Free Menstrual Products in Schools: Breaking Stigma & Stocking Shelves

0:00One in four teens in the United States struggles to afford menstrual products, leading some to skip school entirely, especially teens of color, and those from low-income families. A recent study from the non-profit P.E.R.I.D. highlights this hidden issue that's keeping kids out of class. In Washington State, a 2021 law mandates free pads and tampons in schools, and at Prairie High School, they're stocked in the health room. But students want more access, so the health-occupation students of America Club launched an annual donation drive. Payton Miller, the Club President, shares how asking classmates for products spikes anxiety and girls often just head home without them. The drive aims to put supplies right in restaurants and create take-home kits for summer. Already, they blown past their goal of 1,000 items thanks to a big donation from a local genitorial supplier. Teachers are jumping in too, turning it into class competitions to boost donations. This effort not only stocked shelves, but chips away at the stigma,

1:00showing community support for a real issue, hitting students where it hurts. That's the story for today. Vancouver News today, driven by A.I.