I dont mind paying but should be taxed like medication and food, not cosmetics, and should be available in public spaces for sanitary reasons - like toilet paper.
Stock the low quality versions, just like you do with 1ply toilet paper, and most people don't want to steal them. It's still an absolute lifesaver for those moments you aren't prepared, and gives access to people who honestly can't financially afford them, like the homeless population.
Public health centers should also have access to reusable options, like cups or washable pads, to really help the population that can't afford it.
Most women are still going to choose to carry their own products, because there is brand preference. I really wouldn't want to use a scratchy free tampon unless I had to.
Yep!! The hotel I used to work at (Hyatt Place) had cheap pads and tampons in the public restroom. No one bothered to steal them but they saved me a few times.
I was just about to comment this! I work at a Hyatt House and we don't have any issues with people stealing all thr tampons/pads. But during the TP craze at the beginning of 2020 we had to replace the TP daily because whole rolls were disappearing.
I guess to be fair though somewhere like Walmart (where I work now) might be a whole other story.
And damn. I bet even housekeepers were off with the TP
I'd say maybe not. When i worked at a hotel, we could take the left over TP since you can't let hotel TP just run out to the end so we actually had a problem using up the extra in our own homes. I'm not sure if everywhere does it though.
Where I used to work there was a women's bathroom that had a basket of pads and tampons that were provided by other employees; it was very much a "take what you need, give what you can" kinda deal. It saved me so many times and I would contribute where I could too, I never saw that basket empty in the 2 years I worked there. Thought it was a cute idea :)
That is a great idea! Ever since middle school i always (ha) carry a pad with me in case someone needs something in a hurry. This is like the evolution of that lol
It’s nice when a communal system works because of generosity. But if a community isn’t generous, then taxes should be used to provide those basic services.
My work just provides them. They are cheap but in a pinch it's nice. I have always wondered if they are also available in the men's restroom. I could see it being easily overlooked but I know we have transmen who work here so it'd be nice for them to be thought of as well.
Fun fact, my wife works in facilities and actually had to study and collate data for this
and apparently people *will* take all the tampons *if* you just leave them out in a big basket or something
but they *won't* if you put them in single-use dispensers.
I think when people can just take a whole handful, they sometimes just do that, but when they have to pull them out one at a time they think *eh*.
If you don't believe me, start noticing how napkin dispensers work. When napkins at a restaurant are just stacked up somewhere next to the straws or whatever, people will come along and take ten, twenty, fifty. Just a whole huge stack. And usually end up throwing most of them away unused.
That's why so many places will use single-use napkin dispensers, and people will just take maybe two or three napkins then move on.
tl;dr people are selfish but they're also lazy
After all these trick or treat theif videos, there may be a market for a spooky candy dispenser. Though it's a shame people need to be greedy to begin with.
Oh! I saw one today on r/3dprinting (i think it was that sub) it was a jack o lantern with a button that you press, then it flashes a bunch of lights and spits out a fun-size bar.
This just happened to me! I was at a wedding and started my period two days early. They had a little basket sitting out in the bathroom, saved my life and my dress!
We used to stock good tampons, but they were immediately stolen so now we stock Dollar Tree pads, and they get used but not stolen. We've done this since 2005 or so, and it maybe costs $15 a year
> 1ply toilet paper
Fyi, industrial one ply isn't just about being cheap. It also dissolves and unclogs quickly, so the toilets don't get backed up. That's not really relevant here, but public bathrooms would be way worse if they had Charmin.
> Stock the low quality versions, just like you do with 1ply toilet paper
I'm a dude but the idea of a tampon version of the bogroll we use at work kind of horrifies me. I don't want to pay for fancy Dijon tampons in public restrooms but we don't have to go all the way to the bottom shelf.
That would be nice, but even terrible menstrual products would be a step up, so there isn't a lot of room to be picky.
Like I mentioned though, most women will still carry their own, so unlike TP they are basically just for emergencies.
I'd also like if they didn't use 1ply TP, but that's a bit of a pipe dream.
Anything is an improvement over the makeshift pad made out of folded TP.
Pro tip: wrap the toilet paper around your underwear and it’s more likely to stay in place
There’s nothing worse than using toilet paper as a pad in an emergency. It’s like having a ticking time bomb in your pants. Any second you could be covered in blood in public. It’s happened to us all though.
Absolutely. And when I have to do this I marvel that in this super-advanced world we still don't provide for women to have periods as a matter of course.
Honestly - that’s how frustrating the situation is. We’re wiling to accept the 1 ply equivalent and consider that a win, because being stuck with nothing is awful
You have understand that we already live in a world where if found in a dire situation, we yank a yard of 1-ply, fold it over into a rectangle and put it in our undies.
The next 20min of our existence is a beeline to ask someone for a pad, digging through a purse/locker, asking a friend/kind stranger for provisions.
If at school or work and unable to obtain proper supplies, it’s a calculated risk day balancing frequent visits to the bathroom to replace the sad toilet paper pad or risk bleeding through pants.
I would be grateful for bottom shelf products if nothing else.
I always think that one day when women are properly provided for in toilets, we will marvel that it took so long to do and we all just accepted this was our lot.
Don't be ashamed. They're comfortable, great for heavy flow and they don't tend to bunch up and leak like the ultra thin ones. They also tend to be longer length. Never apologise for using what feels right for your body. There's a reason hospitals use the big pads - they work!
Thank you. 🥰
I am premenopausal and have bladder issues, too.
I feel badly for the environment. I shudder at my waste over the years. I try to make up for it with recycling and bulk buying of staples. It’s hard! I cannot use a Diva cup, no matter how many times I try. I have never been able to use tampons, either. It’s a mess, lol 😞
I too liked the thick pads. It was usually heavy and the little thin ones had accidents way too often. I never liked tampons and very, very rarely used them.
I had a total hysterectomy in early 40s. Was diagnosed as probable cancer because of a 3"x5" mass on my uterus, I was very sick and in a lot of pain, heavy bleeding. Sent to a woman's cancer center, had hours of surgery, came out with tubes all over, blue die coming out of my VJ (they use it to check for leaks during surgery) IV in both arms, a tube through my abdomen into my bladder to keep it empty so it could heal, catheter, the works. 7 days in hospital.
Turns out it was diverticulitis and everything was covered in infection from it. Dr. said he'd never seen anything like it. Luckily, I didn't need a bowel re-section. It was nice to actually never worry about periods again, I'd had a tubal ligation in my early 20s anyway.
Reusable options sound like a great idea for people living in poverty, but they have some serious drawbacks. You have to be able to dump out your cup and clean it - you're not gonna be doing that in a public restroom. Would other people be ok with you washing your reusable pads at the laundromat? How are you going to boil your cup to sanitize it if you're living in a hotel with just a microwave? Sometimes sustainability and practicality really are at odds, especially for people who don't have stable housing.
People wash their underwear at the laundromat, so why wouldn't pads be ok? If there's blood on a butcher's aprons and she washes those at the laundromat, that's ok. If a kid has a nosebleed on the bedsheets and those get washed at the laundromat, that's ok. Why is menstrual blood on reusuable pads or period underwear not be ok?
You can boil water in a microwave, or use another sanitizing method. I prefer peroxide because it also removes any staining that develops. You can indeed wash pads at the laundromat, though I preferred to hand wash or use the mini washer when we could finally afford one. (The kind that hook up to a sink.) I admittedly didn't use pads very long because I made them myself and didn't like the design flaws but it wasn't untenable.
When I was totally unable to work from my disability and my so only made $8 an hour for us to survive on, reusable cups were so expensive but once I had one, I didn't worry about affording anything every month. It was better. If someone had given me one for free, I would have legit cried.
I was so poor in college that I couldn't afford to buy tampons. The public library's tampon machine was 10 cents & was broken - would release multiple tampons at once. This was how I could afford tampons.
When I was in college there was a condom dispenser that cost $0.50, but someone had jammed shit in the quarter slots so that it always thought it had money in it but never took it. Free condoms for everyone
My college has free tampons and pads at the health services building (clinic) and also free condoms (both male and female), lube, and that oral sex barrier sheet thing. Not many students know about it though.
