Carmen Martinez of Harvest Preparatory Academy is in the news again for an advancement in STEM.
This time, she is sharing the spotlight with fellow student and senior Mercedes Castro to celebrate a win at the International Science and Engineering Fair for their sustainable and reusable sanitary pad.
The students spent a year engineering a fabric made from banana fiber, mesquite bark, and hibiscus, creating a reusable pad that took third place at the fair in Columbus. During their research, the students realized that the fabric was not only durable but could also detect pH changes, which gave them the idea to make it a sanitary pad.
"It did show that the fabric was strong, durable, and absorbent," Castro said to Arizona Family.
According to UN Women, millions of women around the world still do not have access to menstrual products. One in four teens and one in three adults in the U.S. struggle to afford period care. By looking into more accessible and affordable materials, an invention like this could potentially reduce these numbers greatly.
"As women ourselves, why not create something that can benefit us?" Martinez added. "This can be something really big that can be pushed out into the market."
This invention can also make a big impact on the environment, as the average pad on the market is made from cotton, wood pulp, and plastic; 20 billion menstrual products are tossed every year in the U.S. alone, according to the BBC.
While there are currently period underwear and other reusable items on the market, many of them are at a price point that is not accessible to lower-income families.
Castro and Martinez are getting prepared to start their undergraduate degrees at the University of Arizona in Tucson, where they hope to continue this project and bring it to market.
Martinez adds this recognition to a previous win for creating an eco-friendly bandage.
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"Not only can we do good in school in academics, but we can do good in STEM, we could do good to this world, and we're able to prove to ourselves and our families that we're able to do all these things," Castro proclaimed.
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