For the past 2 1/2 years at my school, I've dealt with having to leave class to go to the bathroom, finding out I had my period, watching the battle of good vs. evil as I wrestled with the pad machine (which, incidentally, still advertises that they're 'beltless' sanitary napkins), giving up, going back to class, passing notes asking my friends if they had some sort of thing I could stick up my cunt (many times getting yelled at by the teacher in the process), receiving said feminine device, returning to the bathroom, and that was that. I got sick of it. So I got a little basket, filled it with a bunch of different kinds of tampons (since some women are allergic to pads - allergies, rubbing, open wounds, etcetera) and pads (since some women can't use pads due to vaginismus and other conditions), put a sign on it that said, "If you use a tampon, please replace it with a different one tomorrow." and placed it in our school bathroom. That was well received by everyone...my friends, the nurse, a few of the teachers, etc. Except the parents. Apparently the school administration had gotten 3 different calls complaining about the tampon basket... 1) It was unsanitary. Since it wasn't regulated, people could spill hairspray, perfume, etc. on them. 2) One parent objected to the tampons being there, since she didn't want her child thinking that tampons were the only form of feminine products (regardless of the fact that there *were* pads and Insteads) and the instructions of all of them in the basket. 3) Tampons promote promiscuity. hmm. I'm pretty sure logic and reason can disprove each and every one of those objections. 1) Everything was wrapped securely in its original packaging. 2) If your child is in high school and you think she doesn't know how to use tampons, you're either a) not teaching your child the correct things, or b) having large communication issues. 3) The idea that tampons promote promiscuity is idiotic and Puritanistic. In any case, the tampon basket was taken down. However, about 2 weeks ago we had a fundraiser and I noticed that the tampon basket was replaced. When I asked the nurse about this, she said that it was because it was an 'after school function' and that it was 'mostly adults.' A) After school functions are still school affiliated. School rules do, in fact, apply, and thusly should still be enforced. B) It was definitely NOT mostly adults.. Almost every single student in the school had something to do with the planning, performances, art showings, etc. that night. The adults were just in addition to almost the entire student body at my school. I really really want to bring $5 to the school principal (who is a man) and hand him a note with exactly which kind of tampons I'd like, so next time I have my period and don't have a tampon with me, I can just get it from him. In a less smart aleck-y move, I'm also tempted to find an empty locker somewhere (or even empty my own and go share with a friend), fill it with feminine hygiene products, and slap a lock on it. Then I'd post signs in the bathrooms saying that if you need a feminine hygiene product, you can get one from locker #whatever, the combo is ***. If asked about it by school administration, I can just say sweetly, "But you told me I couldn't keep them in the bathroom for sanitary reasons. A locker is much cleaner, isn't it?" This may not be the best course of action, but it's nice to think about foiling the principal.