Earlier this semester, Cal Poly Pomona announced its partnership with OrganiCup to supply students with free menstrual cups, and over 500 students are making the switch, according to the Health and Wellness Center.
OrganiCup’s campaign, CampusCup 2020, is working with universities across the nation to reduce large amounts of pad and tampon waste. With the campus’ cooperation alone, the program estimates that more than 292,000 pads and tampons are avoiding landfills.
Not only are the menstrual cups being given to the school for free from OrganiCup, they are also making efforts to provide contactless deliveries to students since campus remains closed.
Shalis Danayan, a third-year kinesiology student and peer health educator, brought this program to the campus’ attention after seeing a post about OrganiCup’s campaign on her Instagram feed. She is actively working to promote this service while it is still available.
“We all know that it’s good for our wallet and the environment, but the main selling point for me is the overall comfort that it provides for my body,” Danayan said. “I’ve noticed in personal use that I have significantly easier cramps to deal with.”
According to Healthline, menstrual cups do not contain bleach and dioxin which are found in many pad and tampon products, which could throw off the body’s PH balance. OrganiCup’s products are 100% silicone.
According to the OrganiCup website, the cup retails for $28 and is reusable for years. The need to purchase disposable menstrual products leave menstruating individuals with no choice but to spend endless amounts of money on products until menopause.
In addition to living expenses that people need to pay for, the monthly cost for menstruation products could weigh heavily for many. According to a 2019 study by Intimina, the average person spends $13.25 on menstrual products a month. Out of 2,000 individuals polled, 49% of them dealt with a scarcity of menstrual products, menstrual hygiene education, and/or locations for sanitary disposal.
Alanna Chan, a second-year business administration student, said, “Female hygiene products are a luxury. They are pricey, not everybody is able to afford them all the time. It is nice to know that our school is making an effort to provide students additional resources during the pandemic.”
With menstruation cups being a new item to many, the Health and Wellness Center is hosting a virtual panel with health professionals to answer questions that students have about making the switch. This session will take place on Oct.15 at 5:30 p.m.
“Menstruation is such a taboo subject for a lot of people,” said fifth-year psychology student Kayla Macias. “It is to the point where we don’t really discuss the better and healthier alternatives to sanitary products. Providing menstrual cups brings more education to people without forcing anything, which is long overdue.”
Although the deadline to sign up for the product is Sept. 21, the code “CAL50” is available to students for 50% off OrganiCup’s products on their site. This will remain available for the rest of the school year.
To attend the Q&A virtual panel regarding menstrual cups on Oct.15, sign up at https://mybar.cpp.edu/event/6167240.
For other free and low cost services that the campus provides, follow the CPP’s official Health and Wellness center Instagram, @CPPHealth.
(Feature image courtesy of Patricia Moraleda)
