Provide Period Products

The Problem

Period poverty, or the lack of access to menstrual products, affects thousands of Utah students. Without the products they need, students miss school, skip extracurricular activities, and feel shame and stigma.

1 in 4

girls can’t afford period products. [SOURCE]

84%

of girls have missed school—or know someone who has—because they didn’t have period products. [SOURCE]

over 54%

Prior to the passage of House Bill 162, over 54% of students reported missing school or school activities due to a lack of access to period products. [SOURCE]

Periods shouldn’t stop anyone from learning or thriving—but for far too many students, they do.

The Solution

During the 2022 Utah Legislative Session, The Policy Project passed House Bill 162: Period Products in Schools (Utah Code 53G-4-413), making free period products available in every female and all-gender restroom in Utah public and charter schools.Support children and families

  • Thousands of community members rallied at the Capitol and sent postcards to legislators, advocating for a cause long overlooked. 

  • The bill gained 39 co-sponsors and received unanimous support from all 104 Utah legislators.

  • Thanks to generous support from the Andrus Family Foundation and Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation, along with state funding, dispensers were installed and stocked across the state.

For the first time, the word “period” echoed through the Utah State Capitol—positive, hopeful, and impossible to ignore.

The Impact

Since the law went into effect in July 2022:

  • 1,058 schools provide free period products.

  • 8,000 school bathrooms are stocked with products.

  • 324,600 students have access to products every year.

“Period products in the bathrooms have been so helpful. I haven’t had to miss any important exams or classes because of my period.”

Cedar High School

“I feel so much relief knowing period products are there if I need them. Coming from someone who’s had to miss school because of their period, having this emergency resource is a huge help.”

Juab High School

“It’s awesome that schools are making students feel more comfortable with their periods. It’s an important part of life that we shouldn’t be ashamed of.”

Highland High School

A recent survey of 1,382 Utah girls representing 120 high schools in 20 counties showed:

  • 58% of students used the free period products.

  • 50% attended school they might have otherwise missed.

  • 56% participated in school activities they might have skipped.

  • 76% said they felt more comfortable talking about menstruation.

Testimonial Videos

  • Sandra Hollins, Utah State Representative

  • Halle Peralta, Co-founder of the Bee Strong Cancer Foundation

  • Sydnee Dickson, Former State Superintendent of Public Instruction

  • Anna Sokol, Student Volunteer

Ongoing Support

The Policy Project continues to support the successful implementation of this law by:

  • Partnering with the Utah State Board of Education to ensure school compliance.

  • Providing toolkits for schools, staff, and parents to foster period-positive environments.

  • Expanding access to period products in government buildings, colleges, workplaces, and other public spaces.

  • In 2023, Utah became the first state to provide free period products in executive branch buildings. Over 1,600 restrooms now have tampons and pads thanks to Governor Spencer J. Cox’s executive action.

  • 1 in 10 college students are unable to afford period products every month. We worked alongside student leaders and administrators at Utah technical colleges, community colleges, and universities to ensure period products are provided in campus bathrooms state-wide.

Ensure every student has access to the period products.

Donate $15 to provide a student with period products for the entire summer.

DONATE

Resources

FAQs

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This is a frequently asked question?

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

This is a frequently asked question?

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

This is a frequently asked question?

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.