Feminine hygiene products should be free

by Kimberley S.

Here is a shocking statistic: The average woman spends $20 on menstrual products per cycle. Over a lifetime, that could be $9,000 the average woman spends, according to USNews. Pads and tampons are at all time high in prices, especially given recent inflation, and it's not fair to women. It's unethical to charge women for a basic need, and for this reason and others they should be free for all, or at least subsidized by the federal government.

First of all, pads,tampons, or some other form of feminine hygiene products are a necessity because periods are a biological fact that cannot be stopped and because failure to properly address one’s period can lead to sickness. Elaborating on this first sub-point, it's not fair to pay for them when almost every woman has a period that she herself cannot control without birth control or hormone therapy. Women don't choose to have periods. Periods are caused when ovaries release estrogen and progesterone. These hormones cause the lining of the uterus to build up. The built-up lining is ready for a fertilized egg to attach to and start developing but, if there is no fertilized egg, the lining breaks down and bleeds.

Next, the prices of pads are outrageous. The cost of pads can be up to $7 per pack. Tampons can be up to $10 a box. Some states have a “tampon tax” which is a state tax on menstrual products. Harvard University says, “I have had patients tell me that they use toilet paper or paper towels instead of pads or tampons because they cannot afford menstrual products.” Birth control is another way to help with periods. Without insurance, birth control can cost up to $50 for the pill, $300 for the implant, and up to $1,300 for an IUD. Many women can't afford these due to them being so expensive, which can cause more harm than you think. If you no longer can afford birth control, it can cause problems like heavier periods and changes in menstrual cycle.

Lastly, if there weren't these items there would be a higher disease in women and other consequences, such as truancy among teen girls who do not go to school in many third world countries when they are having their period because they have no way to stop their bleeding when out in public.

Some people think that if they are free, then the companies won't have the money to produce

more. In response to this argument, although i can see where they come from, many of these companies own other brands.

A student at Airport, Tristan R., says, “ My periods are already painful, don't make my wallet be in pain too.” Another student at Airport, Akira J., says, “ I dont think it's fair that I have to pay for something that I don't choose to have.”

Overall, menstrual products should be free due to the fact that its natural. The average woman spends $20 on products per cycle and $9000 in her lifetime. The government should subsidize these costs or else its gender discrimination. Period.