Advancing Menstrual Equity for Women Veterans at Cincinnati VA Medical Center

For women veterans, accessing healthcare should never come with unnecessary barriers, especially when it comes to meeting basic needs. At the Cincinnati VA Medical Center, leadership identified an opportunity to improve the everyday experience of women veterans by ensuring reliable, dignified access to period products throughout the facility. Through a thoughtful, facility-wide implementation of Aunt Flow, the Cincinnati VAMC transformed menstrual care from an afterthought into a standard of care.

The Challenge

Veterans Affairs is committed to providing accessible period care products to women veterans, yet many locations struggle to ensure consistent access to quality products. Existing dispensers were frequently out of order, not ADA-compliant, or inconsistently stocked—forcing veterans to leave care areas or appointments to meet a basic need.

Facility leadership sought a solution that would:

• Treat menstrual care as standard restroom infrastructure
• Easy to procure within existing government systems
• Fit within remaining annual facilities budgets
• Scale across all women, veteran-facing bathrooms without operational complexity

The Solution

The Cincinnati VAMC implemented Aunt Flow facility-wide to ensure 100% coverage of all women, veteran-facing restrooms.

Key elements included:

• Aunt Flow Model E wall-mounted dispensers stocked with organic cotton tampons and pads
• Products purchased through Grainger, aligning with existing VA procurement channels
• Funding sourced from leftover facilities budgets, enabling implementation without requiring new capital requests

By leveraging Grainger and existing facilities spend, the Cincinnati VA was able to move quickly from approval to installation—effectively removing procurement friction while maximizing impact.

Implementation Approach

1. Facility-Wide Assessment The Cincinnati VAMC identified all women, veteran-facing bathrooms across the medical center to ensure no gaps in access.

2. Procurement via Grainger Next, the facilities team purchased Aunt Flow dispensers and refill products through Grainger, using approved vendors and existing purchasing workflows.

3. Budget-Efficient Rollout Additionally, the Cincinnati VAMC funded the program with unused facilities budget dollars, showing that facilities can implement period care without requesting additional funds.

4. Ongoing Operations Janitorial staff integrated restocking into their existing routines—whenever they refill toilet paper, they also replenish period products—requiring no extra labor or training.

Results & Impact

• Achieved 100% coverage of all women, veteran-facing bathrooms
• Improved dignity and experience for women veterans during appointments
• Reduced maintenance and plumbing issues
• Received positive feedback from both veterans and facilities leadership
• Established a scalable, repeatable model for other VA medical centers

What Cincinnati VAMC Is Saying

As the Acting Service Chief, a veteran, and, most importantly, as an individual who honors the service and sacrifice of our veterans, I hold the belief that it is our duty to guarantee that every person who enters our facilities is treated with dignity and care. Offering complimentary sanitary products in restrooms for women veterans is a straightforward yet impactful method to recognize their specific needs and promote their well-being. It transcends mere hygiene; it embodies respect, equality, and the creation of an inclusive atmosphere where our women veterans feel appreciated and acknowledged. This marks merely the initial step towards progressing in the right direction!

Javier Vicente, Acting Chief, EMS

As a woman veteran, it means the world to know that my basic needs are being acknowledged and met. Access to free sanitary supplies has made a real difference in my life when coming to my appointments at the VA.

Rebecca, Veteran

Why It Matters

The Cincinnati VAMC’s approach demonstrates that period care can be implemented quickly, equitably, and cost-effectively—using existing vendors, existing budgets, and existing workflows—while making a meaningful difference in veteran experience.