Several schools in the area are trying to eliminate a health barrier to students attending school – with every tampon.
According to a 2023 survey, one in four menstruating students nationwide said they stay home from school because they do not have access to pads, tampons or other menstrual hygiene products.
“It’s often a shocking statistic for people,” Cassie Celestain said. “Either they’re shocked and didn’t realize it existed, or they’re teachers or school administrators who see it on a regular basis.”
Celestain is president and chief operating officer of Tulsa Period Pantry, a nonprofit organization that partners with schools across Tulsa County to provide free disposable and reusable menstrual products to students.
The organization began serving two schools in May 2021 and, through word of mouth, now works with staff at more than 50 schools, including locations in Berryhill, Broken Arrow, Jenks, Owasso, Tulsa and Union.
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In each case, the organization was contacted and invited by a teacher or other faculty member who was already working on providing sanitary pads or tampons to students in need on campus.
Some students are resorting to toilet paper, paper towels, old socks, old fabrics or even plastic bags wrapped around their underwear to replace pads or cups. Celestain says she understands why some students would rather stay home than sit through class and hope for the best.
“If it’s uncomfortable to walk around with all that stuff in your pants and try to control your period, that’s where the statistic (1 in 4) comes from,” Celestain said. “It’s the girls who stay home and sit on a towel or try to manage it at home.”
Street School is one of the schools that partners with Tulsa Period Pantry to provide free menstrual products to its students. The donated pads, tampons and other items are available in the school’s student store, as well as in some classrooms and the school therapist’s office.
“Oklahoma already has a chronic school absenteeism problem,” said Marie Quinten, communications and development coordinator at Street School. “This is one of the many simple things we can solve — getting students to spend their time in school by giving them what they need.”
Street School was among the sites that also received free menstrual products as part of a one-year, $150,000 agreement with Aunt Flow Corporation, which includes multiple schools, approved by the TPS Board in August 2023.
However, $150,000 doesn’t buy as many packs of pads as it once did. The average price of a pack of pads has increased 41% since 2019, while the average price of a pack of tampons has increased 36%, according to a study released in July by Chicago-based research firm Circana. Menstrual products are subject to sales tax in Oklahoma and are not covered by Medicaid, SNAP or WIC.
Through this price increase, the partnership with Tulsa Period Pantry was able to help the school provide additional resources and prevent more students from missing classes.
“This is the kind of thing that may not immediately come to mind when people think about it or ask how they can help,” Quinten said. “Every woman of ours can think of a situation in our lives where we needed these things and couldn’t get them. And now imagine being faced with this problem once a month.
“Something as simple as buying a pack of pads or tampons is something anyone can do. It serves a bigger need than you might think.”
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