Food or tampons?
No one should have to choose

The “tampon tax” is an unfair and discriminatory economic burden. States should not profit (an estimated $96 million annually) from our periods.

We have crafted and waged class action lawsuits—and supported on-the-ground advocates. We continue to fight to take on the remaining states.

Tampons are not a luxury.

Many in the U.S. are forced to make a terrible choice between buying food or menstrual products. Those who are unable to afford tampons and pads are at risk of isolation, infection, and even missed days of school and work.

These problems are documented around the globe. And they’re happening here too.

What can we do? Make menstrual products freely accessible in places like schools, shelters, and correctional facilities. There are key ways that government can help, by including menstrual products in their budgets and providing them in the agencies and public facilities they oversee. Period Equity is fighting for this core policy change.

We led the campaign to passage of New York City’s groundbreaking menstrual equity laws. We have partnered with leading state and municipal legislators and with members of Congress to push for new laws to ensure access to menstrual products.

Period products should be clean and safe. Period.
Tampons should be free of dioxins, pesticides and other toxins. But with limited transparency, the bottom line is that we’re using menstrual products at our own risk.

A person may use as many as 16,000 tampons in a lifetime. Each year in the U.S. alone, approximately 12 billion pads and 7 billion tampons end up in landfills, where plastic applicators can take centuries to biodegrade. Our bodies and the earth deserve better.

We believe products should be tested for safety over the long-term. We believe manufacturers should be required to disclose all ingredients in their products. And we believe the government should fund studies of potential health risks of menstrual products.

How safe are menstrual products? Find out here.