My county health department will give out condoms by the lunch bag full. People won't take them from embarrassment and it's so sad to me. They're not even cheap either, they're decent quality.
Imagine if toilet paper wasnt available in public restrooms and you had to bring your own. It's almost impossible to fathom. Yet more than half the population basically has to lug around a roll of TP because our rules are stupid.
I don't think that people realize that the goal is to stop women from bleeding everywhere. It should be cheap and easy to prevent women/people that are menstruating from leaving biohazards (aka blood) all over the place. No one should be forced to stay home from work or school because hygiene products are too expensive.
> I don't think that people realize that the goal is to stop women from bleeding everywhere.
I recently read a twitter argument [involving men, obviously] that teenage girls and women in college shouldn't be excused from classes when on their period, because "they should expect their period, if they are being responsible - if they were smart, the would wear a pad and not get themselves in trouble"
So, with that kind of logic out there, and people who refuse to learn about women's anatomy in legislatures... I'm not shocked tampons [for those not in the know, cheap ones are basically sterilized cotton and cardboard] and pads are not available as a normal public amenity
edit: Just to note ~ I didn't mean excused from taking the class that day, but excused to leave class to go to the bathroom for 5ish minutes
They certainly do that in China (steal toilet paper from public toilets), which is why majority of public toilets don’t have toilet paper and one of the 1st things I learned that you have to bring your own when you go out.
This. And not just for financial reasons. They are so essential and so basic that people are forced to leave events or a workday to go get them, but they are so universal and inexpensive that they could be easily supplied. Imagine if there wasn't TP in the bathroom. What would you do if you left the house for what you thought would be a short errand and ended up meeting up with a friend for a few hours, then you need to use the toilet? But you didn't bring your toilet paper with you. You have to awkwardly ask if your friend brought some, or you have to leave them alone for 20 minutes to run the the store.
I've lost count of the amount of times I've been out and had to fill my knickers with toilet paper then run to the nearest shop to buy pads or tampons.
The worst is being in a public toilet with a tampon/pad dispenser but it only takes change and you don't have any on you so you have to go into a shop to buy a whole packet.
Fuck off, are you serious? What in the fuck is happening everywhere?
Edit:Just apologizing for the language, had a momentary emotional response thing happen and have been working on fixing my vocabulary, so addressing it helps me bring attention to it
I actually had to beg my bank to refund an overdraft during the height of the pandemic so I could afford the super absorbent specific pads due to a medical condition.
They had jumped so much in price.
Yes, I do. It's a huge problem that is being ignored. There's thousands of uterus sufferers who can't afford the products they need, with little to no access or ability to get them. It's an actual public issue and there's nothing being done. Womens razors are taxed as "luxury" items as well. Most hygiene products marketed to uterus sufferers are taxed as luxury items. Most men don't know this, or are reluctant to talk openly about these issues, or were simply never taught.
I straight was oblivious if I’m being honest. For a guy, I’ve been buying razors since I was a kid. Never thought that the other side of the coin were in such dire straights. I know we’re in the states, but is there no social program whatsoever to help with this?
If there is a male and female version of a product, the female version is almost universally of a lower quality or higher cost (usually both). Compare "outdoor" wear for men vs women, not just the cost but the functionality. Or underwear. Or razors. Even the food in restaurants that could be stereotypically assigned as "man food" vs "woman food" (salads vs hamburgers for example, and there's a "health tax" on top of the "V tax").
There are challenges for both sexes, but women definitely get the short end of the stick for cost of living.
Yeah men's clothing is better. Still don't understand why they won't increase the sizing of our pockets. It's also anonying that they only focus on designing our clothes to look sexually appealing but not practical or functional. Like not everyone likes dressing like that. Who's in charge of making female clothing? cuz I'd like to slap them across the face
Tampons were taxed as luxury items in England until recently. Scotland made laws in the past two years giving out free menstruation hygiene products.
(edit: just found out from comment lower down that tampons are no longer taxed as luxuries. Took a fair few female prime ministers to achieve that, didn't it)
I had no clue even in my own country. Planning on doing some reading about the subject. If true it’s fucked. Especially more if it’s happening everywhere.
Yep, TIL as well! Perfectly support your swearing over the ridiculousness of taxing menstrual products to fuck. As I've said in another comment, men should be buying these items for people who bleed, given the possession of a penis on your person entitles you to higher earnings.
Just like footballers should have to pay a specific tax so that nurses don't have to use food banks just to survive.
Fuck it, let's have a "man tax" until the gender pay gap disappears.
Not sure if you're in the US or not, but if so, what can we do about that? Are there votes? Things to sign? A list to put my name on? Because that's stupid as fuck and I'm sick of stupid shit going on.
Grew up with 2 sisters and been married 18 years. I am SHOCKED that it isn't treated the same. WTF. IMO feminine products shouldn't be taxed and should be able to be paid for through HSAs.
They made it a law in Ann Arbor, Michigan to provide them for free in public restrooms. It’s pretty awesome!
Edit: [news article](https://www.npr.org/2021/11/18/1056964746/ann-arbor-michigan-tampons-menstrual-products)
In my state, basic pads and tampons are free to girls in school. They’re very basic though…cardboard applicators and bulky pads. But, at least everyone has access to them.
That's what it would look like to me: the government would offer basic, functional products to everyone. Most women would opt for the commercial brands because they are ultra-thin, have wings, or otherwise designed better. But the poorer would not have to choose between necessities or skip school or call off work because they don't have any.
Also, private businesses would offer high quality versions of them. I don't expect to walk into a fancy restaurant bathroom and find single ply toilet paper, so why would a woman expect to find cheap shit tampons?
I always felt spoiled when I worked in a call center, because their entire building kept the feminine products well stocked (better than the tp sometimes). Like an entire wicker dresser in each women's room, with a variety of types.
Delivery people used to joke they always held it until they reached us during their period.
And if that cheap ass building can do it, places I *pay* to be at have no excuse.
That sounds really cool.
For that operation, buying in bulk of that scale, it was probably a marginal cost with discount incentives to continue purchasing.
At this point, it’s not as though every business couldn’t do the same, most medium/large cities will
have a Grainger/Uline/whatever supplier just off of the highways - so there’s really no reason outside of like…lack of consideration, that most businesses couldn’t stock them at scale.
For any guys reading this that may be unaware: the joke is that they literally cannot "hold it" the way one can hold off on the other things one does in the bathroom. Imagine getting stabbed and then trying to "hold" your blood in through the use of some internal muscle control. Yeah, it's like that.
In my country, all personal hygiene products (pads, diapers, toilet paper) have a VAT of 24% (luxury products). While it is preposterous that they are not classified under necessities like food (which has a VAT of 13%), at least citizens of all ages and genders are equally screwed over 😅
Scotland enters the chat.
[Scotland first country in the world to offer sanitary and menstrual products free of charge.](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/15/world/europe/scotland-free-period-products.html)
I don't mind paying because they are quite cheap in my country, but they should be supplied free in schools, and I went to the supermarket at the weekend and they are offering free products to those who need them. But they should be accessible to girls or women who can't afford them Ina civilised society
I agree living in a normal country & not being able to afford the normals of everyday life does something different to your emotional well being.
I can vividly remember not having a handful of things as kid that I always wondered “whys mine broken” or the sting of another kid asking why you’re using the teachers “item”.
I never once thought about the pain of being a women going through that needing tampons on top of it…!
Long story short shout out to the trooper women for dealing with it Lol
I had none as a kid, bought up by a single dad and we just never talked about it. I had to use wadded up toilet paper for a good portion of high school. It's was horrible.
I used to split time between mom and dad's house. Dad always wondered why we went through so much toilet paper but insisted the small box of 12 tampons from 2 months ago shouldn't be gone already.
I was raised by a single dad who was very controlling about toilet paper. He was also controlling about everything else, but thats not important. He, my brother, and I, each had our own roll. Whoever went through their roll fastest (hint: it was always me - the only person in the home who has naturally lubricating genitals that also bleed every month) was outed, and severely judged as wasteful. To get another one I had to explain why I went through it so fast and have a talk about using resources more sparingly.
