BYOT- Aspiring Female Lawyers Can Now Bring Tampons To Bar Exam
Great news for aspiring female lawyers in the Lone Star state- you can now carry your own female hygiene products into your bar exam. A new rule by the Texas Board of Law Examiners will allow female bar exam test takers to bring their own feminine hygiene products to the exam, which is administered over several hours-long sessions according to Newser. Officials were concerned some test takers could smuggle in study-materials into the exam by concealing them as tampons or pads. Those products were then provided by the organization, but one aspiring lawyer said she found a limited variety available when she took her exam. Last summer Sarah Riffel was taking her bar exam but found only super-absorbent tampons available. A letter was sent in July to the National Conference of Bar Examiners explaining why these weren't a suitable option for all women:
"A tampon that is too large for a particular user may cause pain or discomfort—and, in fact, may be unusable. Even worse, it may make the applicant susceptible to toxic shock."
The letter was signed by hundreds of lawyers and law students, pushing for a removal of the ban on bringing personal hygiene products. The board agreed, and tampons and pads will now be allowed in clear, plastic bags during the bar exam in September. This is great news for women in the State of Texas, but also sad at the same time. I understand how the exam board doesn't want students to cheat, but keeping women from sanitary products is ridiculous. Also, I'm assuming whoever purchases the products or is in charge of stocking them is a male. The fact that they were waiting until the supply was completely gone to purchase more shows that they don't menstruate. Here's to hoping if they do still supply them for students, they give more than then the massive super absorbent plus tampons. Maybe throw in a pad or two too.
Here are some tips for self-care during the pandemic: