Students for Reproductive Justice logo from their website.
Having access to free resources such as pads, tampons, menstrual cups, and condoms is essential to living a healthier lifestyle. However, providing these resources that are also eco-friendly brings benefits to you and the environment.
Students for Reproductive Justice (SRJ) is a club at Loyola University Chicago that provides resources like pads and tampons to public bathrooms on campus. They also recently created a “TXT Jane” number that provides easier access to free safe sex products for students both on and off-campus.
“TXT Jane” number and logo from SRJ website.
My friend Abigail Vanhaitsma is currently an organizer for SRJ at Loyola and has been involved in this club for 3 years.
“Our mission is to fight for all students to have access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare at Loyola,” Vanhaitsma stated.
Vanhaitsma mentioned that one of the biggest accomplishments this organization achieved since being involved in SRJ is providing free pads and tampons in the men’s, women’s, and gender-neutral bathrooms on Loyola’s campus.
SRJ announces the big news to Instagram on November 19, 2020 Photo from SRJ Instagram
The distribution of these eco-friendly products provides Loyola students the resources they need if they are unable to obtain these themselves.
The difference between using a regular tampon and an eco-friendly tampon, according to Vanhaitsma, is very apparent.
“They [eco-friendly tampons] will biodegrade quicker in the environment because period products can last your lifetime in a landfill,” Vanhaitsma stated. “So, by helping to provide these more eco-friendly products, we’re helping to reduce that waste.”
Not only will natural tampons biodegrade faster, but they are also healthier to use for your body. According to Vanhaitsma, regular tampons have tons of chemicals in them and using this product exposes the chemicals to your body. However, the natural tampons are chemical-free.
Another eco-friendly product provided by SRJ are vegan menstrual cups. These are beneficial to the environment because you are able to reuse this product, unlike tampons.
Picture of menstrual cups provided by Students for Reproductive Justice (SRJ) Photo by Abigail Vanhaitsma
“That [a menstrual cup] is helpful because you don’t dispose them so that also saves on disposing period products as a whole,” Vanhaitsma stated.
Vanhaitsma also believes that menstrual cups are healthier to use than tampons because of their function compared to a tampon.
“They [tampons] absorb everything, even kind of natural products that are suppose to be there,” Vanhaitsma stated. “It absorbs everything … versus menstrual cups just kind of collect. So, they’re not absorbing those fluids that you need.”
SRJ is able to educate young adults on the impact these resources have on the environment. They spread both reproductive rights and eco-friendly habits and both of these messages are important to become aware of.
This club is currently hosting a fundraiser on their Instagram hoping to receive enough money for future projects next school year. I highly suggest donating to this club because of their impact at Loyola. You can find more information on their Instagram.
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