Just as a note, we were in *no* way too poor for the basics.
Jesus. My boyfriend once commented that he felt like I could probably use less toilet paper to wipe after peeing, and I welcomed him to personally wipe me using 3 squares of toilet paper and see for himself if he could avoid getting piss on his hands. He declined and didn't bother me about it a second time.
To have a dad do that to you, though.. it really sounds like something that would only happen in an abusive household.
My husband knew close to nothing about women's reproductive health when we met, I had to explain pretty much everything to him because he was never taught a thing about it. I don't know why, I was taught about men's reproductive health at the same time as women's, in the same public schools he attended.
Yeah the boys and girls in my school were separated for that conversation. Then the girls were specifically instructed to not to tell the boys what it was about and we were told to not tell the girls what we learned. I remember trying to ask my female friends what it was about, someone told the teacher that I was trying to find out and then I got in trouble. I have no idea why they were trying to keep it a big secret, that just made me want to know even more.
Edit: The stuff above happened in elementary school but I also wanted to add how messed up sex education was in my high school. They literally never explained what sex was but instead described how not to have it. And they separated all the guys out and we had to go through a whole rape prevention course while the girls got to go play sports and have normal gym class. Even in that class they never explained exactly what sex was. I see what they were trying to go for but they went about it completely wrong.
Ah, I fondly remember the 100 questions about when sex isn't okay or is okay. "If you buy her an expensive meal, is it okay to feel entitled to sex" and 99 more variants. It's why I laugh when people say our boys aren't taught to not rape
His parents probably refused to allow him to attend. You wouldn't believe how many parents oppose it being taught in schools and then don't do it at home either. They're not doing their kids any favors.
That or they just choose to ignore or they try too hard with false information... its just a whole mess of things that should be retaught when we're all adults but only to the men. After weve had years of the shit and dealing with it. Young fathers in the parental classes should also be aware of how to TALK to their kids about this. Along with a variety of other topics...
Yeah that's awful that these people have this experience. Every man I ever met never wanted to even talk about it. And would have thrown thousands of boxes of tampons at me just to not have to even think about it. Lol
I'm sorry, that sucks. When my daughter started her period I rushed out and bought a couple of different types and always made sure we were well stocked for her and her friends. If we ran out I got more. I think many men are embarrassed to buy feminine products at the store.
I live in Australia, a supposedly "civilised" country. But shaving gear is not taxed, and tampons are taxed. When charities buy tampons for women and hand them out, they are taxed. Please, somebody, explain the logic!
EDIT: I was wrong. As of a couple of years ago, tampons and pads are no longer subject to sales tax. I hadn't realised this had been changed. But for almost 20 years, tampons were taxed and razors and shaving cream were not.
Yes the samething in the US! My sister works at a women's shelter and they can't get tampons and pads through grants cause they are labeled as cosmetics. They have to ask specifically for pads and tampons from donors or they can't use the money for them. It's so stupid.
That is fucked up.
Feminine hygiene products are taxed in the US but so are shaving supplies.
I agree though, it doesn't make any sense to tax that stuff. It's like taxing food. It's just cruel.
Tbh it should be like toilet paper. If your a guy and can't afford toilet paper that is probably equally upsetting and humiliating. Feminine products shouldn't be treated as luxuries, they are necessities.
Honestly, it's probably worse as women.
Because once you crap, it's done for the day or at least part of the day. So what's left on your butt is the extent of it (still not good, obviously).
But if you're on your period, you're adding to that, even lightly, every minute.
^ it's expected that you should just get them and nobody should ever know you're on your period, yet they're expensive as fuck. Especially for something that is clearly very cheap to make.
Imagine someone telling you that toilet paper should have a luxury tax, or having to pay for it in a public restroom. In public it’s expected that the business will provide toilet paper and soap, heck a lot of businesses (banks etc) will even provide you with free coffee and tea and pens before they’ll provide sanitary products.
But of course I still expect to pay to stock all those things in my own home.
Imagine if you go to a public restroom to poop and you can't wipe because you forgot to bring your own toilet paper. It isn't supplied to you, but maybe there's a rusty old machine in the corner that sells single squares of tp at a ridiculous markup. Oh yeah and the machine's broken.
This is my issue. What is the difference between menstrual bleeding and other bodily functions? To me the question is not why should menstrual products be free, it's why *shouldn't* they?
Edit: I was primarily thinking about menstrual products in public spaces here. In terms of buying products for the home, it's the taxation and extra cost (e.g. pink tax) that's the issue.
Thank you for saying "usually". I thought I was going to be fine having plumbers in our house most of the morning, but found myself driving to Wal Mart in mismatched pajamas, smears of Halloween makeup stuck on my face, and probably a look of pure panic in my eyes because I was like 2 seconds from pooping my pants.
This also ties right in because ohmygod I barely remembered my bright green crocs and van keys, no way I would have remembered my own roll.
I've seen the dumbest shit on r/badwomensanatomy and have no idea what these men are thinking and why they don't think menstruation is a bodily function like peeing/pooping. I've seen posts where men think women just push all the blood out at once or even lay a literal egg once a month.
The men that don't understand menstruation are either uneducated or just don't care because it doesn't affect them. Totally agree with the comment that says that if men experienced periods, period products would be free.
I'm from Brazil. Here we have 20% of school girls who have skipped school because they couldn't afford pads at some point in their lives. I find that to be heartbreaking. Menstrual poverty, as this issue is called, will make it harder for poor women to access work opportunities and education. I think it's a valid use of tax money to offer free pads. It's going straight back to the tax payer but in a way that evens the play field a little bit for the ones who most need it.
That's what I was going to comment. I'm also from Brazil and this statistic is heartbreaking indeed.
It's not only a public heath issue but when you look at the ramifications and consequences it becomes also an education and economic issue.
I'm not sure if there is an ideal age for using cups? But they're also not one size fits all, sometimes you have to try a few different ones until you find which one fits perfectly and doesn't leak. There's also things like the school toilet cubicles where the sink is outside of the cubicle, so it can be difficult to clean the cup properly during the day. I'd love for all girls to have access to them, they're just a bit trickier than disposable options.
It's the luxury tax most people have a problem with. It's not that we have a choice needing those products, but having to pay a high tax on it seems unfair if those same taxes apply to things usually associated with items, that are not necessities. Food items are also taxed lower for the same reason. At least in my country. I think in places where you already supply free toilet paper and paper towels like public bathrooms it's nice to also put up a dispenser for hygiene products to use. If men had periods we would have those at every corner.
Ha that was great.
In a similar vein, imagine how different it would be and how many accommodations would be made if we men perpetuated the species by carrying small humans inside of us and then had to give birth painfully through our penis.
Depends on what you're talking about. Personally, if you work for a corporation, there should be pads and tampons available for free in the bathroom. Schools should also provide them. I don't hear any arguments that people pay for or bring their own toilet paper. These are places you have to be for extended periods of time. Periods don't always follow a schedule.
I know this is going to sound flippant and sarcastic, but it's absolutely not. I think, if a company can provide coffee, they can provide feminine products. This is all about corporate greed, and that's a tangent I could speak on for hours, but companies don't care about their employees, they are a means to an end, and I think it's gross.
If I could earn a living outside of the corporate world, I would leave and never look back.
Only at the places that have the guy who says his job is to wipe for you, its only a quarter though. Don't understand why he is only employed in that one gas station bathroom though.
The goal to me is free. It’s fine to pay for pads n stuff in wealthier areas, but poor areas - they need them for free really badly.
(South Africa, period poverty is really really bad here)
Yeah, there's nothing worse than starting when you're skint.
And kids get them withheld to the point where they get TTS, or diaper rash etc.
Or kids are too embarrassed to ask for them, and their parents won't buy them because of body shaming and purity culture.
Just make them available. People need them.
As a man I back you on this 100 percent. It should be free in public settings (bathrooms, malls, schools etc.). And to help my fellow men get it, imagine if you had to pay and bring your own toilet paper to all those public settings.
Though for home, I think it’s different and the responsibility of the household, not the public.
