Complaining about the high cost of products on campus is a pastime for many University of Minnesota students. It sucks having to spend $50 on three basic hygiene items at the Dinkytown Target because it’s one of the closest stores. It becomes an even bigger issue when the items are a monthly necessity.

I was not surprised to discover the price differences when comparing a 36-count box of regular Tampax Pearl tampons. At the nearest Walmart in Roseville, it costs $8.94. This location is 10 minutes from campus by car, but can take nearly an hour to get to by bus.

When you look at retailers that students can walk to, the prices start to rise. At Target in Dinkytown, the cost is $9.79. At the Stadium Village CVS, the same box is $11.49. Why should so many students, the majority of whom don’t have cars on campus, have to go out of their way just for cheaper items that are essential?

University public health graduate student Kara Cowell, who has a background working in legislation to require menstrual products in higher education institutions, said access to period care should be seen as second nature.

“I think when you talk about access to basic needs, we don’t question access in most other spaces,” Cowell said. “But if we expect people who menstruate to always be able to predict an unpredictable but very common process and we’re not building resources or support around that, then we’re essentially, as a university, saying that we don’t support that for our students.” 

While some high-traffic buildings on campus provide free tampons or pads in restrooms, it’s not always a guarantee in an emergency that the closest bathroom will have supplies.

While having menstrual products in these areas is helpful, more often than not, the products offered have little variation in size. Pads are either small liners or bulky and awkward, and tampons feature outdated and unpleasant cardboard applicators.

I reject the idea that people with periods should just be happy with what they’re given. For students spending the majority of their days working toward their degrees and spending thousands of dollars to do so, we deserve to learn as comfortably as possible.

For third-year student Sophia Denevan, higher-quality period products tend to come at a steep price.

“It’s definitely more expensive to go the organic route, but that’s what I transitioned to because I’m concerned about the additives in cheaper tampons and pads,” Denevan said. “I definitely think it should be cheaper, and then that would make it a lot more accessible for anyone.”  

A 2021 study found 14% of college students have trouble regularly accessing period products. Experiencing what’s known as period poverty can have drastic physical and social consequences for students.

College students are also one of the demographics with the highest rates of period poverty, according to Cowell.

“They’re sitting at a unique combination of menstruating and having to buy their own basic needs, often for the first time, and having very limited income because they’re full-time students or they’re working a part-time work-study job,” Cowell said. 

Denevan said that though she’s seen campus bathrooms that have period supplies, a drive dedicated to free or reduced-price period products would be a great resource for students.

Having a dedicated place with a variety of options and sizes for period products at lower prices would be enough to greatly impact student well-being. Without access to pads, tampons or menstrual cups, it becomes nearly impossible for students to attend class and manage daily activities and tasks. Life becomes a chore.

Students who lack adequate period resources can also experience depression and often feel an intense amount of social stigma around an issue that’s already heavily shamed.

Cowell said it’s also important for students who may not have had adequate menstrual education to receive it in college. This is especially important considering young adulthood is a common time for reproductive health conditions to emerge, she added.

“Build and invest in support and services for students to know more about menstruation more broadly and to have opportunities for accessing that care,” Cowell said. 

There are consequences for not having adequate period resources, Denevan added.

“I honestly think it’s kind of dehumanizing, because it’s a basic necessity,” Denevan said. “I feel like as women we have this construct around it where we have to be kind of quiet and discreet about it, but it’s just a basic thing.”

Minnesota is one of a select number of states that require and fund period products for grades four through 12. However, putting money toward more funding for public universities would go a long way in helping students avoid the pink tax and have better access to higher-quality period products.

“Everyone deserves to be able to take care of themselves without spending a million dollars on period products,” Denevan said.