“Why the Hell Are Tampons Still Taxed?”
“our periods aren’t optional. Like going to the bathroom, menstruation is an involuntary bodily function. This may seem like an obvious and unnecessarily graphic point to make, but if you look around, you’ll see it’s not obvious at all. In America, periods are treated like something we’re just doing because we want to. Most women pay a government tax on the feminine hygiene products they need to manage their menstrual blood. If even made available in public restrooms, individual tampons and pads cost money — but can you imagine paying for every time you wiped your butt and washed your hands? Low-income women who rely on food stamps can’t use their federal assistance on tampons, nor are feminine hygiene products considered among tax-deductible medical expenses. Women in prison have it even worse, when tampons and sanitary napkins are rationed or even withheld from them as punishment…
Canadians successfully petitioned their federal government to abolish the tampon tax this summer.”