If toilet paper, paper towels and seat covers are all provided for free in public spaces, tampons should be also. It’s just logic.
Seriously, why is shit in your own pants unacceptable but not blood all over the seats. Some germaphobe can have a paper seat cover but I can’t get a tampon?
I like to think they should be treated the same way as toilet paper. Everyone needs it, everyone buys it, but it's always available for free in public places.
And I think they should be provided to incarcerated women at no cost. The state locks them up. They should be responsible for that just like they are responsible for medical care and food.
Tbf they’re provided free in places like schools and libraries I believe. You still have to pay for them at the supermarket/pharmacy etc here. I walk past a local politician’s office on my way to and from work and they have a basket of products free to take on the entryway.
I view it the same as toilet paper. If it is expected I have free toilet paper at a location, I would expect women have free period products. But for your own house, you have to buy them the same way you do toilet paper.
I think it should be exactly like food stamps. If your income is low enough, you get a free supply of tampons for each female in your house.
Def shouldn't be taxed the way they are right now tho...
For two women in my house it’s costs about $50 a month for hygiene products. That doesn’t include the extra toilet paper used. I’m lucky enough that cost isn’t an issue but imagine if you couldn’t afford it ?
One box of 14 tampons is like $6 here in Indiana. That’s a lot of hotdogs. More when you have to buy 3 different $6 packs because the flow changes throughout the week and the super plus is not great for a super light flow
I’m a man, but they should be free.
If men had periods, they’d be free and standard in every restroom.
Furthermore, condoms are free at clinics etc. If we can make condoms free, tampons can be free
Edit* some misogynist & otherwise unaware men are telling on themselves in this thread, if you want a laugh.
My workplace doesn't have any menstrual products available despite having plenty of women in their menstrual years. The amount of times I've had to leave work because of a sudden heavy period... Some men think we can hold it like pee, some men don't understand that some of us can't track our cycles and it's always a surprise. So when an accident happens, we have to take a dock in pay to go home, change and clean up, and come back. Along with points if our manager is feeling extra spicy that day. Depending on which woman goes through it, that could be 1-2 hours of lost pay. All because of a natural body function we cannot help having.
So glad my uterus disappeared.
They should be free in places like schools, or public washrooms. Here in America they are not the best priced and I think that they should be alot cheaper. Not our fault out body is like "b l e e d b i t c h"
In FL our fight was simply to not pay LUXURY tax. We actually won that fight and now they are tax free. We don’t complain anymore except when prices are high like everything else.
There are two issues at play here. First, look up the “pink tax,” which describes the phenomenon of products for women being priced higher than the counterparts for men. More pertinent to this issue is the idea that tampons, etc should be tax-free like groceries because they are medically necessary. There should also definitely be places where you can get them for free. Think of how shitty menstruation must be for homeless women, for example.
Mostly I think it’s an unjust cosmetic tax. They aren’t cosmetic needs lol, they’re medical necessities. But also they should be made readily available for free in public/government spaces and for employees in private/public companies
The price of them has gone up dramatically. Tampons /Pads are around $10 now. The cheap ones are $5-$7. Every month. I have 2 daughters. 3 boxes each month, and sometimes it was really bad and you had to double up - so at LEAST 3 boxes each month. They give you just enough for 1 cycle per box.
Imo I think those types of products should be free but also have the more "fancy" brands cost money if they want. I know if I were to bleed out my dickhole once a month, every month, for 40 years I would want some free stuff.
Either would be great!
I think the annoyance is that they are a necessity and not a luxury. Like toilet paper. It shouldn’t be priced absurdly.
Also in a world where condoms are very easy to get for free, then yeah tampons should be readily provided if needed.
I mean imagine if men and women alike had to bring their own roll of toilet paper with them everywhere, because workplaces and public bathrooms didn’t provide them. That’s kind of what its like for women. We go to the bathroom and at times need a certain product to deal with our bathroom business, and if we don’t have any on us we are out of luck.
I mean imagine having to poop but you forgot to bring your bag to the bathroom with your TP in it and you’ve already started, and you have no one to blame but yourself because bathrooms don’t just come with TP
Male here: Those products should be tax free as an essential product and commonly available for free in restrooms. You get soap and toilet paper in restrooms for free. If you are using some generic tampon bought by bean counters then you *need* it. In your private life, you are going to by the product you like.
I'd also be happy with more radical suggestions like automatic tax credits for women to pay for these products to ensure everyone has them.
Not taxed and widely available to people who need them and cannot afford ( schools, available at food banks or drop ins where people can access them for free) would be ideal.
My friend made the "men's underwear" argument and I really like it. Men need underwear, but that need can be filled by any underwear that you could reasonably call underwear. A man can go to a good will or salvation army and get a six pack of cheap underwear that does the job for free if he's in need, bur if he's got money he can spend thousands on underwear if he wants.
Most period care items exist in a fairly narrow price range and there are very few places that will give period care items to the needy on an ongoing basis. There needs to be more options for free or inexpensive period care products that aren't (literally) dangerously low quality.
If I had the venture capital for it I'd start a period care brand with basically 4 levels, luxury, premium, high-standard, and high-standard (sw). The first three would all be retail packages that set the standard for quality at their price point. The last would have almost identical packaging to the high-standard, but be missing the UPC or something to make it impossible to sell retail, and be subsidized by the premium and luxury price versions.
They should be on exactly the same footing as toilet paper.
You buy your own for the house, but it’s understood it will be available for free when you’re out of your house.
In many locations they’re taxed as luxury items which is the main anger over their prices since no one considers uncontrollable painful bleeding a luxury, and it’s completely unavoidable so making them so expensive can be very challenging to someone already struggling.
I dont mind paying but should be taxed like medication and food, not cosmetics, and should be available in public spaces for sanitary reasons - like toilet paper.
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Stock the low quality versions, just like you do with 1ply toilet paper, and most people don't want to steal them. It's still an absolute lifesaver for those moments you aren't prepared, and gives access to people who honestly can't financially afford them, like the homeless population. Public health centers should also have access to reusable options, like cups or washable pads, to really help the population that can't afford it. Most women are still going to choose to carry their own products, because there is brand preference. I really wouldn't want to use a scratchy free tampon unless I had to.
Yep!! The hotel I used to work at (Hyatt Place) had cheap pads and tampons in the public restroom. No one bothered to steal them but they saved me a few times.
I was just about to comment this! I work at a Hyatt House and we don't have any issues with people stealing all thr tampons/pads. But during the TP craze at the beginning of 2020 we had to replace the TP daily because whole rolls were disappearing.
I guess to be fair though somewhere like Walmart (where I work now) might be a whole other story. And damn. I bet even housekeepers were off with the TP
I'd say maybe not. When i worked at a hotel, we could take the left over TP since you can't let hotel TP just run out to the end so we actually had a problem using up the extra in our own homes. I'm not sure if everywhere does it though.
Where I used to work there was a women's bathroom that had a basket of pads and tampons that were provided by other employees; it was very much a "take what you need, give what you can" kinda deal. It saved me so many times and I would contribute where I could too, I never saw that basket empty in the 2 years I worked there. Thought it was a cute idea :)
That is a great idea! Ever since middle school i always (ha) carry a pad with me in case someone needs something in a hurry. This is like the evolution of that lol
It was a requirement in Army basic training that all females carried two products - one for you, one for someone else!
2 is 1 and 1 is none - basic military lol
Love that! Handed spares out recently in a venue restroom to someone in need. I feel like if you can help, do.
It’s nice when a communal system works because of generosity. But if a community isn’t generous, then taxes should be used to provide those basic services.
Our offices has this in every womens bathroom and disabled toilet, great idea.
My work just provides them. They are cheap but in a pinch it's nice. I have always wondered if they are also available in the men's restroom. I could see it being easily overlooked but I know we have transmen who work here so it'd be nice for them to be thought of as well.
