The Menstrual Health Project was established in 2017 to supply students with menstrual hygiene products on campus, free of charge.
Before the project, only sexual health products such as condoms were provided for free or at subsidized rates on campus, while necessary personal health products—such as tampons—were not. The motion at the SSMU Legislative Council that kick-started the project was passed in an effort to decrease the financial burden of using these products, which can often be expensive.
All SSMU members currently pay a nominal fee each year and the collected monies fund the purchase of dispensers, products, and labour.
The initiative also collaborates with other SSMU services and external organizations to provide products to community members who can benefit from having them.
Below you can find contact information, a form for any dispensers that need refilling, and locations of dispensers and baskets on campus.
Refill Dispenser and Contact Information
Who to contact for questions or concerns: menstrualhealth@ssmu.ca
One of our team members will get back to you shortly!
The buildings with either a basket or dispenser in women’s and/or gender neutral bathrooms:
McGill Sports Complex (Currie Gym)
Education Building
Chancellor Day Hall
Stewart Biology Building (North and South)
Brown Building
University Centre
McLennan Library
Redpath Library
McConnell Engineering
Leacock Building
Arts Basement
Each residence: RVC, New Residence, C4, La Cit, Solin, Upper Residences, Douglas, University Hall
Period Pick Up/Delivery Service
We recognize the need for period products expands beyond campus. We want to provide accessible and affordable period products for the McGill community by providing a monthly pick up service free of charge.
Dates of pickups for Winter 2023:
January 24th from 11:30am to 2:30pm, McLennan-Redpath
We offer a variety of options because no one period is the same. We provide both disposable and reusable period products. Our disposable products come from Joni, a brand based in Vancouver that uses compostable and biodegradable materials made out of organic bamboo. Our reusable products come from Period Aisle, a certified B corporation also located in Vancouver that supplies period underwear, menstrual cups, and reusable pads.
Types of products we offer:
Pads
We have two types of pads – regular and super. Regular pads are best for light to medium flows and give solid protection to go about your day. Super pads are best for those heavier flow days and are a bit longer than the regular pads. Both pads are made out of organic bamboo, chemical, chlorine, and fragrance free, and winged. They come in compostable wrapping and recyclable box packaging.
Tampons
Our tampons are applicatorless and come in three varieties, regular, super, and super plus. Regular tampons are the smallest of the three options and hold up to 9 grams of blood. Super tampons are slightly bigger and hold up to 12 grams of blood. Super plus are the biggest size and hold up to 15 grams. All tampons are 100% certified organic cotton and come in compostable wrappers.
Reusable Products
These products can be hand washed (or machine washed depending on the type) and used again and again! We offer period underwear that works similarly to our pads. This underwear, the BOOST Hipster, is medium rise with full coverage. They hold up to 8+ tampons worth with a booster absorber to help for those heavier days. These can be machine washed and dried to be used again and again. We offer sizes small, medium and large currently. We also have menstrual cups. We provide size A, which according to Period Aisle is best for those new to cups and those who have not given birth. These cups provide up to 12 hours of leak-proof protection. Just empty, wash, and reinsert as needed throughout your day! Another option we have are reusable pads. These are made of cloth and can be machine washed to reuse. We offer Aisle’s mini pads which hold up to 8 tampons worth and are 8 inches/20 cm long. We also have their maxi pads which have the same absorbency but are slightly longer: 10 inches/25 cm. Both include wings that snap together around your underwear.
We also offer menstrual discs from Nixit. These work similarly to menstrual cups, but the difference is the shape (disc instead of cup!) and requires no suction when inserted. It is made with 100% medical grade silicon and is one-size fits all (70mm in diameter). For more information on the difference between menstrual cups and discs, head to our “further resources” link below.
How do I get something?
Step 1: Decide what type of product you would like
Step 2: Stop by the listed location on the specified date
