The Connecticut General Assembly has introduced a proposal, that if passed, will require middle and high schools to provide free menstrual products in their student restrooms.
S.B. 246 is on the docket for 2021 and is anticipated to be signed into law by Connecticut Governor Ted Lamont by June of this year. This blog will take a deep look at how the passage of this bill would positively affect students who menstruate in Connecticut.
Access to free menstrual products can boost school attendance – New York Public Schools saw an attendance increase of 2.4% after implementing free tampons and pads in their bathrooms. A study from the Aunt Flow pilot program with Princeton University found that 9% of students who used our menstrual products previously couldn’t afford them. These startling statistics highlight the impact on educational attainment that unsupported menstruation can cause, and this is just touching on TIME spent juggling educational attendance and menstrual needs.
S.B. 246 providing access to free menstrual products will also help schools build safe and reliable learning environments for students. We already know that a startling number of students are unable to afford menstrual products – but what’s more is that students across the country routinely face harassment and exclusion from both peers and restrictive school policies for their menstrual cycle. The United for Access campaign, in a letter to then-Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, stated, “the inability to access [menstrual products] affects a student’s freedom to study, be healthy, and participate in society with dignity.”

As states continue to pass legislation aimed at reducing the effects of period poverty on education, Aunt Flow will be ready to assist school districts with the implementation of our menstrual program. Why choose Aunt Flow for your school’s menstrual needs?
- Sustainability: Aunt Flow products are packaged with degradable paper – no plastic here!
- Product Quality: We use natural, organic cotton in our pads and tampons. That means no synthetics, chemicals, dyes, or perfumes.
- Reliability: Over 350 businesses and schools across North America choose Aunt Flow, with Princeton University, United Schools Network, and Baldwin Wallace University among them.
- Affordability: Implementation of a quality, sustainable menstrual program with Aunt Flow can cost as little as $0.02 per day per menstruating student. (Statistic based on current Aunt Flow Product Cost Analysis, 2020).
Ready get started? GET A QUOTE FROM AUNT FLOW.
Pictured in Title Image, from L to R: Claire Coder, Senator Mary Daugherty Abrams, Charlotte Hallisey, Amy Barratt, Senator Alex Mochary Kasser
Pictured in Article, from L to R: Charlotte Hallisey, Amy Barratt, Claire Coder