May 17, 2018[dropcap]I[/dropcap]n a recent article published by HuffPost, Jessica Kane reports; “On average, a woman has her period from three to seven days and the average woman menstruates from age 13 until age 51. That means the average woman endures some 456 total periods over 38 years, or roughly 2,280 days with her period — 6.25 years of her life.” This article has also informed us that throughout a woman’s lifetime they with spend up to $18,171 on supplies for their period. They broke down all the common supplies that are needed when menstruating. This included heating pads, acne medication, panty liners, chocolate, Midol, new underwear, tampons and birth control. Some of these items are not necessities, but even if a woman buys the bare minimum such as tampons and pads, they are still spending over $2,000 in order to maintain something they do not have control over. This is causing a woman to feel ashamed of a normal bodily function because society does not treat feminine products as a necessity.
Price on feminine products
In the United States necessities like basic food and clothes are usually exempt from state sales tax. Tampons and pads, however, do not fit into that category but other items like toilet paper, sunscreen, and sometimes even viagra are tax-exempt. To make everything worse, there are 40 states that have put a sales tax on tampons and pads. The tax on these products can add up to almost a dollar and sometimes more. There is almost no way for women to avoid these expenses however, the Chicago Tribune informs us; “Nationwide, 40 states tax feminine hygiene products, deeming them non-necessities or even ‘luxury items,’ while making exceptions for products as similar as adult incontinence pads.” Also in an article published by Wably, they enlighten the fact that some states will call it a “luxury tax” or a “sin tax.” [perfectpullquote align=”left” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]some states will call it a “luxury tax” or a “sin tax.”[/perfectpullquote]
In such a way that it is a luxury for a woman to keep themselves sanitary while menstruating.
The price of tampons affects all women differently. For example, a middle-class woman can go to the store to get tampons and easily hand the cashier a $10 bill for something she doesn’t even want to buy in the first place. But there’s no question whether she’ll always have the money to buy these pads and tampons or not. She’ll probably even be able to buy something to eat to get rid of her cravings that came with her period. However, Lower-income or homeless women are in a much worse situation. The tax on tampons may be small but, it is burdensome for poor women. Food stamps don’t cover tampons, so many women have to trade food stamps or find enough money to get tampons every month. It can cause a serious moment of panic to start bleeding and realize you can’t afford to control it.
Pink tax
The pink tax is also a factor in how expensive tampons and pad are. The pink tax was initially an idea raised by concerned shoppers that products marketed towards females cost more. An article published by CNBC educates us on a study conducted in New York called “Gypped by Gender.” In 1992 this study concluded that it is a fact that women pay more than men. The pink tax has raised concerns to women all over. We already have the added expense of buying tampons and pads, but now we know it is also more expensive just to buy ‘female’ marked products. The article also shows another study followed this one on California in 1994. This second study calculated the average “gender tax” women pay each year which is an extra $1,351. The tax may seem small but in the end, it definitely adds up.
Misconceptions of periods
A teenage ‘meninist’ named Ryan Williams has been telling women all over Twitter to just “control their bladders” in a fight over the Tampon tax. But this 19-year-old has been left baffled after people pointed out he needed to take a lesson in the female anatomy. This teens girlfriend Clare Kennedy, set up a poll to find out how many people would support him. This revealed that 87 percent of those who have responded to the poll think tampons should be free- and only 13 percent agree women should ‘hold their bladders’.
This left Ryan in shock because he believes that a woman can control their bleeding. Since sharing his opinions, Ryan has been criticised for his lack of knowledge of the female anatomy and claims he has even received death threats from feminists. Williams has even shut down his Twitter page and had declined all requested to follow him because of all the hate he got for his false accusations.
Periods are a very controversial subject in our culture, especially with people who don’t have periods themselves. These people know shockingly little about them. In the Plan U.K. and V.Point News video “How much do men know about periods?,” proves the sad truth about men’s knowledge of periods. Almost all men quizzed in the video could not figure out how to put in a tampon, or identify menstrual cups, and couldn’t even explain how they work. The men also talk about why they know so little about periods. Most think it is from the negative stereotypes associated with menstruation. [perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Most think it is from the negative stereotypes associated with menstruation.[/perfectpullquote]
The video is part of a campaign called #JustATampon that has a goal to make menstruation a topic everyone is comfortable talking about. Most men know someone who menstruates, so maybe it’s about time they learn the basics.
Support the woman
Making tampons free is a very unrealistic goal, however, we should still be fighting to make them free of tax and less expensive. A national push is being led by social media campaigns like #Periodswithoutshame, which is trending all over Twitter and Instagram. At least seven states are now considering legislation. The Cosmopolitan magazine launched a huge online petition. Even former president Barack Obama has questioned why the items are taxed. More than 300,000 people have also signed a Change.org petition calling for sanitary items to be exempted from tax. Laura Sherriff, who proposed the tampon tax-ending amendment has pledged to keep up the pressure until the reform is seen through. Especially after hearing how little men understand about a woman’s period, it is important we educate men so everyone understands that period supplies are a necessity for women.
Featured image from Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 4.0
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Isabella
I totally love this post and am not being critical of it, but a way cheaper form of protection is menstrual cups. They cost around $40, but can be used for at least a year before they need to be replaced. There are tons of different kinds. Here is a link to how they work. http://divacup.com/how-it-works/how-it-works/
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“Almost all men quizzed in the video could not figure out how to put in a tampon, or identify menstrual cups, and couldn’t even explain how they work.” – me too and I’m not even a man lol.
Carter
Super informational article! All of your points you backed up with facts, and it made it seem as if your opinion was factual. I also agree heavily with this subject. I love how society loves to pretend that everyone is already treated equally by the law, whereas there is still plenty of de facto segregation. When birth control and tampons are completely free and considered a need to the government then I will actually believe that women’s health is a priority for our government. Lack of basic knowledge and the inability to put yourself in other people’s shoes leaves you arguing against this issue.
Me
yes
Amber
Preach! It’s ridiculous that feminine hygiene products are considered “luxury items” and it’s astounding that men don’t have more education on the female anatomy. Good blog!
Isabella
After reading more I see you included menstrual cups in your post. But there is the link for anyone interested. Love this post by the way. I feel like one reason that people are so misinformed about menstruation, has a lot to do with the kind of sex education we receive in school. Even for girls, in elementary school having ‘the talk’ is not enough, and happens far latter then it should. And, by separating the genders early on, it just teaches kids, boys, and girls, that menstruation is something you must keep secret.