Menstrual Inequity: The National Tampon Shortage

What are Periods? Why don't we have Menstrual Equity?

What are periods?

A period is the part of the menstrual cycle where blood is released from one’s uterus. It is the body’s way of releasing tissues it no longer needs. This can last between 3-8 days, sometimes more, and generally occurs every 28 days. On different days of one’s cycle, menstruators will undergo different flows, and lose about 30 to 72 mL of blood during their period: although some bleed more heavily. Cramping is the most commonly reported symptom. This is a natural occurrence. Every month, your body prepares for pregnancy, and the lining of your uterus gets thicker in preparation for nurturing a fertilized egg. If an egg is released, it will be fertilized and then settle in the lining of your uterus. However, if you are not pregnant, your estrogen levels fall and hit a level that tells your body to begin menstruation. The thick lining used to surround an egg, instead is shed and passed, along with some blood, out of the body. And remember, there are also various reasons as to why not all women have periods. This can deal with nutrition, exercise, or infertility disorders.

What is needed for one’s period?

Tampons, for one, are designed to absorb period blood by insertion, and may not be worn for more than 8 hours; however most menstruators wear it for less time. Menstrual cups are another tool and they are cups made out of silicone which can be inserted and collect menstrual flow; generally, every 4-12 hours the cup is removed, cleaned, and reinserted. Pads are also used to absorb blood and are worn in underwear. Additionally, menstrual underwear can be worn to absorb one’s flow.

Now, The Period Stigma.

In many countries there is a potential lack of access to sanitation supplies, which results in period poverty. In simplest terms, Period poverty is a lack of access to menstrual products, education, hygiene facilities, waste management, or a combination of these.

This poverty could be due to economic status. For example, in the Netflix documentary, Period End of sentence, the women must make their own supplies from cloth due to the lack of resources. However, another factor is due to the stigma in their culture which intends to ostracize menstruating women by perpetuating the idea that periods make a woman impure, are a curse, and this highlights the lack of education surrounding this bodily function. This poverty could also be due to the taxes and lack of supplies at schools. The notion that menstruation people are dirty or unclean results in absences in school, whether out of embarrassment or the inability to control their flow with insufficient resources. Let’s make note of a statement here:

a period is the end of a sentence, not the end of a girl’s education.

The fact that girls are unable to attend school due to lack of supplies, pain, or even the connotation of impurity due to a normal function, is quite alarming. This situation is namely due to the lack of knowledge regarding menstrual cycles, especially legislators who are uneducated, and also the lack of discussion in government regarding a supposedly taboo topic.

So let’s talk about periods.

We have created a society in which menstruators are taught to feel less confident and dignified, and are too often considered less capable, simply because their bodies menstruate. This prevents conversation from occurring, and which in turn results in our situation right now. One, Menstruators and Non menstruators don’t really know what a normal period is. And Two, period poverty.

Lets break some stigmas:

Menstruating people function just as productively at work as other employees. There is no reason to equate someone’s productivity with their menstrual cycle.

If someone is moody, that does not mean they are on their period. And flo day. Seriously? It’s called a period. Wanna hear something absolutely absurd! North Carolina has a tax on tampons, but fraternity and sorority meals are untaxed. Shall I go on? Are we sensing the absurdity of this situation? Pads, tampons, and other sanitary products are not a mere matter of choice, but a necessity. And the rising prices are in no way justifiable. Education and advocacy must occur and conversations need to happen.

Why is there a National Tampon Shortage?

Simply said, it’s this supply line downfall mainly because of the pandemic

The price of the materials to make these products are getting higher, there are less workers. And these materials are retrieved from a main source for some of the big companies like Tampax and always. And then there are also transportation issues with getting these materials and getting them out, and then plus the shortage of workers mainly due to covid — it’s basically this endless cycle that’s causing a void in production. It’s like the same thing that is going on with diapers and formula and gas prices. There are shortages in all bunches of items because of these same issues, however these items are necessities compared to the others so they have really been reaching the front of the news

This interferes with a menstruator's right to education, which is utterly unfair and unjust.