By Morgan Collins

For the past century, women have been constantly fighting to achieve basic human rights,and in recent years those rights have been threatened due to events such as the overturning of Roe v. Wade. A problem that continues regarding women’s rights is the lack of menstrual products available to girls in high schools. All over the country, girls suffer through their periods either making do without products or being forced to scavenge for them. Luckily, there is a silver lining for the young women at Hamden High. Ms. Frumento, an English teacher and director of the National Honors Society has coordinated the distribution of feminine hygiene products for the past two years. Recently, I interviewed her and discussed how she became in charge of running this operation and what her views are on the shortage of menstrual products. 

In this interview, Ms.Frumento said that she has offered feminine hygiene products in her classroom for many years, but last year was the first time they were placed in all student bathrooms. When members of the National Honors Society painted murals in the bathrooms it was discussed how there were no menstrual products located in any bathrooms, only in the school nurse’s office. During our interview, Frumento admitted that the nurse’s office is simply too far away and in situations like this, girls need a quick solution. She also recalled how years ago the nurse used to charge for feminine products. Today, hardly any student carries around spare change to pay for products from the nurse or product dispensers. The products that the National Honors Society leaves in the bathroom are acquired through generous donations from community members and other teachers. When asked about her opinion on the topic, Frumento responded by saying that like toilet paper these products should be supplied for both students and staff. We discussed how many young girls are experiencing their periods for the first time and have no supplies to help them. She admitted that she wouldn’t want her daughter to be in that situation, embarrassed and helpless. 

The parting words we shared in the interview consisted of solutions to rectify the problem. To make the situation better for all high schools, more awareness needs to be raised about the subject. Periods are normal and natural and should not be something that is feared or ignored. By lifting the stigma related to periods and making them a topic of conversation, we can achieve a more inclusive and safe school environment.