“Tampons and sanitary towels have always been considered a luxury” Stella Creasy quite rightly debated in the House of Commons as part of a bid to abolish tax on Tampon. During her debate she compared the difference between what is classed as luxury and what is necessity. To many, Tampons fall into the latter.
As a woman, do I feel like a right luxury bitch when I have to stock up on a pack of super absorbent Tampons on my lunch after being caught unaware whilst at work. ? No. Is that monthly trip to the feminine hygiene aisle an experience I’d put up there with purchasing a bottle of gin, a brand new spanking MAC lipstick or those shoes I’ve been eyeing up for months? No.
By “luxury” I can only assume that it’s meant to be a luxury for women to not have to walk around with blood stained clothes or deposit blood stained patches on seats in restaurants or public transport? I for one would just describe that as necessary and plain old good manners. (Unless you’re buying the scented Tampons which only get purchased if you just so happen to get your period around the same time as your payday falls.)
When you can spend a penny (or more so) in a public rest room which provides you with free toilet paper for your booty (no matter what the ramifications of last nights curry), when you can get free condoms and contraception via family planning and NHS for free and when those on a low income have access to free prescriptions, it seems insane that we should have to pay to keep our punani clean, let alone have to pay a tax on it. Especially when items like men’s razors are exempt from the tax as they’re considers essentials, not luxury…
It’s reported that during her lifetime (appx 50 years), the average woman buys, uses and then disposes of more 10,000+ Tampons or sanitary towels. Considering a branded box of 20 Tampons costs around £3 (or half the price of a Rimmel lippie), we’re roughly spending more than £1,700 in our little lifetimes keeping ourselves plugged up and protecting the fabric seats of public society.
Anyone who has ever had a period can testify can to the fact that the time of the month and sanitary ware aren’t luxury. Want some examples to back why periods aren’t luxury? Lets go…
That moment when you’re blissfully unaware of the fate which lies ahead and without prior warning you experience that uncomfortable feeling in your neither regions. You’re not quite sure whether you’ve entered the dreaded land of incontinence earlier than you’d have liked, you’ve done a Sonia from Eastenders the waters of your unexpected pregnancy have broken or there’s now a blood bath in your new undies.
The number of good undies you lose to blood stains. Let’s not be shy, sometimes theres times when you just can’t catch what’s about to happen in the (k)nick(er) of time and you end up *whispers* leaking. It’s not so bad if you’re wearing a multipack pair of pants which you usually only buy for the one cute pair but if you’re wearing the “luxury” stuff from Viccy S you can bet you’re bottom dollar you’ll be caught unawares and you’ll have to sacrifice a silky pair that cost you a small fortune.
The moment you do come on will be the moment you’re in the middle of an important work meeting, the middle of the night (my friend once came on her period whilst spooning her new, and now ex boyfriend, nice!), on a date or pretty much any other given moment where you can guarantee that you won’t have tampons to hand or in stock in the bathroom. We’ve all been forced to to create a makeshift sanitary towel with a wad of tissue (we’ve all been there).
Having to do the awkward desk to bathroom manoeuvre at work with the secret supply of Tampons in your handbag.. WITHOUT raising suspicions of your colleagues and being asked why you’re taking your bag to the toilet with you. “BECAUSE I HAVE SEPARATION ANXIETY OKAY AND NOT BECAUSE I CAN FEEL MY INSIDES GUSHING OUT OF ME”.
Did you know or have you ever noticed that the clitoris and nipples become insanely sensitive when you’re on your period? It’s something to do with complexity that is hormones which affect the body in different ways. This is great, because let’s be honest – who doesn’t want a sensitive clitoris and the promise of a more intense orgasm? Well, a bloated and irritable bitch with a river of red coming out of her and clean white bed sheets. That’s who. I guess some people dig the “Psycho” shower scene look, but I’m most definitely NOT one of those people. I like my sheets like I like my coffee, white.
Oh how true this post is!! Pretty sure that anything that provides this much discomfort in your (and let’s be honest, occasionally to the people around you the week before!) life shouldn’t be taxed! Great post!
Jess @ JuicyyyJesss*
Great post. But seriously, get a Moon Cup.
Moon Cups are not for everyone. They are awkward, painful and just a huge pain in the vagina. I know some people swear on them like they are the best thing ever and thats great.. for them. But after using them for 3 periods and going back to towels every time because they were just evil, I will never ever use one ever again.
I really enjoyed this post, there are so many valid points made. Periods are definitely NOT a luxury, and I bet the people within the government that are saying that using tampons is are most likely males who do not have to endure the monthly cycle. If razors are considered an essential and tampons aren’t, well that makes me kinda angry. Having a beard is not a sanitation risk. Remember earlier this year when that lady ran a marathon whilst on her period to make a point? Remember how sickened some people were that she was bloody and leaking everywhere in public? Well that was her choice to go ‘free’ but for some people leaking would not be a choice and it would be an embarrassing thing for them to have to go through, all because they could not afford supplies or afford to change the supplies as often as they might need to, what if you can only afford one box of tampons or one pack of sanitary towels and you have to make them last, this is not going to end well. There are people in the UK at the moment who can’t afford food. Anyway, slightly a ranting comment but I’m so passionate about this sort of thing! The whole razors vs tampons argument to me screams inequality and that is not fair at all.