Aunt Flow and the Demonetization of Menstruation (Product Review)
Photo by Haley Bordelon
If you are a frequent user of the women’s restroom on campus like I am, then you probably were just as shocked as I was to notice the mysterious large grey boxes hanging on the walls dispensing…wait for it…FREE period products. One day, you’re spending half of your life’s earnings on Walmart tampons, and the next, you’re receiving gifts from what can only properly be described as a mystical loot box. You find yourself asking if you’re on an episode of Punk’d or if this is Mark Zuckerberg’s way of debuting the metaverse. Sounds too good to be true, right? The possibility of not having to experience the kind of panic that comes with an unexpected period instantly followed by feelings of doom and disappointment for the underwear you KNOW you’re about to stain until you can bum a tampon off someone else and find refuge in your own set of tampons likely hiding on a shelf somewhere in your room across campus. Too specific? Maybe. Consider the other possibility of not having to budget an extra seven dollars for your bodily functions each month. Novel. But what seems like a glitch in the matrix is actually real and free. While the Aunt Flow dispensers aren’t meant to completely replace everyone’s entire monthly supply of period products, they can help slow the rate at which menstruators (people who menstruate) need to purchase new products. With twenty-five new period product dispensers across campus, they have already gained a considerable amount of attention from students. But if not heaven or Mount Olympus, then where did they come from? Who has bestowed them upon us? Look no further than Centenary’s Student Government Association, particularly the Finance Committee.
Former Vice President of the Finance Committee and alumna, Hunter Todd, first heard about a potential partnership between Aunt Flow, an affordable and sustainable period product company, and colleges in an email she received in 2021. Before graduating, as 2021 was her senior year, Todd made sure to set things in motion starting with current SGA Senator, Sarah Murphy. “She approached me with the idea of getting free menstrual products for the school. One of the first things I noticed about Centenary was that we offer free condoms for students. I thought to myself that if Centenary can provide free condoms for sex, which is a choice, they can provide free pads and tampons for periods, which is not a choice!” says Murphy.
Photo by Haley Bordelon
For Centenary to offer its students free period products is not only surprisingly hospitable but deeply validating as someone with a menstrual cycle. According to HuffPost, each menstruator spends approximately $1,773.33 on tampons throughout their life. This extra expense is just one part of what is referred to as the “pink tax,” which is defined as a gendered price discrepancy between men's and women’s products. It refers to the literal cost of being a woman, which is heavily dependent on the price of period products.
It feels empowering and unfortunately a little revolutionary to have the financial burden of being born with a uterus recognized by an institution and to be provided a little financial relief. After all, it is the least society can do while half of its population is going about everyday activities while suffering from physical, emotional, and hormonal anguish.
But just how comfortable can we get with these new dispensers? One of the biggest student concerns is how often the dispensers will be replenished. Will it happen routinely or on an as-needed basis? Current Vice President of the Finance Committee, Hayden Weber, says, “We [the Finance Committee] have a deal with the maintenance that they will refill the dispensers as needed and SGA will be creating an ongoing expense to supply new products when the dispensers run low.”
So, is the new SGA expense worth it? One student says, “The quality of the pads is surprisingly good! I really like the envelope packaging. You can put the pad in a purse or bag without worrying about it tearing or getting dirty. I also appreciate that it comes with wings and is thin, making it secure [in the underwear]. So far, the material is really soft, and I haven’t felt any chafing or irritation.” Another student stated, “I think it's absolutely amazing!! I was so excited to see them getting installed!” And when asked what stands out about these products specifically, one student answered, “I love how accessible they are. I just personally don’t like cardboard enclosed tampons, but I would still rate them an eight out of ten.”
As the price of living continues to rise, especially for young adults, and especially during these “unprecedented times,” it only feels right that someone (in this case Centenary) takes steps to demonetize our biological functions and helps to rectify the evil that is the “pink tax.”