Dearborn High Schools Will Provide Free Pads For Students

DEARBORN, MI — Dearborn health officials announced Wednesday a new program to provide free menstrual products to all Dearborn high schools for the upcoming school year.

The initiative is part of a Dearborn Department of Public Health's partnership with The Pad Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to "creating and cultivating local and global partnerships to end period stigma."

Health officials plan to supply all Fordson, Edsel Ford and Dearborn High students with pads at no cost to the City of Dearborn. The high schools have a combined student population of roughly 6,500, according to health officials.

"Providing free menstrual products to Dearborn students is a crucial and long overdue intervention to ensure that menstruation does not serve as a barrier to a dignified education. Menstruation is a fact of life," Dearborn Director of Public Health Ali Abazeed said. "Menstrual products are a medical necessity and should be treated as such."

National figures show that 23 percent of students have struggled to afford period products, while 70 percent of students felt their school environment made them feel self-conscious about their period. Four in five menstruating students said they have either missed class time or know someone who missed class time because they did not have access to period products.

Health officials said they expect to begin supplying the schools with pads when the academic school year starts in late August.