Tennessee lawmakers should ensure every school offers free menstrual products
This is the second year we have had the unique privilege to discuss tampons and pads with Tennessee lawmakers, 83% of whom are men.
However, most lawmakers aren't uncomfortable discussing periods. Many of our majority male legislators have daughters, granddaughters, or sisters, making this a familiar issue.
Not to mention, the primary function of their elected office is to represent the concerns of their constituents on the hill, nearly half of whom menstruate. This is a matter of public responsibility.
Period poverty, or insufficient access to menstrual products, sanitation facilities, and period education, is a reality for women and menstruating people across the country.
For students who come from low-income or under-resourced families, periods often mean missing school. One in four students has stayed home during their period due to lack of access to menstrual products.
Others may use toilet paper, rags, old clothes, or other unhygienic materials during their menstrual cycle.
Fifty percent of teenage students have worn menstrual products longer than recommended, proving the point that it is not just materials that are needed, but education as well.
Conversations with students and teachers across Tennessee reveal two clear truths: students need free period products in schools, and teachers, counselors, and nurses should not have to pay for them.
Yet, many do.
A school counselor in rural East Tennessee, with nearly two decades of experience, told us students have regularly come to her for period products throughout her career − even asking for help in the restroom.
Opinion: I chose to end my pregnancy for health reasons. I had to leave Tennessee to do it
Another teacher working in Metro Nashville Public Schools keeps a stash of pads in their desk, buying boxes out of their own pocket so no student has to go without.
Period poverty isn't just a public health issue − it's a mental health issue. Two-thirds of teens say a lack of period products causes them stress, which means focusing and participating in class is significantly hampered when students are too busy worried about bleeding through their clothes.
Sofiya Patra, a student at an MNPS school, described the shame of being caught unprepared: 'It's embarrassing. It's mortifying,' she said. 'It degrades you. If you've ever been in a situation where it leaks through, it's not something you want to experience in front of anyone.'
For too many students, this isn't just an occasional worry − it's a recurring reality that chips away at their confidence and sense of dignity in the classroom.
No student should have to choose between their education and managing a natural bodily function. Yet, too many do. That's why AWAKE introduced the Menstrual Hygiene Product Accessibility Act (House Bill 39/Senate Bill 155 − to ensure that Tennessee students have access to the basic necessities they need to stay in school and focus on learning.
This bill, sponsored by Rep. Elaine Davis and Sen. Raumesh Akbari, gained significant support in 2024 but failed for lack of funding.
Meanwhile, lawmakers found about $4.8 million to put juveniles through adult criminal courts rather than courts designed for their rehabilitation and nearly $400,000 for law enforcement to surveil and report 'persons not lawfully present' in Tennessee.
This year, we have a real chance to change that. With a significantly lower price tag (about $150,000 compared to $5 million) and growing recognition of the need, lawmakers must act now to pass this bill.
Lawmakers listen when their constituents speak up, so let them know that no student should have to miss class or feel ashamed because they can't afford a pad or tampon.
Kelli Nowers is executive director and Natalie Schilling is policy and advocacy associate at AWAKE Tennessee, which advocates for the systemic advancement of women and young people in Tennessee through education initiatives and policy change.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Free menstrual products benefit Tennessee school students | Opinion
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