UAB, UA and Auburn offering free hygiene products

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - Some colleges in Alabama are making new strides in addressing period poverty on their campuses.

UAB, Auburn and the University of Alabama are offering free feminine hygiene products to students.

Auburn and UA recently launched pilot programs to provide these products for free to students and staff who don’t have access to them or can’t afford them.

UAB said it’s been offering this service for the last five years.

The effort comes as the price of feminine hygiene products continues to rise because of inflation.

Alabama is one of 26 states that still taxes period products, but students are advocating for themselves and their classmates, spearheading programs to make period products available to everyone.

Auburn has placed period product dispensers across its campus with hopes of expanding to more locations next year.

UA received money from the Alabama Power Foundation and other sources to run its program for at least the next three years.

UAB offers free feminine products through student health services and Blazer Kitchen.

The schools said no one should have to miss class or work because they can’t meet this basic need.

“One in five students have trouble getting accessibility and are unable to afford these products, and four out of five of those students have said that they know someone or have missed class because of this lack of accessibility,” said Vice President of External Affairs for UA Student Government Affairs, Collier Dobbs.

“We’ve had a student who came in and just cried with relief. She said she had no idea how she was going to make it to school the end of the week because she just didn’t have the money to purchase those necessities,” said Manager for the UAB Benevolent Fund, Lisa Higginbotham.

UAB’s Blazer Kitchen is hosting an online event to support students, employees and patients in need of basic needs, including period products.

For more information or to donate, visit Blazers Against Hunger.

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