A box of tampons and menstrual pads in the Pembroke Public Library men’s bathroom
The city of Boston plans to start putting tampons in men’s bathrooms at six of its public libraries next month.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and the Mayor’s Office of Women’s Advancement announced the launch of their Menstrual Equity pilot in partnership with the Boston Public Library in a press release from the mayor’s office.
For the pilot, the city will receive free menstrual pads and tampons for six of its public libraries from Aunt Flow. The locations are Brighton, Codman Square, East Boston, the North End, Mattapan, and Roxbury.
Each branch will offer menstrual products in the men’s, women’s, and gender-neutral bathrooms, the release said.
Here is a screenshot of the part of the press release making the announcement:
“Ensuring that residents have equitable access to menstrual products is critical for their health and well-being,” Mayor Michelle Wu said in the written statement. “As we work to make Boston a city for everyone, we are excited to launch this Menstrual Equity Pilot Initiative that uses our City’s public libraries across neighborhoods to remove barriers and provide critical products and services to residents and families.”
District 1 city councilor Gabriella Coletta (D-East Boston) called the new development “exciting.”
“I am excited about the Menstrual Equity Initiative launch at numerous libraries across Boston. Last year, I held a hearing to explore how the City could provide free menstrual products in municipal buildings,” Coletta said in the city’s press release. “I am proud that we are breaking barriers by providing products that over half of the population uses, but remain unaffordable for many.”
Additionally, from September to December 2023, an organization called Love Your Menses Inc. will host monthly workshops at each of the six branches that will “bring awareness to the program, provide residents with more information about menstruation and help remove the shame and stigma often associated with menstruation,” according to the press release.
“These workshops will be a safe space for all to come and ask questions and become an advocate for menstruators in Boston,” said Dr. Ebere Azumah, co-founder and president of Love Your Menses Inc. according to the press release.
Here is a description of Love Your Menses Inc. from its web site:
Love Your Menses was founded in Boston, MA in 2019 in response to the growing menstrual wellness needs of girls, menstruating youths, and women. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, our mission is to dispel myths surrounding menstruation, promote menstrual equity, and build the next generation of leaders by providing an educational, uplifting, and supportive space for Black and Brown girls, women, and all people who menstruate to learn about the menstrual cycle and thrive throughout their reproductive years and beyond.
Our organizational model promotes menstrual equity through intergenerational and intercultural community conversations, evidence-based menstrual health education and disease prevention, resource connection, mentorship, and sisterhood-building activities.
Priscilla Foley, Boston Public Library’s director of neighborhood services, said the initiative will make the city’s libraries more inclusive.
“Patrons count on their branch library for so much more than books,” Foley said in the press release. “We are pleased to work in partnership to ensure that people with periods have access to the supplies they need, when and where they need them. The BPL is committed to ensuring that all people feel welcome in our spaces, and this program will further reinforce that mission.”
Branches of Boston Public Library will not be the only places offering menstrual products in men’s bathrooms. Pembroke Public Library does the same, as do Brookline Town Hall, Emerson College, and UMass Dartmouth, among others, as NewBostonPost has also reported.
A press spokesman for Boston Public Library could not be reached for comment on Tuesday or Wednesday this week.
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A box of tampons and menstrual pads in the Pembroke Public Library men’s bathroom 
