The free tampons and pads that have been put in Johnson County Library restrooms since late August have been enthusiastically welcomed by most of the public, library officials say. But the fact that the period products are also on the counters in male-designated restrooms has prompted a few questions and some confusion.
A few men have “reached out to us via phone, email and in person to question the necessity of period products in the men’s restrooms and it’s understandable there may be some confusion around that,” wrote library spokesperson Elissa Andre, in an email.
“We acknowledge the majority of men won’t need those products, but if you don’t need them, maybe you’re a caretaker or partner of someone who does,” Andre continued. “As a library, we provide broad access to resources without question or judgment as to why they are needed or by whom, period products included.”
Strawberry Week helps the library offer pads and tampons
The library board voted in August to partner with Strawberry Week, a Kansas City area non-profit that supplies period products in public restrooms. The products are delivered once a quarter to the county library system at no charge. The only cost to the county was about $375 for containers to put them in.
Strawberry Week also provides the products to 10 branches of the Kansas City, Missouri, Public Library.
Questions about the period products have been circulating since the library system began supplying them, Andre said. So far the response has been “overwhelmingly positive,” especially on social media, she added.
But there have been questions from people who mistakenly believe tax money is being used, she said. Recently a commenter also questioned their presence in male restrooms during the public comment portion of the Johnson County Board of Commissioners meeting.
County leaders say free period products help everyone
Some of that feedback prompted an emphatic clarification at the September board meeting from library board chair Bethany Griffith.
“It is my preference in making policy to err on the side of caution and to accept that there are circumstances and situations that I cannot foresee and that do not directly reflect my life experience,” she began.
“I understand the confusion at first glance on the purpose of putting period products in the men’s restroom because I understand the physiology involved. But physiology is not our only consideration in making thoughtful, compassionate and considerate public policy,” Griffith continued.
“I do not think it is nonsense to plan thoughtfully for situations that could arise, especially if all it means is there is a plastic container that takes up a little bit of space on the bathroom counter. So if the naysayers are right, they go unused and they get dusty. But if we’re right and they do get used, then our patrons have been treated with dignity and respect which is the goal at every opportunity of the Johnson County Library system.”
County Commissioner Janeé Hanzlick, who is the commission liaison to the library board, added her support. “I think it makes sense to make sure that all the bases are covered,” she said.
The free period products originated as a staff idea in 2019, said Anna Madrigal, a library branch manager who led the implementation team.
Some of the library’s older restrooms had machines to purchase the products, but they had not been well maintained. Andre noted that “library staff often received requests from patrons asking if they had a spare tampon or pad, so we know this is a legitimate need.”
The proposal stalled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also because there has never been a provision in the county budget for period products. They are currently unavailable for free in any county restrooms, Madrigal said.
Strawberry Week wants to stop ‘period poverty’
Strawberry Week’s mission is to address the financial burden of menstruation, which has an outsized effect on lower income people, said Micheala Miller, founder and CEO.
That said, period poverty can affect anyone because of the often unpredictable nature of the menstrual cycle, she said.
“It’s a bathroom issue you’d think we would in this day and age have addressed already as something we can provide the resource for so that peoples’ lives are not interrupted,” Miller said.
There are several good reasons for putting the products in all bathrooms, Miller added.
“People can get periods as young as second grade now, so if a dad needs to get a tampon or a pad for his daughter, he won’t have to go to the women’s restroom,” or send his daughter in alone, she said.
Making products universally available is also an approach that is inclusive of all gender identities and is encouraged by Strawberry Week, she said.
Library board members supported the partnership because it would keep patrons from having to leave the library early because of a period emergency. Some also pointed out that patrons are not expected to bring their own toilet paper and paper towels.
So far, Madrigal has not been aware of any complaints, though some containers have gone missing from the men’s rooms.
Andre said the negative feedback has been common around the launch of the program with other Strawberry Week partners.
“The Library Board is firm in its commitment to the partnership and is thrilled to provide this resource to our patrons,” she added.
The library has Men, Women, Family and generic restrooms.
Go deeper: How some Blue Valley students are helping combat ‘period poverty’
Roxie Hammill is a freelance journalist who reports frequently for the Post and other Kansas City area publications. You can reach her at roxieham@gmail.com.
