Do you think it is fair that women should have to pay for sanitary protection?

Question

How much do you spend per year on tampons, pant liners and pain killers etc to cope with your periods, these things are essentials none of us buy them for fun, men dont have this expense,should they be avalible free of charge through the nhs or at least heavily subsidisd

Answer 1

I agree with many other points here on the basic idea that there are a lot of things that we need yet we still have to pay for, this is the way the world goes around, we pay for goods and certainly there are more important things we need than tampons and pads.

There is then the other argument that if we get these things free we would be doing so because we are women, menstruation may be a biological function of women where men may not have the same issues to deal with, however this implies that menstruation is somehow something a dissability. Yes women may have periods and some may suffer them although for most the point is true – periods are only as good or as bad as you make them. I don't see why men should have to pay for something women don't actually need to be paid for. My period is not a disability, it does not expect special treatment over men on the basis of it being a biological aspect of myself as a woman, free menstrual products would imply otherwise.

On the subject of VAT;
Given as it is at 5% as of November 2000 that is hardly something to argue over either, yet it is still something women seem to keep bringing up. We in the UK are bound by European agreements not to introduce more zero rates thus they have to be set at 5%, which is hardly a large number and in fact significantly less than what it was on these luxury items.

These things are hardly essentials, in fact these are luxuries, commercial goods that you choose to use and buy, moreover these are luxuries that cost the NHS and the government by large a considerable amount of money.

Commercial tampons such as Tampax and Lillets are the most harmful out of over twenty different menstrual options, through their absorption of moister in the vagina, fibre loss, pores area for bacteria, materials used and chemicals they are treated with. You are looking at a product that causes vaginal health problems from the moment they are inserted into the vagina, products linked to infections such as bacterial vaginosis and yeast, as well as of course toxic shock syndrome which although rare is still a real risk increased through unnecessary manufacturing methods. Not to mention their horrific track record in the 1980's and 1990's where TSS and dioxin issues were ignored by manufacturers that to some degree we are still seeing fall-out from given as chlorine gas bleaching that resulted in dioxin as a by-product was only banned in the UK in 1994. Commercial pads such as Always are not as harmful, however they still contain chemicals that can contribute to infections, as well as plastics and synthetic materials also linked with TSS and with infection due to prevention of aeration to the vagina.

You then also have environmental problems, for a start it is estimated that a woman will use approximately 12,000 tampons or pads in her lifetime, which results in a lot of waste that local authorities have to find a way to get rid of. A lot of commercial tampon manufacturers claim their products are flushable in order to market their products as more convenient – they are not flushable – from a single water authority in the UK 9000 tonnes of sanitary plastics are flushed, costing around £14 billion per year nationwide to replace blocked pipes and fish out of sewage, a lot of this does however end up within the oceans.
The manufacturing process involves using fluff puff that uses trees, however only a small proportion of the tree is used in this process where as the rest is unusable within manufacturing of products of this sort, cotton is also used yet of course is not organic cotton. Manufacturing involves the use of a lot of chemicals that are put into the environment with unknown long-term health and environmental impact, also a lot of energy is used in the manufacturing process. Bare in mind here that menstrual product companies are not obliged to tell anyone what chemicals they use in their products, they could very well be using something harmful – given as bleaching of tampons and pads is totally unnecessary and in fact a health risk to women who use their products, this isn't exactly a good sign that they are concerned about what chemicals they use in their manufacturing processes.

This is only touching the surface of the problem commercial tampons and pads cause, for both the NHS and the government, so it begs the question – when they are already pumping out tones of money on environmental and health issues these products cause, why exactly should they make these products more readily available?

Although granted it is worrying some hospitals and doctors still give commercial pads or tampons to patients, however this is an unfortunate example of how little some doctors understand female sexual health, what to many of us seems logical in terms of tampon risks some doctors seem unaware. That however is another subject for another time.

Now onto the subject of luxuries, commercial tampons and pads are just that – luxury – you certainly don't need them, in fact given the above information as a starting point I am sure they are the last thing you need – thus why so many women are switching to safer greener options and why there are so many 'menstrual activists' trying to bring such information to light and change manufacturers ways, very few people seem to realise the risks and issues involved and even fewer actually want to discuss the problem even though it has a knock on effect on everyone not just menstruating women.

Take into consideration all your options;

1.Commercial tampons
2.Organic tampons
3.Sponge tampons
4.Homemade tampons
5.Soft tampons
6.Padettes
7.Commercial pads
8.Organic pads
9.Cloth pads
10.Homemade pads
11.Padded panties
12.Period blanket
13.Toilet paper
14.Rubber bell-shaped menstrual cups
15.Silicone bell-shaped menstrual cups
16.Diaphragms as menstrual cups
17.Homemade menstrual cups
18.Softcups
19.Free-flow
20.Free-flow layering
21.Free-flow instinctive
22.Extraction

Let's take a look at just one of these options, silicone bell-shaped cups [Divacup, Mooncup, and Lunette]. A menstrual cup will cost you £17 and will give you menstrual protection for 10 years – now say a pack of tampons for a month costs you £2, 12 times a year for 10 years; I believe that works out at about £240 for tampons.
One silicone cup, in comparison to many tampons, menstrual cups are also the only safe internal menstrual option so that saves on NHS treatment, more convenient and of course did I mention that unlike tampons cups don't contribute to cramping?

