COLUMBUS — Columbus has become the first city in the United States to provide free period products in restrooms across all of its major sports venues.
The city now has 165 free period product dispensers installed in restrooms throughout its seven major sports venues, making menstrual products as accessible as soap and paper towels for fans attending games and events.
The move addresses a basic equity issue: people who menstruate can face unexpected needs during long events, and buying products at venue prices — or finding none at all — has long been a quiet frustration for fans.
By covering every major venue rather than piloting the program at one or two sites, Columbus set a national first, putting the city’s sports infrastructure ahead of every other American city on the issue.
Advocates for menstrual equity say access in public spaces reduces missed work, school, and events, and normalizes treating period products as essential supplies.
City officials and venue operators worked together on the rollout, which places dispensers in restrooms across all seven venues. The program was highlighted this week in a national roundup of the week’s good news.
