The menstrual cycle is not something that can be helped if you are a woman. Periods happen, sometimes at the most inconvenient times. Along with Mother Nature's gift, there will be cramps, mood swings, food cravings, and above all, a mess inside of your underwear. As fun as these things sound (sarcasm is so intended here), it's hard to see why anyone wouldn't want to deal with them.
Like every woman in the world, I have my share of period stories. Some are frighteningly embarrassing, some are strangely hilarious, but most are just annoying. I remember in sex ed learning about what Aunt Flo's visits entailed, and how to use feminine hygiene products. I remember period being "taboo," as it was weird and awkward to talk about it. There was a certain shame that came with all of the lovely side effects that a period can bring. Girls were not supposed to talk about it, and if a boy saw a tampon then all hell would break loose. Periods were not a "present" of any sort; they were actually a curse. But the fact is, periods are just another biological process in the human body. They are natural and unavoidable, so why should they be considered embarrassing?
As you saw in the title, this piece is supposed to be about the unnecessary, and in my opinion, inhumane tax on feminine hygiene products. But along with the process of abolishing the tax, there has been an amazing uprising among females everywhere. Voices are being heard around the country and even around the world, sharing their period stories and their hopes to end woman shaming and the ridiculous tampon tax.
Now, I think it's safe to say that since I'm a young woman now, I'm well acquainted with my monthly gift. I know the ins and outs of what happens to my body during my period, and what works to help cramps, mood swings, and even what products I find work the best for me. It's hard for me to imagine how some women get by without these crucial products. But some still don't have access to these "luxury" items, even here in America, where we like to think that we are an "equal and well-developed society."
In American prisons, for example, tampons and pads are hard to come by. In one story written by Chandra Bozelko, a prisoner at York Correctional Institution in Niantic, Connecticut, she tells the tale of her lack of resources. Each cell there received five pads per week to share, so about ten total for each woman. This means that they can only change their pad once per day, which really isn't healthy. Sometimes, when women need another one, they don't have access, meaning that they have to reuse the same pad for multiple days. I don't want to get into the gory details, but Bozelko even remembers seeing pads "fly right out of an inmate's pants" because of the eventual lack of adhesive after days of use.
Prisoners can buy extras from the commissary, but many can't afford the $2.63 for a package of 24 maxi pads. In York, inmates only earn $0.75 a day and still have to pay for other items such as toothpaste ($1.50) and deodorant ($1.93). Even if a woman could afford them, they weren't always available.
It's not only female inmates that are struggling to pay for such necessary items. There are only twelve states in the USA that don't have tampons classed as "luxury items." Four of those states don't have sales tax in general. This means that there are seven states that don't believe that periods are a luxury. This is an appalling statement of the gender inequality that still exists in this "free and equal country." Even though the menstrual cycle is a biological process that cannot be avoided, feminine hygiene products are not classified as a medical purchase.
Tampons are not the only women's products that have higher prices because they are for females. "Pink products" such as shampoo and soap geared towards women are evidently more expensive than those for men. Women also have to pay more for birth control and pregnancy. Don't forget about the pay gap, forcing women to use their hard-earned cash for items that they really need.
Fortunately, many states are now realizing how inhumane these taxes are, and more and more people are fighting for gender equality. More importantly, people are now fighting to require public restrooms to provide free tampons and pads. This would entail to universal accessibility, which is the ultimate goal of the tax repeal, which can be just considered as a step in the right direction.
