Almost no menstrual products – The Ferris State Torch

Posted by Ember St. Amour on February 19, 2025 in News.

Across most of the campus, the women’s bathrooms include machines for menstrual products, however, for the last few years, most have been empty.

Traditionally, the machines are filled with sanitary napkins and tampons that can be purchased for a quarter, but most of the machines on campus haven’t been filled in several years.

While in some bathrooms, there is occasionally a small basket filled with these products, they are not in every bathroom and are not provided by Ferris, but by faculty and students on campus.

Manager of Custodial Services and Facilities Jeff Warner explained why the machines were empty.

“Facilities does not provide feminine hygiene products within the restrooms on campus as they are not required as part of project managements standards of use,” Warner said.

The machines are located in various bathrooms across campus including the Arts and Science Commons, the David Eisler Center, Starr and the Rock Cafe.

Survey engineering sophomore Vivian Cash shared her thoughts on the empty machines.

“I think it’s incredibly disappointing, especially because tampons and pads, to me, are a necessity. Having those not be accessible, even for pay, kind of sucks,” Cash said. “I’ve noticed that even girls in the bathroom have made their own little areas to get your free tampons and pads. And I feel like we should have more resources like that on campus that isn’t just student-run.”

These products are occasionally available at the food pantry when they are donated, however, they are not everyday products there, which means that students can purchase the products at the Market or Ferris Outfitters, which could leave them stranded without one when the machines are empty.

Cash had one of these experiences where the machine was empty, but she needed one.

“I asked the woman in the stall next to me, ‘Do you have any tampons or a pad?'” Cash said. “And she said, ‘No,’ so I had to use one-ply toilet paper.”

According to a study by the National Library of Health in 2021, those with menstrual cycles were found to have more irregular menstrual cycles under the age of 23, meaning that the need for one of these products is more frequent.

The Torch was unable to get in contact with anyone else in facilities at the time of this article.