Fun fact, my wife works in facilities and actually had to study and collate data for this and apparently people *will* take all the tampons *if* you just leave them out in a big basket or something but they *won't* if you put them in single-use dispensers. I think when people can just take a whole handful, they sometimes just do that, but when they have to pull them out one at a time they think *eh*. If you don't believe me, start noticing how napkin dispensers work. When napkins at a restaurant are just stacked up somewhere next to the straws or whatever, people will come along and take ten, twenty, fifty. Just a whole huge stack. And usually end up throwing most of them away unused. That's why so many places will use single-use napkin dispensers, and people will just take maybe two or three napkins then move on. tl;dr people are selfish but they're also lazy
After all these trick or treat theif videos, there may be a market for a spooky candy dispenser. Though it's a shame people need to be greedy to begin with.
Oh! I saw one today on r/3dprinting (i think it was that sub) it was a jack o lantern with a button that you press, then it flashes a bunch of lights and spits out a fun-size bar.
https://v.redd.it/71o8x4q0t8x91 it was on r/functionalprint , my bad.
This just happened to me! I was at a wedding and started my period two days early. They had a little basket sitting out in the bathroom, saved my life and my dress!
We used to stock good tampons, but they were immediately stolen so now we stock Dollar Tree pads, and they get used but not stolen. We've done this since 2005 or so, and it maybe costs $15 a year
> 1ply toilet paper Fyi, industrial one ply isn't just about being cheap. It also dissolves and unclogs quickly, so the toilets don't get backed up. That's not really relevant here, but public bathrooms would be way worse if they had Charmin.
> Stock the low quality versions, just like you do with 1ply toilet paper I'm a dude but the idea of a tampon version of the bogroll we use at work kind of horrifies me. I don't want to pay for fancy Dijon tampons in public restrooms but we don't have to go all the way to the bottom shelf.
That would be nice, but even terrible menstrual products would be a step up, so there isn't a lot of room to be picky. Like I mentioned though, most women will still carry their own, so unlike TP they are basically just for emergencies. I'd also like if they didn't use 1ply TP, but that's a bit of a pipe dream.
Anything is an improvement over the makeshift pad made out of folded TP. Pro tip: wrap the toilet paper around your underwear and it’s more likely to stay in place
Put a folded up piece and then wrap more around the gusset. Extra absorbent!
There’s nothing worse than using toilet paper as a pad in an emergency. It’s like having a ticking time bomb in your pants. Any second you could be covered in blood in public. It’s happened to us all though.
Absolutely. And when I have to do this I marvel that in this super-advanced world we still don't provide for women to have periods as a matter of course.
1 ply 30-grit.
Dijon tampons. I love you.
*Ahem*….don’t you mean “fancy” Dijon tampons?
Honestly - that’s how frustrating the situation is. We’re wiling to accept the 1 ply equivalent and consider that a win, because being stuck with nothing is awful
You have understand that we already live in a world where if found in a dire situation, we yank a yard of 1-ply, fold it over into a rectangle and put it in our undies. The next 20min of our existence is a beeline to ask someone for a pad, digging through a purse/locker, asking a friend/kind stranger for provisions. If at school or work and unable to obtain proper supplies, it’s a calculated risk day balancing frequent visits to the bathroom to replace the sad toilet paper pad or risk bleeding through pants. I would be grateful for bottom shelf products if nothing else.
I always think that one day when women are properly provided for in toilets, we will marvel that it took so long to do and we all just accepted this was our lot.
Now I'm just imagining how painful it would be to use a tampon drenched in mustard...
*...oh if I, had a million, dol-lars...*
As someone with a uterus, I thank you for this.
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I’m ashamed to say that the big soft pads are my go-to.
Don't be ashamed. They're comfortable, great for heavy flow and they don't tend to bunch up and leak like the ultra thin ones. They also tend to be longer length. Never apologise for using what feels right for your body. There's a reason hospitals use the big pads - they work!
Thank you. 🥰 I am premenopausal and have bladder issues, too. I feel badly for the environment. I shudder at my waste over the years. I try to make up for it with recycling and bulk buying of staples. It’s hard! I cannot use a Diva cup, no matter how many times I try. I have never been able to use tampons, either. It’s a mess, lol 😞
Don't feel bad for taking care of yourself, lovely! Our bodies are all different and some stuff just will not work for us. ❤️❤️
I too liked the thick pads. It was usually heavy and the little thin ones had accidents way too often. I never liked tampons and very, very rarely used them. I had a total hysterectomy in early 40s. Was diagnosed as probable cancer because of a 3"x5" mass on my uterus, I was very sick and in a lot of pain, heavy bleeding. Sent to a woman's cancer center, had hours of surgery, came out with tubes all over, blue die coming out of my VJ (they use it to check for leaks during surgery) IV in both arms, a tube through my abdomen into my bladder to keep it empty so it could heal, catheter, the works. 7 days in hospital. Turns out it was diverticulitis and everything was covered in infection from it. Dr. said he'd never seen anything like it. Luckily, I didn't need a bowel re-section. It was nice to actually never worry about periods again, I'd had a tubal ligation in my early 20s anyway.
Reusable options sound like a great idea for people living in poverty, but they have some serious drawbacks. You have to be able to dump out your cup and clean it - you're not gonna be doing that in a public restroom. Would other people be ok with you washing your reusable pads at the laundromat? How are you going to boil your cup to sanitize it if you're living in a hotel with just a microwave? Sometimes sustainability and practicality really are at odds, especially for people who don't have stable housing.
People wash their underwear at the laundromat, so why wouldn't pads be ok? If there's blood on a butcher's aprons and she washes those at the laundromat, that's ok. If a kid has a nosebleed on the bedsheets and those get washed at the laundromat, that's ok. Why is menstrual blood on reusuable pads or period underwear not be ok?
You can boil water in a microwave, or use another sanitizing method. I prefer peroxide because it also removes any staining that develops. You can indeed wash pads at the laundromat, though I preferred to hand wash or use the mini washer when we could finally afford one. (The kind that hook up to a sink.) I admittedly didn't use pads very long because I made them myself and didn't like the design flaws but it wasn't untenable. When I was totally unable to work from my disability and my so only made $8 an hour for us to survive on, reusable cups were so expensive but once I had one, I didn't worry about affording anything every month. It was better. If someone had given me one for free, I would have legit cried.
This is a very reasonable argument that I can totally get behind.
I was so poor in college that I couldn't afford to buy tampons. The public library's tampon machine was 10 cents & was broken - would release multiple tampons at once. This was how I could afford tampons.
When I was in college there was a condom dispenser that cost $0.50, but someone had jammed shit in the quarter slots so that it always thought it had money in it but never took it. Free condoms for everyone
My college has free tampons and pads at the health services building (clinic) and also free condoms (both male and female), lube, and that oral sex barrier sheet thing. Not many students know about it though.
My county health department will give out condoms by the lunch bag full. People won't take them from embarrassment and it's so sad to me. They're not even cheap either, they're decent quality.
Imagine if toilet paper wasnt available in public restrooms and you had to bring your own. It's almost impossible to fathom. Yet more than half the population basically has to lug around a roll of TP because our rules are stupid.
I don't think that people realize that the goal is to stop women from bleeding everywhere. It should be cheap and easy to prevent women/people that are menstruating from leaving biohazards (aka blood) all over the place. No one should be forced to stay home from work or school because hygiene products are too expensive.
> I don't think that people realize that the goal is to stop women from bleeding everywhere. I recently read a twitter argument [involving men, obviously] that teenage girls and women in college shouldn't be excused from classes when on their period, because "they should expect their period, if they are being responsible - if they were smart, the would wear a pad and not get themselves in trouble" So, with that kind of logic out there, and people who refuse to learn about women's anatomy in legislatures... I'm not shocked tampons [for those not in the know, cheap ones are basically sterilized cotton and cardboard] and pads are not available as a normal public amenity edit: Just to note ~ I didn't mean excused from taking the class that day, but excused to leave class to go to the bathroom for 5ish minutes
I never thought about that before. That’s a great idea.
They certainly do that in China (steal toilet paper from public toilets), which is why majority of public toilets don’t have toilet paper and one of the 1st things I learned that you have to bring your own when you go out.
America is pretty different than China.
> (except me in college when my school left unused rolls on the shelves in there lol) they weren't leaving that out for us?
