New York state made a valuable decision this week in requiring schools to provide free menstrual products in girls’ restrooms. But the mandate begs the question of why all students in the state don’t also have access to sex ed.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the policy via Twitter on Monday, writing: “Menstrual products are as necessary as toilet paper and soap, but can be one expense too many for struggling families.” The increased access to menstrual products is helpful, especially for families that can’t necessarily afford these products. But free pads and tampons aren’t the only measures New York should take when it comes to addressing and educating students on reproductive processes.

The state should start with mandating sex ed. “Sexuality education” isn’t required in New York, according to the state education department’s website, but there are mandates for “health education.” In addition to providing menstrual products, schools should be required to teach all students about menstruation.

The Cuomo mandate should also be more inclusive of students who don’t identify as female but still experience a menstrual cycle. The governor’s tweet, which references “girls in grades 6 through 12,” isn’t inclusive of other students who get periods, including some transgender boys and students whose gender identities are non-binary. It’s important to promote the mandate with inclusive language so these students feel comfortable getting access to menstrual products without the potential for harassment from their peers and possibly teachers.

Making sex ed a requirement can also limit the potential for harassment about marginalized gender identities. Sex ed could instruct students in terminologies that will broaden their understanding of the gender spectrum. Students should be educated on the meanings of cisgender, transgender and non-binary. Without that instruction, schools can never be fully inclusive of students across all realms of the gender spectrum.

This mandate from the Cuomo administration should inspire the state to extend free access to menstrual products to low-income and homeless individuals as well. A bill in the state Senate to provide free menstrual products to “individuals receiving temporary housing assistance” has yet to be brought to the floor, according to the Senate website. If students can have access to these products in schools, so should individuals who struggle to afford them.

Education, inclusivity and equity are fundamental pillars needed to invoke real change when it comes to health. While this move by Cuomo is generous, it must be more inclusive and extensive. And the state must acknowledge that sex ed is an invaluable resource for schools to provide students.

Lianza Reyes is a sophomore broadcast and digital journalism major. She can be reached at lireyes@syr.edu or on Twitter @ReyesLianza.

Published on April 3, 2018 at 10:10 pm