UVA Students Criticize Tampon Dispensers in Men's Restrooms as Wasteful

Students at the University of Virginia are questioning the presence of tampon dispensers in men's restrooms on campus. Some described the move as absurd and a waste of resources.

The dispensers provide free tampons and pads in campus buildings, students said.

A student in the commerce school told Campus Reform on May 4 that dispensers in male restrooms represent a waste of university resources. "Instead of focusing on rising costs like tuition and food, the university is pursuing policy initiatives that don’t meaningfully help the student body," the student added.

A fourth-year public policy student noticed dispensers in a men’s restroom in Old Cabell Hall, home to the university's Department of Music, Music Library, and main lecture and concert hall. He called them odd.

A freshman told Campus Reform that the dispensers in male restrooms do not make sense. "I think seeing these in a men’s restroom is weird, totally unnecessary, and absurd."

A UVA sophomore said the dispensers belong only in women’s restrooms. "They shouldn’t be in the men’s bathroom because such a device is to be used by women — who already have their own, separate bathroom,"

Another third-year student called the dispensers in men’s bathrooms gross and insulting to God. "I’ve seen them. I find it both gross and insulting to God," he said. "Men will never be able to menstruate, and we need to stop playing pretend and get real. It is common sense to get rid of silly policies such as tampons in men’s restrooms. Overall, society should return to respecting and honoring the inherent biological differences between men and women."

UVA Health's "Free Period Products" page states the institution provides complimentary period products to employees, as access is integral to health and wellness.

The Maryland House of Representatives recently considered the "Public Health - Public Buildings - Hygiene Products" bill, sponsored by more than 10 Democratic delegates. It would require public restrooms in public buildings to provide an adequate supply of certain hygiene products.

A university spokesperson told Fox News Digital that UVA makes emergency feminine hygiene products available in academic buildings across Grounds as part of a student-focused initiative. The overwhelming majority of dispensers are in women’s restrooms in academic buildings.

UVA installed dispensers in a handful of men’s restrooms in buildings without gender-neutral restrooms, the spokesperson said. The university remains bound by Fourth Circuit precedent in Grimm v. Gloucester County School Board (4th Cir. 2020), which requires allowing individuals to use restrooms corresponding to their gender identity under the Equal Protection Clause and Title IX. The current practice demonstrates compliance with those principles for equal protection, though it was not implemented for legal reasons. The dispensers are not in all or even most men’s restrooms, and program costs are minimal.