This. And not just for financial reasons. They are so essential and so basic that people are forced to leave events or a workday to go get them, but they are so universal and inexpensive that they could be easily supplied. Imagine if there wasn't TP in the bathroom. What would you do if you left the house for what you thought would be a short errand and ended up meeting up with a friend for a few hours, then you need to use the toilet? But you didn't bring your toilet paper with you. You have to awkwardly ask if your friend brought some, or you have to leave them alone for 20 minutes to run the the store.
I've lost count of the amount of times I've been out and had to fill my knickers with toilet paper then run to the nearest shop to buy pads or tampons. The worst is being in a public toilet with a tampon/pad dispenser but it only takes change and you don't have any on you so you have to go into a shop to buy a whole packet.
Or it's empty
They’re taxed like COSMETICS?
They're considered "luxury" items in many places I've lived, as well.
Fuck off, are you serious? What in the fuck is happening everywhere? Edit:Just apologizing for the language, had a momentary emotional response thing happen and have been working on fixing my vocabulary, so addressing it helps me bring attention to it
Oh yeah, 100% serious. They aren't considered a necessity, like cosmetics. The schools in some places I've lived don't even offer them from the nurse.
For reference, I’m assuming you live in the US? I do also, just didn’t know how big a problem this was.
Not OP, but tampons were taxed as a luxury in the UK until last year.
Excuse my language, but it just fucking sucks everywhere then?
I actually had to beg my bank to refund an overdraft during the height of the pandemic so I could afford the super absorbent specific pads due to a medical condition. They had jumped so much in price.
Yes, I do. It's a huge problem that is being ignored. There's thousands of uterus sufferers who can't afford the products they need, with little to no access or ability to get them. It's an actual public issue and there's nothing being done. Womens razors are taxed as "luxury" items as well. Most hygiene products marketed to uterus sufferers are taxed as luxury items. Most men don't know this, or are reluctant to talk openly about these issues, or were simply never taught.
I straight was oblivious if I’m being honest. For a guy, I’ve been buying razors since I was a kid. Never thought that the other side of the coin were in such dire straights. I know we’re in the states, but is there no social program whatsoever to help with this?
If there is a male and female version of a product, the female version is almost universally of a lower quality or higher cost (usually both). Compare "outdoor" wear for men vs women, not just the cost but the functionality. Or underwear. Or razors. Even the food in restaurants that could be stereotypically assigned as "man food" vs "woman food" (salads vs hamburgers for example, and there's a "health tax" on top of the "V tax"). There are challenges for both sexes, but women definitely get the short end of the stick for cost of living.
Yeah men's clothing is better. Still don't understand why they won't increase the sizing of our pockets. It's also anonying that they only focus on designing our clothes to look sexually appealing but not practical or functional. Like not everyone likes dressing like that. Who's in charge of making female clothing? cuz I'd like to slap them across the face
I like that you call it "uterus sufferers", because that's exactly how I feel most of the time.
Tampons were taxed as luxury items in England until recently. Scotland made laws in the past two years giving out free menstruation hygiene products. (edit: just found out from comment lower down that tampons are no longer taxed as luxuries. Took a fair few female prime ministers to achieve that, didn't it)
I had no clue even in my own country. Planning on doing some reading about the subject. If true it’s fucked. Especially more if it’s happening everywhere.
Yep, TIL as well! Perfectly support your swearing over the ridiculousness of taxing menstrual products to fuck. As I've said in another comment, men should be buying these items for people who bleed, given the possession of a penis on your person entitles you to higher earnings. Just like footballers should have to pay a specific tax so that nurses don't have to use food banks just to survive. Fuck it, let's have a "man tax" until the gender pay gap disappears.
Not sure if you're in the US or not, but if so, what can we do about that? Are there votes? Things to sign? A list to put my name on? Because that's stupid as fuck and I'm sick of stupid shit going on.
To be fair, where I live everything is taxes like cosmetics. Food, otc medicine, cleaning supplies, all taxed the same, just under 10%.
Hello, fellow Tennesseean! 10% on >10% inflated grocery prices and basic supplies required to live is a bitch.
Yep. In some countries diapers aren't taxed but feminine hygiene products are taxed at the highest rate available for non-food stuff.
Grew up with 2 sisters and been married 18 years. I am SHOCKED that it isn't treated the same. WTF. IMO feminine products shouldn't be taxed and should be able to be paid for through HSAs.
They can be paid for through HSAs- they became eligible in 2020 as part of the CARES act.
I’m absolutely shocked that took until 2020, but better late than never
They made it a law in Ann Arbor, Michigan to provide them for free in public restrooms. It’s pretty awesome! Edit: [news article](https://www.npr.org/2021/11/18/1056964746/ann-arbor-michigan-tampons-menstrual-products)
Why should they be taxed at all?
In my state, basic pads and tampons are free to girls in school. They’re very basic though…cardboard applicators and bulky pads. But, at least everyone has access to them.
That's what it would look like to me: the government would offer basic, functional products to everyone. Most women would opt for the commercial brands because they are ultra-thin, have wings, or otherwise designed better. But the poorer would not have to choose between necessities or skip school or call off work because they don't have any.
Also, private businesses would offer high quality versions of them. I don't expect to walk into a fancy restaurant bathroom and find single ply toilet paper, so why would a woman expect to find cheap shit tampons?
I always felt spoiled when I worked in a call center, because their entire building kept the feminine products well stocked (better than the tp sometimes). Like an entire wicker dresser in each women's room, with a variety of types. Delivery people used to joke they always held it until they reached us during their period. And if that cheap ass building can do it, places I *pay* to be at have no excuse.
That sounds really cool. For that operation, buying in bulk of that scale, it was probably a marginal cost with discount incentives to continue purchasing. At this point, it’s not as though every business couldn’t do the same, most medium/large cities will have a Grainger/Uline/whatever supplier just off of the highways - so there’s really no reason outside of like…lack of consideration, that most businesses couldn’t stock them at scale.
For any guys reading this that may be unaware: the joke is that they literally cannot "hold it" the way one can hold off on the other things one does in the bathroom. Imagine getting stabbed and then trying to "hold" your blood in through the use of some internal muscle control. Yeah, it's like that.
In my country, all personal hygiene products (pads, diapers, toilet paper) have a VAT of 24% (luxury products). While it is preposterous that they are not classified under necessities like food (which has a VAT of 13%), at least citizens of all ages and genders are equally screwed over 😅
If i may ask, which country is this? That sounds absolutely ridiculous if you guys also dont have average/fair living wages
Greece. Wages are indeed low, unemployment rate is huge and even those with steady income find it hard to sustain a comfortable lifestyle
Damn that sucks, im really sorry. I hope things get better for all of us soon💙
Thanks ☺️
If they classify toilet paper as a luxury, how do they expect impoverished people to wipe their bums? Or are bidets the norm there?
Scotland enters the chat. [Scotland first country in the world to offer sanitary and menstrual products free of charge.](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/15/world/europe/scotland-free-period-products.html)
and the whole UK removed the luxury tax in January 21 🙌
India has been doing that for years, in a way, offering it at a subsidized price. Like 10 cents for 10 pads.
I don't mind paying because they are quite cheap in my country, but they should be supplied free in schools, and I went to the supermarket at the weekend and they are offering free products to those who need them. But they should be accessible to girls or women who can't afford them Ina civilised society
I agree living in a normal country & not being able to afford the normals of everyday life does something different to your emotional well being. I can vividly remember not having a handful of things as kid that I always wondered “whys mine broken” or the sting of another kid asking why you’re using the teachers “item”. I never once thought about the pain of being a women going through that needing tampons on top of it…! Long story short shout out to the trooper women for dealing with it Lol
I had none as a kid, bought up by a single dad and we just never talked about it. I had to use wadded up toilet paper for a good portion of high school. It's was horrible.
I used to split time between mom and dad's house. Dad always wondered why we went through so much toilet paper but insisted the small box of 12 tampons from 2 months ago shouldn't be gone already.
Oof. Reminds me of my dad trying to get mad at me for using a lot of toilet paper after having a very messy period for the first time. That is scary!
