Many college campuses are starting to offer free menstrual products on campus or already have done so. The University of Florida has recently started doing so as well. According to a recent article from The Alligator, menstrual products are now currently available at four locations on campus: the Reitz Union hotel desk (which was most recently implemented), the Reitz Union GatorWell office, the infirmary and the Field and Fork Pantry.
The article discussed how the Reitz Union hotel desk may be an embarrassing way to ask for the products. But I was curious to see what it was like to get the products, so I decided to try all four locations for myself.
On the first day, I went to the Reitz Union hotel desk. A male and a female staff member were both sitting at the desk, so of course, I was planning to ask the female staff member, so I wouldn’t feel as uncomfortable. Unfortunately, she was speaking with a friend, and that talking lasted for ten minutes. I almost considered asking the male staff member but decided that after this long, their conversation would eventually have to end. Finally, the friend left, and a bunch of hotel guests went up to the male staffer, so this was my chance! I calmly asked if I could have a free menstrual product. She asked if I wanted pads or tampons. (By preference, I use pads.) She made me write down my UF ID number on a sticky note. Then, she went through the door behind the desk and got a small white paper bag filled with four pads. The pack was discreet so someone walking by wouldn’t necessarily know what it was. Looking back, my experience wasn’t bad — it just wasn’t the best-case scenario when the female staff member was talking with someone else, in my opinion.
A couple of days later, I tried getting the free products from the GatorWell Office. This location is on the first floor of the Reitz Union. They also asked me for my UF ID number and then pointed to a shelf next to the desk where I could go and grab the products myself. They were marked “P” for pads and “T” for tampons. They were also in the same exact packaging as the ones I had gotten from the Reitz hotel desk the other day. The packaging said GatorWell (just like the ones from the Reitz hotel desk.)
A few days later, I decided to check out the Field and Fork Pantry. I asked the people managing the front desk at Field and Fork if they had any products, and they said they didn’t. According to them, the products are provided by the Camions of Care, an organization dedicated to providing menstrual products and discussing menstrual hygiene. My experience at this location was the worst by far since Field and Fork was not stocked with menstrual products at the time I had visited. Luckily, at the time I was in no emergency to get the products, but for someone who was, it wouldn’t be the best scenario.
On my final day, I decided to check out the infirmary. I entered the infirmary and asked the front desk where I would be able to obtain menstrual products. The lady at the desk told me to go turn left and go down the hallway from the main entrance of the infirmary. She said there was a wall with dispensers for all the products. When I got to this wall, there was a little counter space jutting out from the wall, and there were clear dispensers mounted to the wall. One had pads and another one had tampons. There was even a dispenser for other health products. I picked up a pad, quickly stuffed it in my backpack and headed out.
Looking back, my favorite place on the UF campus to obtain the free products from was the infirmary. This location required no scanning of the UF ID card or telling someone my UF ID number. Instead, students in need can just go to the wall and obtain the products as needed without any real restriction. This location does not involve the embarrassment some may experience when asking for the products.
My least favorite experience in this case was the Field and Fork Pantry, since they did not have the products stocked. If Field and Fork was stocked, I would have considered it the second-best location, since the building is isolated and not located in the Reitz where people may overhear me asking for the products. All locations besides the Infirmary required the UF ID number which I felt was an inconvenience, especially in an emergency.
I am glad our university is starting to participate in the initiative to provide free menstrual products, and this is a good start. This story from The Alligator mentions that Student Government is working on getting them implemented at Newell and even some of the libraries on campus. I look forward to having more locations on campus, especially when the timing and place of a period is out of my control. I’m sure many other students would appreciate this as well.
For now, these are the places to get the products for free on campus when needed and my experience with each of these locations.