Knoxville, Tenn. — A pressing issue impacting one in every four young women and girls in Tennessee is the lack of access to menstrual products, a challenge that often leads to missed school days and disrupted education. As the need for such products grows, local organizations and state lawmakers are stepping up to address this growing crisis.
Courtney Niemann, Senior Project Manager at Helping Mamas, an organization dedicated to providing free resources to mothers, children, and young girls in Knoxville, says the situation is dire. “They’re using paper towels, tissues, socks, shirts, whatever they can,” Niemann explained. “That is not a period product.”
Helping Mamas has been working tirelessly to ensure that young girls have access to necessary period products. The organization fills decorative canvas bags with menstrual supplies, distributing them to girls in need. According to a study by PERIOD, a national organization focused on menstrual equity, 23% of students report struggling to afford menstrual products, forcing many to miss school due to lack of access.
“The reality is that those girls are out there, and they’re not able to go to school because of something that is a basic necessity, just like toilet paper,” Niemann said.
This problem has become so significant that state lawmakers have begun to take action. Rep. Elaine Davis introduced HB39, the Menstrual Hygiene Products Accessibility Act, a bill designed to provide menstrual products in high school bathrooms across Tennessee. The bill is part of a broader push to normalize access to period products and eliminate the stigma associated with menstruation.
“If those products are already in the bathroom, it’s just so much easier to be able to go up and say, ‘Can I use the restroom?’ without all of the follow-up questions. That’s what we are trying to do,” Rep. Davis stated, emphasizing the importance of making products easily accessible for students in need.
The introduction of HB39 is seen as a positive step in providing students with the resources they need to stay in school. According to Niemann, if menstrual products were made available in high school bathrooms, it would allow organizations like Helping Mamas to redirect their resources to support younger girls, especially those in middle and elementary schools, who also face barriers to accessing menstrual products.
“We would be able to focus more on the middle school, and we do know that some girls start their periods in elementary school as well,” Niemann noted. “We would be able to use some of those funds and products that we have to focus on the people not included in this bill.”
While the proposed legislation is gaining support, the question of funding remains a challenge. The Budget Committee has estimated the cost of the program at approximately $147,000. In previous years, similar bills were blocked due to budget constraints. However, Davis’s team has worked to lower the cost through a pilot program in Knox County schools, allowing for more accurate cost projections.
As the legislative process moves forward, advocates for menstrual equity hope that HB39 will be the key to ensuring that no student in Tennessee has to miss school because they cannot afford menstrual products.