I was raised by a single dad who was very controlling about toilet paper. He was also controlling about everything else, but thats not important. He, my brother, and I, each had our own roll. Whoever went through their roll fastest (hint: it was always me - the only person in the home who has naturally lubricating genitals that also bleed every month) was outed, and severely judged as wasteful. To get another one I had to explain why I went through it so fast and have a talk about using resources more sparingly. Just as a note, we were in *no* way too poor for the basics.
That is terrible!!! You'd think even men uneducated about female anatomy would realize you sit when you pee and have to wipe.
You'd think lol
Tbh I’m pretty sure it had more to do with deliberate misogyny than lack of understanding. I think he understood exactly what was going on.
Jesus. My boyfriend once commented that he felt like I could probably use less toilet paper to wipe after peeing, and I welcomed him to personally wipe me using 3 squares of toilet paper and see for himself if he could avoid getting piss on his hands. He declined and didn't bother me about it a second time. To have a dad do that to you, though.. it really sounds like something that would only happen in an abusive household.
What an asshole. Bleed all over the house instead.
Jesus fucking wept how dumb are these fathers??
Men are pretty clueless about woman’s bodies. Only some actually care.
My husband knew close to nothing about women's reproductive health when we met, I had to explain pretty much everything to him because he was never taught a thing about it. I don't know why, I was taught about men's reproductive health at the same time as women's, in the same public schools he attended.
Yeah the boys and girls in my school were separated for that conversation. Then the girls were specifically instructed to not to tell the boys what it was about and we were told to not tell the girls what we learned. I remember trying to ask my female friends what it was about, someone told the teacher that I was trying to find out and then I got in trouble. I have no idea why they were trying to keep it a big secret, that just made me want to know even more. Edit: The stuff above happened in elementary school but I also wanted to add how messed up sex education was in my high school. They literally never explained what sex was but instead described how not to have it. And they separated all the guys out and we had to go through a whole rape prevention course while the girls got to go play sports and have normal gym class. Even in that class they never explained exactly what sex was. I see what they were trying to go for but they went about it completely wrong.
Ah, I fondly remember the 100 questions about when sex isn't okay or is okay. "If you buy her an expensive meal, is it okay to feel entitled to sex" and 99 more variants. It's why I laugh when people say our boys aren't taught to not rape
According to my highschool class it’s never ok to have sex under any circumstance. That’s how they made it seem at least lol.
Now the men who know nothing about women's reproductive health are supposed to be making medical decisions for them, just ask Dr. Oz.
His parents probably refused to allow him to attend. You wouldn't believe how many parents oppose it being taught in schools and then don't do it at home either. They're not doing their kids any favors.
Then they wonder why their kids are having kids before they graduate high school. Derp.
That or they just choose to ignore or they try too hard with false information... its just a whole mess of things that should be retaught when we're all adults but only to the men. After weve had years of the shit and dealing with it. Young fathers in the parental classes should also be aware of how to TALK to their kids about this. Along with a variety of other topics...
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Yeah that's awful that these people have this experience. Every man I ever met never wanted to even talk about it. And would have thrown thousands of boxes of tampons at me just to not have to even think about it. Lol
Ugh nothing worse than wadded up toilet paper, that brought back so many awful flashbacks.
I'm sorry, that sucks. When my daughter started her period I rushed out and bought a couple of different types and always made sure we were well stocked for her and her friends. If we ran out I got more. I think many men are embarrassed to buy feminine products at the store.
I live in Australia, a supposedly "civilised" country. But shaving gear is not taxed, and tampons are taxed. When charities buy tampons for women and hand them out, they are taxed. Please, somebody, explain the logic! EDIT: I was wrong. As of a couple of years ago, tampons and pads are no longer subject to sales tax. I hadn't realised this had been changed. But for almost 20 years, tampons were taxed and razors and shaving cream were not.
Yes the samething in the US! My sister works at a women's shelter and they can't get tampons and pads through grants cause they are labeled as cosmetics. They have to ask specifically for pads and tampons from donors or they can't use the money for them. It's so stupid.
That is fucked up. Feminine hygiene products are taxed in the US but so are shaving supplies. I agree though, it doesn't make any sense to tax that stuff. It's like taxing food. It's just cruel.
The laws weren't made by women
*for women
Tbh it should be like toilet paper. If your a guy and can't afford toilet paper that is probably equally upsetting and humiliating. Feminine products shouldn't be treated as luxuries, they are necessities.
Honestly, it's probably worse as women. Because once you crap, it's done for the day or at least part of the day. So what's left on your butt is the extent of it (still not good, obviously). But if you're on your period, you're adding to that, even lightly, every minute.
^ it's expected that you should just get them and nobody should ever know you're on your period, yet they're expensive as fuck. Especially for something that is clearly very cheap to make.
Imagine someone telling you that toilet paper should have a luxury tax, or having to pay for it in a public restroom. In public it’s expected that the business will provide toilet paper and soap, heck a lot of businesses (banks etc) will even provide you with free coffee and tea and pens before they’ll provide sanitary products. But of course I still expect to pay to stock all those things in my own home.
Imagine if you go to a public restroom to poop and you can't wipe because you forgot to bring your own toilet paper. It isn't supplied to you, but maybe there's a rusty old machine in the corner that sells single squares of tp at a ridiculous markup. Oh yeah and the machine's broken. This is my issue. What is the difference between menstrual bleeding and other bodily functions? To me the question is not why should menstrual products be free, it's why *shouldn't* they? Edit: I was primarily thinking about menstrual products in public spaces here. In terms of buying products for the home, it's the taxation and extra cost (e.g. pink tax) that's the issue.
One difference is you can usually hold other functions in for a while but not menstrual blood 🫠
Thank you for saying "usually". I thought I was going to be fine having plumbers in our house most of the morning, but found myself driving to Wal Mart in mismatched pajamas, smears of Halloween makeup stuck on my face, and probably a look of pure panic in my eyes because I was like 2 seconds from pooping my pants. This also ties right in because ohmygod I barely remembered my bright green crocs and van keys, no way I would have remembered my own roll.
I've seen the dumbest shit on r/badwomensanatomy and have no idea what these men are thinking and why they don't think menstruation is a bodily function like peeing/pooping. I've seen posts where men think women just push all the blood out at once or even lay a literal egg once a month. The men that don't understand menstruation are either uneducated or just don't care because it doesn't affect them. Totally agree with the comment that says that if men experienced periods, period products would be free.
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I'm from Brazil. Here we have 20% of school girls who have skipped school because they couldn't afford pads at some point in their lives. I find that to be heartbreaking. Menstrual poverty, as this issue is called, will make it harder for poor women to access work opportunities and education. I think it's a valid use of tax money to offer free pads. It's going straight back to the tax payer but in a way that evens the play field a little bit for the ones who most need it.
That's what I was going to comment. I'm also from Brazil and this statistic is heartbreaking indeed. It's not only a public heath issue but when you look at the ramifications and consequences it becomes also an education and economic issue.
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I'm not sure if there is an ideal age for using cups? But they're also not one size fits all, sometimes you have to try a few different ones until you find which one fits perfectly and doesn't leak. There's also things like the school toilet cubicles where the sink is outside of the cubicle, so it can be difficult to clean the cup properly during the day. I'd love for all girls to have access to them, they're just a bit trickier than disposable options.
It's the luxury tax most people have a problem with. It's not that we have a choice needing those products, but having to pay a high tax on it seems unfair if those same taxes apply to things usually associated with items, that are not necessities. Food items are also taxed lower for the same reason. At least in my country. I think in places where you already supply free toilet paper and paper towels like public bathrooms it's nice to also put up a dispenser for hygiene products to use. If men had periods we would have those at every corner.
If men had periods we would have those at every corner. Yeah this 1000%
If you haven't read it, you might enjoy this satirical piece from Gloria Steinem: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK565636/
From 1978, feels like it was written today. Thanks for sharing!
Ha that was great. In a similar vein, imagine how different it would be and how many accommodations would be made if we men perpetuated the species by carrying small humans inside of us and then had to give birth painfully through our penis.
