Tampons are an essential product for most women in the United States. With so many women in poverty or homeless situations, tampons can be extremely hard to buy, or get from homeless shelters.This issue is only amplified with an additional tax on tampons. 

The usual state tax on hygiene products is 6.25% and there is also an additional 5% tax added on to larger cities. The average menstruating woman spends approximately of $13 a month on feminine products, and $156 a year. This results in a total of $17.55 dollars in tax a year. That may not sound like a lot, but it adds up, especially with so many women living in shelters or on the streets. 

Homelessness is at its peak with nearly 553,000 without a home. Of those, approximately 36% are women. It is extremely hard for women in homeless shelters or living on the streets to find sanitary supplies. Some are forced to use unhealthy items like socks, bags, and rags. Some homeless shelters give away sanitary supplies, but they usually are taken even faster than food. In some larger cities, homeless programs bring around baskets with sanitary supplies, but advise homeless women to only take a few, so there is no good way for homeless women to stock up. If they do find the money to buy sanitary supplies, sales tax on items like tampons raise the already high cost tremendously. 

While thirteen out of the fifty U.S. states have already eliminated tampon tax, thirty seven still have to pay extra! 

We hope to raise awareness about the tampon tax and why it should be removed.