Without money for tampons or pads, some St. Louis students miss school
Assistant principal Cryslynn Billingsley’s office at Jennings Senior High School is like a train station most days, with students constantly coming and going.
Most students at the north St. Louis County public school are from low-income families, and they often come to Billingsley when they need something they can’t afford — including tampons and pads.
More than half of female students surveyed at the school said they didn’t have enough money to buy period products, according to research from St. Louis University. Without access to tampons and pads, students are more likely to miss school. A bill in the Missouri legislature would require school districts to provide free period products, though similar efforts have stalled in previous years.
Though most research on the lack of access to period products focuses on other countries, this is also an issue “right down the street” in St. Louis, Billingsley said.
https://news.stlpublicradio.org/education/2022-01-24/without-money-for-tampons-or-pads-some-st-louis-students-miss-school