The days of broken and empty menstrual product dispensers are over.

New menstrual product dispensers have been installed in numerous women’s restrooms across campus. This change comes after Governor Newsom signed Bill No. 367 in October 2021, which mandated the presence of “an adequate supply of menstrual products, available and accessible, free of cost, in all women’s restrooms” on public middle and high school campuses starting this school year.

Many women’s rights activists cite a lack of access to menstrual products in schools as a barrier to education, especially to low income students. The fight for free access to menstrual products in public high school restrooms began in California in 2017, as Bill No. 10 required low-income districts to provide free menstrual products in their restrooms. 

This new regulation is especially beneficial for SJHHS students, as over 270 San Juan Hills students qualify for the McKinney Vento Act, a bill that offers assistance to homeless students, including support with paying for menstrual products. 

Additionally, a study by PERIOD and Thinx found that 23% of students have struggled to afford menstrual products and 70% of students felt that their school environment led them to become self conscious over their period. Some activists believe that the implementation of free menstrual products in schools can help with not only improving a school’s environment, but also with attendance. An initial study in New York City found that attendance rates rose by 2.4% after offering free menstrual products. 

Tampons and pads will remain free and available in the C and E building women’s bathrooms, as well as in the nurse’s office.