’s time to free the dot. PERIOD.
WSN’s Opinion section strives to publish ideas worth discussing. The views presented in the Opinion section are solely the views of the writer.
Contact Pritha Mukherji at [email protected].
