Free period products in Utah schools has positive impact on students, survey finds

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — In 2022, the Utah Legislature unanimously passed H.B. 162, mandating that public and charter schools provide free period products in girls’ and unisex restrooms for grades K-12. A recent survey by The Policy Project shows that two years since its passing, the bill is having positive impacts.

The Policy Project has been lobbying for menstrual equity since 2018. The Utah-based nonprofit led the effort to pass H.B. 162, and on Tuesday it released the findings of an impact report where Utah high school students were surveyed.

The findings show that access to period products is positively affecting school attendance, with 55.7% of survey respondents saying they were able to participate in school and activities that were missed previously due to access to period products.

Additionally, the report found that there’s a strong correlation between providing period products in schools and reducing negative menstruation stigma, with 75.8% of survey respondents saying their comfort level in talking about menstruation increased.

“The Policy Project is committed not only to the passage of the bill but also to its successful implementation,” Emily Bell McCormick, founder and president of The Policy Project, said in the news release. “Thanks to the collaborative and courageous efforts of legislators, donors, and community members, the implementation of HB 162 has been both successful and comprehensive—a type of execution not seen in other states with similar legislation.”

According to The Policy Project report, nearly 1,400 students from 20 of Utah’s 29 counties responded to the survey, with no single school representing more than 10% of the survey.

Per the report, an estimated 337,000 menstruating students were impacted by H.B. 162 during the 2022-2023 school year. Additionally, the report stated that the law is expected to help more than 1.3 million students by 2065.

“This survey response was incredible, and the proof of concept is there,” Kristin Andrus, community champion of The Policy Project, said. “Although there is still room for growth in the realm of equity and empowerment for girls, it is safe to say that providing access to period products in schools is really moving the needle.”

According to The Policy Project, the responses to the survey show that H.B. 162 is fulfilling its primary goals, which were to enhance educational outcomes across the state by “increasing productivity and school attendance outcomes” and to “destigmatize menstruation through normalized access to period products.”

Nationally, a 2021 study by Thinx & PERIOD found that one in five teens in the U.S. have struggled to afford period products or were not able to purchase them at all, and more than four in five students in the U.S. missed class or knew someone who did due to lack of access to period products. It also was reported that a majority of teens said they felt shame, self-consciousness and embarrassment around their periods.

One year after the passing of H.B. 162, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and advocates with The Policy Project announced that all state executive branch buildings would now have free period products, marking Utah as the first state in the nation to make period products free in state buildings.