Changing the Cycle is an organization started by Quinn Polasek with the mission to end period poverty.
As a final project for their major, Quinn created an organization through the Women’s Resource Center at Eastern Michigan University. Changing the Cycle partnered with Aunt Flow, a national organization, to provide free period products in every restroom on campus.
These products—organic pads and tampons—are available in baskets and dispensers, allowing all students to access them whenever needed. EMU is one of the first universities to implement this program with dispensers and products in every bathroom. Other chapters at Michigan State University and the University of Michigan are also working towards similar access.
Following Changing the Cycle’s launch of these dispensers, undergraduate student Aryana Jharia took the initiative to start an official student organization at EMU.
She was inspired by Mission Menstruation, an organization she learned about through a friend who was involved at MSU. After researching existing groups and resources at EMU, Jharia successfully launched a chapter of Mission Menstruation at EMU.
“Mission Menstruation at EMU’s goal is to end the stigma around periods and ensure that everyone has access to the products they need,” Jharia said.
While Aunt Flow has generously donated menstrual products to EMU, the university does not provide funding for staff to maintain the dispensers. This responsibility falls entirely on student volunteers from Mission Menstruation.
“This semester, we’re lucky to have student ambassadors and volunteers from the honors college who need community service hours, but really, these dispensers should be maintained like toilet paper and paper towels,” Jharia said.
She is also worried that, after her graduation this winter, Mission Menstruation may struggle to continue its work.
Mission Menstruation and Planned Parenthood Generation Action @ EMU's chapters are partner organizations that frequently work together to advocate for reproductive health on campus.
Last year, they collaborated and held “Costumes and Consent,” a Halloween-themed gathering where students dressed up, participated in games and scavenger hunts, and learned about sexual, menstrual and reproductive health. The organizations also gave out goodie bags around campus that held condoms, pads, tampons and information for more services.
Additionally, Planned Parenthood GenAction and Mission Menstruation collaborated with Advocates for Youth, a nonprofit organization, to distribute emergency contraception.
Jharia organized a text line through which students could anonymously request these products, ensuring a discrete, judgment-free process. In less than two months, they provided 200 Plan-B emergency contraceptive pills to students in need.
“I was surprised how fast it went," Jharia said. "Students at this school need access to this, and that’s something we are working to make available on campus full time."
MSU's Mission Menstruation chapter has installed vending machines offering condoms, lubricants and emergency contraceptives, and they are working toward bringing that service to EMU as well.
Changing the Cycle, Mission Menstruation, and Aunt Flow are all working to create inclusive conversations about menstruation. Instead of using the term feminine hygiene products, they prefer the term period products to be more inclusive of all gender identities. These products are available in all bathrooms, gendered or not, making access more equitable for everyone.
While EMU has long been a leader in reproductive health advocacy, the state of Michigan has recently taken significant steps to support reproductive health at the state level.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services launched the "Take Control of Your Birth Control" initiative in November 2024. This program offers free birth control and STI prevention products at 307 locations across the state. During November, individuals can take condoms, over-the-counter emergency contraception and oral contraception pills without the need for insurance or payment.
The initiative aims to promote informed decision-making around reproductive health and safer sex, without the financial burden of expensive products.
At each location there is information on insurance options and how individuals can access reproductive health products through various insurance plans. The Washtenaw Health Department is one of the participating locations, offering a six-month supply of Opill contraceptives or two over-the-counter emergency contraceptive pills per person during the month of November.
The Washtenaw Health Department also provides free condoms, lubricant, STI testing, and DoxyPEP. For more information on "Take Control of Your Birth Control" and participating locations, visit the MDHHS website.
To learn more about Mission Menstruation, visit their website at missionmenstruation.com or follow them on Instagram at @missionmenstruation. To join the EMU chapter, email Aryana at ajharia1@emich.edu or check out @mmxemu on Instagram.
