Menstrual Equity at Salem State
Free Tampons and Maxi Pads Available Across Campus
Menstrual health products (MHPs) are a necessary healthcare product for individuals who menstruate. 1 in 5 people have struggled to access MHPs due to inaccessibility and affordability. Nearly 25% of college students have experienced period poverty, which can have a direct impact on accessible education, mental, and physical health.
Several universities and organizations have started programs providing no-cost menstrual health products (MHPs) to students, employees, and community members. Here at Salem State, no-cost menstrual products have long been provided within counseling and health services (CHS).
However, the Student Government Association (SGA) identified that students needed and wanted these products available on campus on a broader and more accessible scale. Through advocacy of SGA and collaboration with counseling and health services (CHS) and advancement, funding was secured to be able to install these seven dispensers across campus.
Free Menstrual Product Locations
Take What you Need for Now, Save Some for Others
All dispensers are on the ground or first floor and placed outside of gendered bathrooms to ensure these remain as accessible as possible.
- Ground floor men and women’s bathroom (G024), Berry Library
- Sullivan and Meier Halls, first floor
- North Campus Dining, ground floor
- Marsh Dining and Bertolon, first floor
- O’Keefe Complex, First Floor
Pick Up Supplies for Later
- Counseling and Health services, Ellison Campus center 107
- Residence Halls, supplies are provided in each hall. Inquire with your RA if you have further questions.
- Food pantry, Ellison Campus center
- SS2U, www.salemstate.edu/sexualhealth for more information
Menstrual Product Dispenser Survey
Questions on Menstrual Health and Free MHPs
Menstruation is a part of everyday life for half of the population. It may be inconvenient, but much of the world's population goes through it monthly, and everyone’s experience is different.
Below we have answered a few common questions about menstruation and the products available on campus.
If you have further questions, or concerns about your menstrual health, please schedule an appointment with health services or your doctor.
Not everyone who menstruates is a woman, and not all women menstruate.
The dispensers are not in bathrooms because the MHPs are available to everyone, no matter their gender identity.
Maxi pads (generic) with adhesive strip and no wings:
Tampax regular absorbency tampons (unscented, cardboard applicator)
Menstruation is the shedding of the lining of the uterus. People typically bleed once a month for about 3-7 days. A menstruating person may notice cramps, bloating, headache, and acne, among other symptoms.
There is no such thing as a normal period. They can change from month to month and from person to person. Diet, exercise, stress, birth control, travel, or changes in routine can all cause changes in your menstrual cycle.
PMS or premenstrual syndrome is a combination of symptoms people get in the days leading up to their period. There are some physical symptoms such as bloating or headaches and some emotional symptoms such as irritability or food cravings. Symptoms differ from person to person and from month to month.
The uterus needs to contract to expel its lining. That motion is typically what causes cramps. Exercise, hot pads, and over the counter pain relievers can typically relieve some of the cramping pain. If your pain is intense, please make an appointment at health services or with your doctor.
While you are less likely to get pregnant while menstruating, it is still possible especially if you are not using contraception.
Different tampon sizes are related to the heaviness of the flow. One may use a “super” tampon in the first few days of their period when the flow is heavier, and then switch to a “lite” tampon later, once the flow decreases.
Some birth controls do prevent monthly menstruation. Speak with your doctor or book an appointment at health services to discuss which birth control options are best for you.
Contact Us
Message us 24/7 using the health portal.
Counseling and Health Services
North Campus
352 Lafayette St.
Salem, MA 01970