The Tax
Tampons, pads, and other menstrual products are taxed anywhere from 4% - 7% depending on the state. There are far too many stories of women who must ‘ration’ their menstrual products due to their cost, and this puts them at risk for infection, Toxic Shock Syndrome, and general poor reproductive health. This is a proposal to abolish the tax on all feminine hygiene products.
The Ingredients
Furthermore, the ingredients that have been included in tampons and pads in recent years are becoming more and more dangerous to women’s health. Fragrances, which are a virtually unregulated category by the FDA and often include endocrine (hormone) disrupting ingredients, whitening agents like chlorine and titanium dioxide etc, and others have been known to be incredibly hazardous , and potentially cancer causing. Additionally, manufacturers are allowed to include polyester / plastic based fibers in the tampons and pads, which introduces yet another concern with absorption of micro plastics. The reports online from women who have experienced various stages of irritations, allergic reactions, and borderline chemical burn-like symptoms are numerous and alarming. (These are my own experiences with some products as well.)
We need to create a new law to regulate exactly what can be in these products, without big pharma having a hand in that process.