Stony Brook University’s Undergraduate Student Government (USG) runs the Menstrual Hygiene Program (MHP), which was first implemented in 2022. USG President Nistha Boghra stressed the importance of combating toxic period culture and said that the MHP’s premise is to spread awareness and information about menstruation. 

According to Boghra, this program is significant because it impacts every student on and off campus, whether they realize it or not. 

“The treasurer [three years ago] was passionate about the program — [they] distribut[ed] free pads and tampons for anyone to be able to use in bathrooms,” Boghra said. 

She said that USG decided to lead this initiative because the administration funds the program through their organization.

“This allows us to advocate for the program’s growth,” she said. 

The program started with two product dispensers in the first floor bathrooms of the Student Activity Center (SAC). In its second year, the dispensers were added to the library and all of the women’s and all-gender bathrooms at East Side Dining. In 2023, its third year, dispensers were installed in the women’s bathroom at both the Javits Lecture Center and Roth Cafe. 

Boghra said this year, USG aims to expand the dispensers to all women’s bathrooms on campus, especially in residential areas such as the Alan S. deVries Center and Tabler Community. She added that this program is co-aligned with incorporating more all-gender bathrooms across campus, improving accessibility for all individuals.

“Not everyone who is a woman menstruates and it’s nice for people to be able to depend on their significant others/friends to get them the products they need,” Boghra said. 

The director of the Center for Prevention and Outreach (CPO), Kerri Mahoney, also works with the MHP and shares this sentiment. She believes the stigma surrounding menstrual health significantly inhibits open discussion.

“There is a curtain holding it back from being discussed … this happens because [menstruation] happens in private, so it doesn’t get as much attention,” Mahoney compared the obvious visibility of a skin cut with the often-hidden experience of menstruation. “If more people are willing to talk about menstrual health and education and be trained to do it, this will help people understand and better approach it.”

Periods have been considered taboo and stigmatized for the longest time. This has led to menstrual misinformation, preventing people with uteruses from fully accessing, understanding and being in control of their reproductive health. Many feel too embarrassed to raise questions about their bodies, impacting their reproductive and overall well-being.

Even worse, the lack of accurate knowledge about periods, the female reproductive system and female reproductive health extends to doctors and scientists — the professionals who are supposed to be the ones directing and helping women better understand their bodies. The drastic contrast between studies on men’s health and women’s health is highly problematic and well-versed in society. 

According to The New Yorker, “There are about four hundred studies on menstrual effluent compared with more than fifteen thousand for semen or sperm.” 

In fact, it wasn’t until August 2023 that researchers at Oregon Health & Science University published the first study to test the absorbency of menstrual products with human blood.

To add salt to the wound, a CNN article from this year reported that recent studies have revealed the presence of toxic substances like microplastics, arsenic, and lead in women’s sanitary products.

“Recently, a small pilot study found arsenic and lead in organic and nonorganic tampons — and while the levels were small, there is no safe level of exposure to lead, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency…The average lead concentration in tampons was about 10 times higher than the maximum levels currently allowed in drinking water,’ Schilling [one of the lead scientists] said, adding that arsenic levels were five times lower than current limits for drinking water.”

The studies were inconclusive about the health effects and are continuing to run tests. Given the lengthy delay in this research, there is no guarantee that women will be able to use this information meaningfully in the near future.

USG said they intend to combat these issues head-on. 

Boghra said that she hadn’t heard about the recent studies and reports of toxic metals in period products, but she emphasized that this is an example of why MHP is so important for individuals on campus. She said she believes that students, administrators, faculty and staff deserve to be educated and informed about their own bodies. 

Boghra said that all products the MHP supplies come from the company Aunt Flow. She explained that they are made from “100% organic cotton and are 100% [Bisphenol A] and plastic-free. The wrappers are made of tissue paper and the tampons aren’t wrapped in plastic. The pads are wrapped in cardboard. This makes them completely biodegradable and good for the environment.” 

She explained that when the program first started, USG chose Aunt Flow because of the ingredients used. 

“We wouldn’t select any products that had any certain lead or metal in it if we knew,” Boghra said.

She pulled up a recent report and confirmed that the company was metal-free in their production.

Now aware of the toxins in some products, Boghra said she will make sure the MHP doesn’t utilize those products and that students on campus have access to viable, safe options. She also shared her pride in the program, explaining that it is constantly evolving and looking to expand. Specifically, she mentioned that feedback forms consistently yield positive reviews.

Mahoney referenced Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in support of this statement. 

“You can’t achieve greatness without your basic needs being met. Anyone who gets a period and doesn’t have access to period products isn’t able to meet their basic needs,” Mahoney said. “USG is doing a fantastic job supplying [period products] and making sure students on campus don’t have to worry about leaking or getting surprised with their period during classes or an exam.”

This support aims to allow students to focus on their education without the added stress of sourcing menstrual products.

To change period culture, Boghra also said that “[USG] aim[s] to hold at least one event per semester, fun activities such as movie nights or jewelry-making and squeeze in messages about menstrual health — who it affects, how it affects people, how to help people, what problems people may face and resources for those problems.”

She emphasized that creating a comfortable space for discussing periods is essential to changing perceptions.

“We hold mug paintings, make heat packs, stuffed animals giveaways and host events with speakers to make sure people know about the program and grow it. This also lets people know what people around the world are facing,” Boghra said. “We want people to think about menstruation; when paired with movie nights and arts and crafts, it gets people in the room without feeling uncomfortable.” 

Mahoney reiterated that creating comfort around these topics is a gradual process.

“We’re continuing to do outreach and education in high traffic areas on campus to let people know about menstrual health, safer sex and emergency contraception,” Mahoney said.  “Having them free of charge is super important — we want them to stay free. We’re working with student leaders to hold programs and post bulletin boards with information.” 

She said she believes that these efforts will help students overcome the stigma surrounding menstrual health.

When asked about the program’s future, Boghra said that their top priority is to ensure the University administration understands its significance.

“The earlier they see that, the earlier we can make this a permanent and sustainable program. We want administration and folks at the campus to see [the program’s importance] because our students already do. We’re hoping to have the University make it part of their weekly and daily activities like the refilling of soap and toilet paper in the bathrooms,” Boghra said.

Mahoney added that the CPO aims to inform students about available resources and products. She noted that free product bins are consistently restocked in the LGBTQ* Center, the Walter J. Hawrys Campus Recreation & Wellness Center and the Stony Brook Union. Students can even request products to be discreetly wrapped in a brown paper bag via a Google Form and pick them up at the Union. 

“We hope students know it’s totally okay to reach out for any help when they need it. We’re so ready and eager to help them,” said Mahoney.

Despite some limitations of the MPH program, Boghra said it has been successful.

“We have to order more and more every year,” she said. “We have people coming onto the campus knowing they can get any product last-minute. We put products across campus so that they’re in people’s faces. Whether they like it or not, they have to face it.”