Editor’s Note: In this “Youth News and Views” monthly special section, the Local will occasionally be printing articles and opinions submitted by some of our younger readers. This piece is written by a 2024 graduate of Springside Chestnut Hill Academy who wrote it for an AP Language class. She will be attending Georgetown University in September. 

Any young reader who wishes to submit copy for consideration should write to Carla@Chestnuthilllocal.com.

by Ameara Smith 

Four hundred fifty-one. On average, that is the number of menstrual periods a woman will have in her lifetime. 

Periods are not just a bodily function but bring with them pain, changes in mood and even shame. Unfortunate, yes, but what is more unfortunate? The economic toll that women must face each month. 

According to NBC News reporters Aria Bendix and Joe Murphy, menstrual products are taxed as a luxury item in 21 states, with a sales tax of between 4% and 7%. Coined the "tampon tax," this upcharge is a true contributor to period poverty, which Hafiz Jafaar in his article "Period Poverty: A Neglected Public Health Issue" in the Korean Journal of Family Medicine defines as "the lack of access to safe and hygienic menstrual products during monthly periods." No woman anywhere should have to worry if she will be able to buy the products she needs to have a safe and comfortable period.

On Walmart.com a box of 50 regular tampons from the most popular brand, Tampax, costs $10.47. The average period ranges from three to seven days so a "standard" period lasts five days. According to the FDA, tampons can safely be worn for four to eight hours. So if a woman changes her tampon every six hours that is four tampons a day or 20 per cycle. This means that the box will only last her 2.5 cycles, and with about 13 cycles a year, that is five boxes or $52.35. 

Multiply that by 40, and a woman could spend $2,094 on menstrual products in her lifetime. It is important to note that this is an extremely conservative estimate. Many women may need different sizes of tampons, have to change their products more often, or use multiple types of products like pads, tampons or panty liners. Additionally, this fee doesn't account for period-adjacent expenses like heating pads or even medication like birth control. A 2021 study by Katherine Andersh estimates that over a woman's lifetime period products will add up to around $6,000.

So why don't women just purchase dollar-store or off-brand products? At the end of the day dollar store products don't save women any money and also are often poorly made. For example, I went to Dollartree.com, and when I searched for tampons only three results came up. Fiore Super Cotton Tampons retail for $1.25 and contain only six tampons, pricing each tampon at about 20 cents. This means that in reality these are priced nearly the same as Tampax tampons. Furthermore, the reviews are extremely jarring with one customer saying that these tampons gave her a chemical burn. 

Women should be able to buy affordable menstrual products that don't put their health at risk. Subjecting women to this kind of discomfort and disadvantage is deeply saddening especially when there are a variety of possible solutions to ease this burden.

At the bare minimum, menstrual products should be tax-free in every state and freely provided in public and private schools and universities. In July 2022, I met with D.C. council member Brooke Pinto to speak with her about her "PERIOD Act," which requires menstrual products to be freely provided in all D.C. government buildings, shelters and schools. The bill also requires that the products have to be made with organic cotton and ingredients that don't risk the health of the people using them. Bendix and Murphy point out that D.C. also doesn't tax menstrual products. 

Every state across the country should follow in the footsteps of D.C. to ensure that people across the nation do not fall victim to period poverty. The first step in doing so is quite simple: schools should provide period products for free. Even major universities still struggle with this issue and do not freely distribute menstrual products to their students. These simple steps of making menstrual products tax-free and easily accessible could do wonders in beginning to alleviate the widespread effects of period poverty.

If this issue doesn't seem pressing to you it's important to know that a study from George Mason University's College of Health and Human Services shows 1 in 10 college students experience period poverty. So over the next few years, it could be your classmate, your sister, your girlfriend, your best friend or even you who cannot afford such necessities at the expense of health and well-being. 

It is time to take action and ensure that no one ever has to deal with the debilitating effects of period poverty. Let's ensure that a period does not signify the end of anything other than a sentence.