I know approximately 2000 women who do not use tampons or commercial pads, they get along just fine, in fact I believe they are actually a lot happier and healthier with the options they use during their period.
I myself do use a silicone menstrual cup and have done for three years now, I don't think for a moment that tampons and pads are essentials, in fact to me they would be positively horrific. I used tampons and pads in the past, they cost me a fortune because I had such very heavy periods, where as with a cup I have something that costs me £17 for 10 years, I can leave it in for 12 hours at a time, for bed or before my period even begins (saving me in bills for washing bloody panties too), not to mention tampons and pads gave me infections as they do for many women, where as with a cup I haven't had a single infection (saving me money on creams and prescriptions).

Then there are painkillers, which I feel deserves a mention here too, painkillers don't rid you of menstrual cramps they simply numb the pain and often just act to cover up underlying problems for menstrual cramps. The more you use painkillers the more your body becomes tolerant of them and so the more you need next time.
Most women can totally prevent menstrual cramps with changes in diets or at the very least treat the pain with simple herbal teas such as raspberry leaf. If there is pain enough to want to take painkillers then there is a problem there, it may cost to get treatment, but then treatment on the NHS often is free or at lower costs for those who cannot afford constant prescriptions.
Cramps are the one thing I agree are sometimes not avoidable; however there are ways to avoid the cost here as well.

Answer 2

I hope you don,t get offended by the male perspective on your question ? you write about having them supplied via the NHS let me ask you a question ? my ex had 2 be rushed into hospital mid way through her period and when I packed her overnight bag I being a bloke packed all the essentials you know razor shaving gel everything a person would need for a few days in hospital if that person happened to be a bloke things like towels,tampons etc etc were and still are things of mystery 2 most blokes so she had to get a towel or two from the nurse ! ON my life you could have felled a fully grown rhino at 50 yards with the things they gave her so my question is would you use such a thing even if they were given gratis ? so needless 2 say I spent the next hour or so searching for a shop , petrol station open at midnight on a Sunday with a grubby piece of paper in my hand telling me the type absorbency and size ? ,shape and colour she required I am sure in a perfect world of 24 hour supermarkets that would have been no problem at all but it was b4 such things existed in England So needless 2 say I had to get what I could! Naturally the wrong type So unless the idea of wearing something the size and softness of a stale wholemeal loaf between your legs appeals 2 you ! guess u are stuck with buying your own ! sorry if I offended you at all !!!

Answer 3

You don't HAVE to buy them, you choose to. Tampons and the like haven't been around since time immemorial you know, why not use rags and wash them if it bothers you that much?

My big quarm with your argument here is that men still make up the majority of the work force and hence pay (probably) the most in tax. Why should we be forced to pay for your sanitary wear through the NHS? Where would it stop most women NEED make up to do you want that funded on the NHS as cosmetic enhancements? What about a special fund for shoes?

The fact is that the £4 odd that it costs you each month is very little, as for pain killers and the like, learn to cope - just like us men have to; with you lot for one week out of the month!!!

Answer 4

You could always try a menstral cup. I know you still have to buy it (but only once). some people get a bit grossed out by them but I don't see a problem. Not much different to using a non-applicator tampon. I think that all sanitary protection should be VAT free as it is an absolute essential. I often think that if men had periods it would have been VAT free long ago!

Answer 5

Menstruation is not an illness!
At least there are things like tampons and pant liners, imagine life without them?
I agree these things are essential for women but men cant have babies and they lose out on motherhood. Food is also essential but it is not free..

Possible solutions............

find a man to pay for them for you

Get pregnant

Knit your own

Use rags and wash them, very cheap and its what your granny did (or maybe great granny_

Answer 6

We buy the condoms, u buy that stuff :-) only kidding, Na u shouldn't have to pay for them! But honestly the nhs has got better things to wast its money on! There are plenty more essential things...u want the nsh to pay for ur food, water etc as well...Why spend a few million on giving u tampons etc when there are children/people who are dieing as we dint have the equipment.

Answer 7

50% of people need them - if they were free on the NHS this money comes from taxes so taxes would go up to pay for them. Basically the only way women can get them 100% free is if men's taxes go up to pay for women's tampons while women pay the same rate of tax as before.
Tampons should be free in hospitals, schools and homeless centres but I think it is unfair for those who can easily afford them to get them free, after all economy brands are pretty cheap and if people want Tampax or Cotex rather that SupaSava then they should pay the difference.

Answer 8

You're not blonde by any chance? Why the hell shouldn't women pay for sanitary towels, etc.? Who do you think pays for my razor-blades? But the question is so bloody stupid anyway. I'll bet 99 women out of a 100 reading it would cringe inwardly and think you ridiculous. If we all had your problems and worries, it would be great. Jesus H Christ......

Answer 9

I have long been against having to pay for the items.

Ever suffer the frustration of not having quarters when the red tide happens to flow.

Then trying to get away to a store or asking someone else if they have one to give away...

If is is a must that public restrooms have tp, soap, paper towels. Why not have a basket of items?

Answer 10

No reason why women should not purchase their sanitary protection. What I object to is paying VAT on it.

When it was brought up in Parliament, there was an MP who once said that it was a bit like men buying razor blades and they had to pay VAT!

Unbelieveable.

Answer 11

No i dont think its fair. Everyone has to buy them and its annoying especially when you run out!! But they must make a packet from these things!! I also think condoms should be free!! coz they are costly just because you dont want to get pregnant or catch something!! no wonder there are babies galore! too expensive!! x