For people who menstruate, period products are a necessity for moving through the world during a fourth of the year. So why are these health care essentials still taxed in 33 U.S. states? Some states tax tampons while exempting nonessentials like chocolate bars, hair loss treatment, lip balm, and baseball stadium souvenirs. This so-called tampon tax isn't just unfair for the half of the population (largely women) who menstruate; it can also be a serious economic barrier for low-income people. One in five American teens say they've struggled to afford period products, and one in five low-income women in one U.S. city say they face this problem every year.
If this state of affairs gets your blood boiling (menstrual, metaphorical, or otherwise), there's finally something tangible you can do to help fight the tampon tax. Yesterday, wellness company LOLA and law and policy organization Period Equity officially launched a concrete nationwide campaign to legally challenge the tax on period products. They're rallying consumers in those 33 states to take part in what they're calling "the largest sales tax protest in modern history."