The women’s bathrooms at Diablo Valley College lack a basic service that demands attention.

There is a scant amount of tampon and pad dispensers around campus, which means that a female necessity is being ignored.

According to the California Community College’s student success scorecard based on the 2015-2016 academic year, 51.2 percent of students on campus were women.

The main two arguments against tampon dispensers in bathrooms is the monthly cost and risk of delinquent actions.

Menstruation is expensive. Time’s journalist Jennifer Weiss-Wolf wrote in an article, “Feminine products are a $2 billion industry in the United States alone.”

An article by SELF magazine stated that, “women in California pay roughly $7 per month” on tampons.

To fulfill the needs of around 9,500 women, non-including staff (sic), the cost is much higher.

According to DVC’s website, the cost of unit per international student is $254 dollars. Adding this with the tuition of resident students, the college could easily afford to buy a few boxes of tampons each month.

I believe that DVC should offer free tampons and pads around campus. If dispensers inside bathrooms involve a risk of delinquencies, then they should be available at offices inside the student services building, thus ensuring a safe circulation.

Working out this issue shows that DVC cares for its female students and staff, while confronting the taboos around menstruation.