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Montgomery County has placed dispensers with free period products in all county buildings.

Jamila Winder, chair of the Montco Commission, said the policy expands access to menstrual products and combats period poverty.

“It’s not something people talk about openly,” Winder said. “And so some of the challenges people might have when purchasing period products may not be as well known.”

Pads and tampons will be available in all restrooms in county buildings and facilities, including courthouses, health and human services buildings, parks and historic sites.

This scheme benefits more than 12,000 residents of the district who are of menstrual age and live below the poverty line and can hardly afford menstrual products.

Pennsylvania does not tax pads and tampons, categorizing them as “paper products.” However, for people with financial difficulties, programs like SNAP or WIC do not cover the purchase of period products.

Prices for pads and tampons have been hit hard by inflation in recent years. According to NielsenIQ data, average prices for tampons rose 9.8% between 2021 and 2022, while average prices for pads rose 8.3% over the same period.

The average person who menstruates spends $13.25 per month on period products. That adds up to $6,000 over the average person’s 40 years of menstruating.