University Now Stocking Men’s Bathrooms With Free Tampons

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By Amber Randall

The University of Wisconsin-Madison launched a program in April to provide free tampons in the men’s bathroom.

The program plans to put tampons and pads in Helen C. White Hall, Sterling Hall and The Red Gym, three on-campus buildings, reports The College Fix.

“Menstrual products will be available in all of the bathrooms of the Red Gym so that they are available to any student who might need them, ” Steve Wagoner, a spokesman for the school, told The College Fix. This apparently seems to include transgender men — women who identify as men.

The women’s bathrooms in Helen C. White Hall and Sterling Hall are stocked with feminine hygiene products, while The Red Gym will also have tampons and pads in the women’s, men’s and gender neutral bathrooms.

Student Rep. Katrina Morrison proposed the program, telling people that having to buy tampons was “an unnecessary burden” and vital for students to have.

“It’s definitely a deficit and an unnecessary burden for [anyone] to have to go and purchase menstrual products,” Morrison explained. “Having them be free and readily available in campus buildings is definitely a necessity.”

Other colleges have joined the bandwagon of providing tampons in men’s bathroom because of transgender students. Brown University made tampons available to both men and women in their bathrooms. (RELATED: Even Men Get Free Tampons At Brown University)

“We wanted to set a tone of trans-inclusivity, and not forget that they’re an important part of the population,” student body president Viet Nguyen explained in September.