A box of tampons isn’t a luxury.

A pack of pads isn’t a splurge. 

I can think of more than a thousand things I would rather spend my money on than hygiene products, but these are products women have to buy simply because we have periods.

Hi, my name is Hailey Puckett. I’m a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner, and I like talking about women’s health topics that are not talked about enough.

And this is one of them.

In 2026, 18 states still charge sales tax on menstrual products, including my home state of Tennessee.

Think about that for a second.

While yes, there are women who permanently stop their period before menopause but for the majority of us, we didn’t choose to have a period and also don’t get to choose when it comes.

Yet whether those products are taxed depends on where you live.

Period Law estimates that approximately $130 million in sales-tax revenue is associated with menstrual products in those 18 states every year.

I know that eliminating a sales tax isn’t going to solve the entire problem of period affordability. But I also believe that when we’re talking about products people need for a normal bodily function, it’s worth asking whether they should be taxed like discretionary purchases.

And we don’t have to figure this out from scratch.

Thirty-two states have already eliminated their statewide sales tax on menstrual products or don’t have a statewide sales tax.

Here in Tennessee, legislation was introduced in 2026 that would have exempted feminine-hygiene products from state and local sales tax. The fiscal analysis estimated that the change would reduce state revenue by about $19 million annually and local revenue by about $7.8 million.

So this isn’t a hypothetical policy. It’s something lawmakers have already considered.

As a women’s health provider, I talk to women every day about their health, their periods, their bodies, and the things that affect their ability to take care of themselves.

Period products are basic menstrual care.

I believe where you live shouldn’t determine whether you have to pay an additional tax to manage your period.

This petition is asking lawmakers in states that still tax menstrual products to consider a permanent sales-tax exemption for tampons, pads, menstrual cups, and other menstrual products.

Because having a period shouldn’t come with an extra tax simply because your ZIP code says it does.