At the University of Â鶹´«Ã½ at ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹, students are leading efforts to address period poverty—the inability to afford menstrual products and limited access to menstrual education and care—recognized as both a public health and equity issue in Â鶹´«Ã½.
A found 43% of UH students who menstruate have experienced period poverty, about three times the national average. Those affected are more likely to face food insecurity, severe depression and academic disruption.
Student-led drives expand campus support
Graduate student Jenny Brown and undergraduate student Lovely Molina, both from a College of Engineering , organized “Flow Forward” period product drives in October 2025 and February 2026, collecting 2,679 pads and tampons for the campus . They also hosted kit-making events to support distribution and awareness.
“These efforts aim to institutionalize this as a permanent budget priority, providing equitable and sustainable access to basic hygiene is a strategic investment in student success and retention—and what’s needed now is senior leadership to champion it to the finish line,” said Brown.
Overlapping needs
The Food Vault was chosen because period poverty often overlaps with food and housing insecurity, allowing one access point to meet multiple needs. Brown and Molina also coordinate with student groups, alumni, nonprofits and faculty advisors Yuka Polovina of the Department of Public Health Sciences and Teresa Bill of Womenʻs Center/SEED program.
“I’m so proud of our students who demonstrate this level of passion and initiative to address this critical public health issue,” said Polovina. “And at the same time, it concerns me that they shoulder this burden as students.”
In 2023, the State Senate passed Senate Resolution 23 urging the UH System to provide free menstrual products across campuses. Implementation remains limited due to infrastructure and funding challenges.
“Implementing an ‘unfunded resolution’ is challenging on a campus with more than 300 Women’s and All Gender restrooms, controlled by three different entities,” said Bill. “Selecting new locations will take into account ‘high traffic’ areas as well as product ‘deserts,’ but this is a long-term project.”
While systemwide efforts continue, students remain the primary drivers of immediate support through donation drives, nonprofit partnerships like , and advocacy.
“Providing period products for students should not be another student’s responsibility,” said Molina. “We started this drive without high expectations of getting many donations and seeing my peers raise this much product blows my mind.”