Real Talk provides free tampons and pads in certain bathrooms around campus.
The Real Talk: Genders and Sexuality committee on campus has worked with the Colorado Health Network (CHN) to provide free menstrual products in the women’s and unisex bathrooms.
The original idea came from seeing pads and tampons disappear quickly from The Pantry on campus. From there, the committee decided to act on a need for students. All donated products came from CHN to start the initiative.
The bathrooms across campus are hard to stock, but product does keep coming from different donors and more fundraisers are on the horizon.
According to Duquesne University, the average woman will spend over $18,000 on menstrual products in their lifetime. Menstrual products are a huge financial burden on those with periods, so this initiative helps struggling college students greatly.
The Genders and Sexualities committee has many other projects in the works along with other initiatives already in place.
“We’re always doing a modern sex ed type of thing. It’s trying to promote any sexual behavior, from abstinence to sexually active or anywhere in between. We always have pleasure packs that we’re trying to distribute with condoms, lube, and some information [as well]. We work with [Genders and Sexuality Alliance] GSA to put on the Coming Out Day rainbow prom, to celebrate our LGBTQ+ students that come out, if they feel comfortable coming out, and their allies across campus. We are also working on some different training sessions across campus and bringing in some guest speakers,” Director of Student Life Shanae Mundee said.
Students who want to be involved in events and initiatives can contact Mundee and Title IX Coordinator Stephanie Rubenstein, who are the co-chairs of the Genders and Sexualities Committee.