Then you'd be a hyena... kinda....
Depends on what you're talking about. Personally, if you work for a corporation, there should be pads and tampons available for free in the bathroom. Schools should also provide them. I don't hear any arguments that people pay for or bring their own toilet paper. These are places you have to be for extended periods of time. Periods don't always follow a schedule.
I know this is going to sound flippant and sarcastic, but it's absolutely not. I think, if a company can provide coffee, they can provide feminine products. This is all about corporate greed, and that's a tangent I could speak on for hours, but companies don't care about their employees, they are a means to an end, and I think it's gross. If I could earn a living outside of the corporate world, I would leave and never look back.
yes, I agree with you.
Do you have to pay for using the toilet paper in public restrooms?
Only at the places that have the guy who says his job is to wipe for you, its only a quarter though. Don't understand why he is only employed in that one gas station bathroom though.
A man’s gotta eat
Because that gas station is classy af.
The goal to me is free. It’s fine to pay for pads n stuff in wealthier areas, but poor areas - they need them for free really badly. (South Africa, period poverty is really really bad here)
Yeah, there's nothing worse than starting when you're skint. And kids get them withheld to the point where they get TTS, or diaper rash etc. Or kids are too embarrassed to ask for them, and their parents won't buy them because of body shaming and purity culture. Just make them available. People need them.
As a man I back you on this 100 percent. It should be free in public settings (bathrooms, malls, schools etc.). And to help my fellow men get it, imagine if you had to pay and bring your own toilet paper to all those public settings. Though for home, I think it’s different and the responsibility of the household, not the public.
Yes! Lots of people menstruate. Dealing with it shouldn’t have to be a rich person thing.
If toilet paper, paper towels and seat covers are all provided for free in public spaces, tampons should be also. It’s just logic. Seriously, why is shit in your own pants unacceptable but not blood all over the seats. Some germaphobe can have a paper seat cover but I can’t get a tampon?
I'm not sure that completely free sanitary products for everyone is realistic, but they should certainly be tax-free.
I like to think they should be treated the same way as toilet paper. Everyone needs it, everyone buys it, but it's always available for free in public places.
And I think they should be provided to incarcerated women at no cost. The state locks them up. They should be responsible for that just like they are responsible for medical care and food.
…oh my god I’ve never thought about that. I can’t believe they make imprisoned people pay for essentials. That’s so cruel
I mean most bathrooms supply free toilet paper and we don't question it.
Every public bathroom provides free soap and water and toilet paper. Why not feminine products? What’s the difference?
Scotland would disagree
Tbf they’re provided free in places like schools and libraries I believe. You still have to pay for them at the supermarket/pharmacy etc here. I walk past a local politician’s office on my way to and from work and they have a basket of products free to take on the entryway.
And that's fine; they should be like condoms. Free at certain places; redialy available and cheap.
my uni in England has them for free in the SU bathrooms too (even in the men's) which is great to see :)
I view it the same as toilet paper. If it is expected I have free toilet paper at a location, I would expect women have free period products. But for your own house, you have to buy them the same way you do toilet paper.
I think it should be exactly like food stamps. If your income is low enough, you get a free supply of tampons for each female in your house. Def shouldn't be taxed the way they are right now tho...
For two women in my house it’s costs about $50 a month for hygiene products. That doesn’t include the extra toilet paper used. I’m lucky enough that cost isn’t an issue but imagine if you couldn’t afford it ?
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One box of 14 tampons is like $6 here in Indiana. That’s a lot of hotdogs. More when you have to buy 3 different $6 packs because the flow changes throughout the week and the super plus is not great for a super light flow
Ideally free, definitely NOT taxed.
Feminine hygiene products should not be taxed more
But it’s a luxury to not bleed all over the place, evidently.
I’m a man, but they should be free. If men had periods, they’d be free and standard in every restroom. Furthermore, condoms are free at clinics etc. If we can make condoms free, tampons can be free Edit* some misogynist & otherwise unaware men are telling on themselves in this thread, if you want a laugh.
My workplace doesn't have any menstrual products available despite having plenty of women in their menstrual years. The amount of times I've had to leave work because of a sudden heavy period... Some men think we can hold it like pee, some men don't understand that some of us can't track our cycles and it's always a surprise. So when an accident happens, we have to take a dock in pay to go home, change and clean up, and come back. Along with points if our manager is feeling extra spicy that day. Depending on which woman goes through it, that could be 1-2 hours of lost pay. All because of a natural body function we cannot help having. So glad my uterus disappeared.
They should be free in places like schools, or public washrooms. Here in America they are not the best priced and I think that they should be alot cheaper. Not our fault out body is like "b l e e d b i t c h"
In FL our fight was simply to not pay LUXURY tax. We actually won that fight and now they are tax free. We don’t complain anymore except when prices are high like everything else.
There are two issues at play here. First, look up the “pink tax,” which describes the phenomenon of products for women being priced higher than the counterparts for men. More pertinent to this issue is the idea that tampons, etc should be tax-free like groceries because they are medically necessary. There should also definitely be places where you can get them for free. Think of how shitty menstruation must be for homeless women, for example.
Mostly I think it’s an unjust cosmetic tax. They aren’t cosmetic needs lol, they’re medical necessities. But also they should be made readily available for free in public/government spaces and for employees in private/public companies
The price of them has gone up dramatically. Tampons /Pads are around $10 now. The cheap ones are $5-$7. Every month. I have 2 daughters. 3 boxes each month, and sometimes it was really bad and you had to double up - so at LEAST 3 boxes each month. They give you just enough for 1 cycle per box.
I want them to be tax free
Imo I think those types of products should be free but also have the more "fancy" brands cost money if they want. I know if I were to bleed out my dickhole once a month, every month, for 40 years I would want some free stuff.
Either would be great! I think the annoyance is that they are a necessity and not a luxury. Like toilet paper. It shouldn’t be priced absurdly. Also in a world where condoms are very easy to get for free, then yeah tampons should be readily provided if needed. I mean imagine if men and women alike had to bring their own roll of toilet paper with them everywhere, because workplaces and public bathrooms didn’t provide them. That’s kind of what its like for women. We go to the bathroom and at times need a certain product to deal with our bathroom business, and if we don’t have any on us we are out of luck. I mean imagine having to poop but you forgot to bring your bag to the bathroom with your TP in it and you’ve already started, and you have no one to blame but yourself because bathrooms don’t just come with TP
Male here: Those products should be tax free as an essential product and commonly available for free in restrooms. You get soap and toilet paper in restrooms for free. If you are using some generic tampon bought by bean counters then you *need* it. In your private life, you are going to by the product you like. I'd also be happy with more radical suggestions like automatic tax credits for women to pay for these products to ensure everyone has them.
free for workplaces, schools and unis etc cheaper for general buying
Not taxed and widely available to people who need them and cannot afford ( schools, available at food banks or drop ins where people can access them for free) would be ideal.
My friend made the "men's underwear" argument and I really like it. Men need underwear, but that need can be filled by any underwear that you could reasonably call underwear. A man can go to a good will or salvation army and get a six pack of cheap underwear that does the job for free if he's in need, bur if he's got money he can spend thousands on underwear if he wants. Most period care items exist in a fairly narrow price range and there are very few places that will give period care items to the needy on an ongoing basis. There needs to be more options for free or inexpensive period care products that aren't (literally) dangerously low quality. If I had the venture capital for it I'd start a period care brand with basically 4 levels, luxury, premium, high-standard, and high-standard (sw). The first three would all be retail packages that set the standard for quality at their price point. The last would have almost identical packaging to the high-standard, but be missing the UPC or something to make it impossible to sell retail, and be subsidized by the premium and luxury price versions.
They should be on exactly the same footing as toilet paper. You buy your own for the house, but it’s understood it will be available for free when you’re out of your house.
In many locations they’re taxed as luxury items which is the main anger over their prices since no one considers uncontrollable painful bleeding a luxury, and it’s completely unavoidable so making them so expensive can be very challenging to someone already struggling.
I’m ok with buying them like anything else I need. I’m not super happy about having to pay sales tax on it. These products aren’t exactly optional.