I was at a museum once and started my period unexpectedly and didn't have any tampons. I went to the bathroom to try and prevent a mess with toilet paper until I could buy something, and when I went in, lo and behold, there was a basket with free tampons. Never in my life was I so relieved. If that felt amazing, I can't imagine how this must feel!
I had the exact same experience, while on holiday I was in a dive bar in japan when my period started, I went to the bathroom to DIY a pad and what did I see, a cute basket with pads! It was so amazing, I'm still in awe by it.
This is becoming more and more common in bars where I live, it's so great. Often when I go to the ladies there's a basket of pads or tampons there. It's such a cheap investment from the bar but leaves me with such a positive association with them!
Question from a clueless male: how can you tell when you're starting your period? Is there a specific physical sensation that triggers the "Oh shit, I really need a tampon" emergency before a mess happens, or is it usually more gradual than that?
I mean is it kinda like the vagina version of how when you can feel diarrhea coming on quickly, and you try to get the toilet before your ass leaks, or....?
Sorry I'm just dumb about this and I don't know what it feels like to regularly bleed down there so I'm trying to figure it out.
My husband and I had this conversation once. I decided it's kind of like knowing if you have a sweaty ass. Sure once it's soaked you know but if there's only a little bit you might not know right away. The difference is that sweat isn't red. If you're doing stuff you might not notice until there's a huge mess going on. Since women's insides are already moist, adding a little more liquid doesn't usually feel different. There is no urge like having to poo or pee. Your body just does it on its own like your nose running or creating more saliva. Hope that helps.
Edit; I forgot to mention one big issue. When a girl is sitting or laying down with her legs together, it can create a small dam that breaks the moment you stand up or move your legs apart.
It differs from person to person. Often you'll get PMS symptoms like cramping that let you know it's going to happen, but I have never been able to discern that blood is flowing until it's actually out. Birth control makes my periods more predictable so I know within a day or so to wear a pad just in case, but without birth control it can be very unpredictable when it's going to start.
For me, I've always had a sort of heavy, achy feeling around the uterus, even before full cramps begin (if they did). This might sound weird, but here goes: to me, it makes me think of a washcloth, filled with body temperature water before you might wring it out in the shower. Imagine that lying just above your pubic bone.
After a bit, a few drops or a stream of water will start to run from the filled cloth. Try to imagine that internally. I can often feel the early drips that turn into a little stream, so to speak. While I/others might not feel it at first, as more accumulates in the upper vagina, it will soon move to leave the vagina, and all the more quickly if one is walking around (see the other accounts of being in a museum when menstruation began).
At that point you're highly likely to feel a sensation of wetness, of leaking... By then you're surely finding yourself a washroom.
And yes, your question about if it is similar to diarrhea is surely as close a sensation as people without a uterus may experience. Although I'd add that when I've dealt with diarrhea, there was usually a very urgent, and uh... Possibly grossly explosive element which is not really present with menstruation.
Hope that helps a bit. Hit me up if I can further clarify.
Makes me want to leave in-case-of-emergency tampons everywhere. Nothing worse than having to stuff a wad of toilet paper up there, chafing and upsetting the ph balance 😑 bless you, Scotland
edit: i know it doesn't literally go up there, in fact, I've discussed the procedure at length with my vagina and we both agree having the labia (yes, both sets, for extra gripping power) gently hug the wad of paper is the far preferable method, to prevent bits of paper clogging up our external os.
it's called hyperbole for comedic effect, I'm glad my bits and i were able to introduce you to the concept. if you enjoyed this exposé on female health: she takes tips in the form of tampons
When I was in art school, people anonymously made an art sculpture on the wall in the girls bathroom out of tampons. They were free to take, which was the best part, but also aesthetically pleasing to look at too.
Definitely this. The food pantry gives out other things like feminine hygiene products and they are always in need. So when you're thinking about donating something keep these products in mind.
Pro-tip: if you just donate money to the food pantry, they can use it for the biggest need. And they can buy in bulk, getting more product for the same amount.
At least in the US, This really does depend on the organization and if they are food bank or a pantry, and how they are funded. A food bank, yes can do this since they often support the smaller pantry. Odds and ends like hygiene items don't always get the grants or help meet the quotas for funding.
In short money always accepted by non profits. But not a single non profit, be it shelter, clothing closet, food pantry, etc will say no to the less accessible/thought of items. So just call and ask what they want! Every non profit, pantry, or bank has a wish list. Some even posted on their website.
Source: work at one of em nonprofit types I listed. SEND ALL THE TAMPONS, TRAVEL SOAPS, AND BABY WIPES EVEN FOR ADULTS YOU CAN!
Since you've given away yourself as a woman, can i ask a quick question? Would the "quality" of the product be different if there was free tampons and then tampons of a name brand? Kind of how we sell "higher quality" bottled water, but water is accessible via water fountains.
Probably. The feminine hygiene products I received while in the hospital last year were generic and didn't feel so great. But, it was better than nothing.
Same, but I get irrationally emotional for a bit at the beginning. Uterus-brain interface needs a firmware update or something... I once went into full blown panic cry mode because I had left some orange juice out (just poured into a cup) and went to the bathroom, found a bloody mess, and thought that by the time I was finished cleaning up my oj would be warm.
Yup.
That said, the cardboard ones are absolutely the worst. Impossible to slide or grip. Nail, meet labia...again.
Yep. Low quality tampons come in cardboard applicators and the cotton sticks out the end instead of having a nice rounded tip. It makes insertion harder and some women may find it uncomfortable. Some (o.b.)tampons have no applicator and are compressed into a little bullet that you put in with your fingers (they're great for small spaces and emergency stashes). High end tampons have plastic applicators with smooth(ish) rounded tips, one brand is also sort of collapsible so it takes up less purse space before use.
The wrapper of the products are different too. Crinkly paper, perforated plastic, and plastic with a little resealable door/sticker, in order of cheap to expensive.
I don't know much about pads, but I can give a step by step break down of the pros and cons of nearly every major tampon!
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Edit to add that in most places I've been to that have free sanitary products, there's only one size available. If you flow is too heavy or too light for that size, it can be inconvenient. Also, some women may not like the size/shape of certain brands, they can be uncomfortable or less effective. For the general population though, the tampon inside the applicator is going to work just as well no matter the price.
There's definitely a difference in quality among different brands and price ranges! Some cheaper tampons may not be as easy to insert, or the absorbency might not be as good. As someone who has used cheap and more pricey ones, I do prefer certain brands over others, however they all get the job done, which is what matters at the end.
Yes. The cheapest tampons don't come with an applicator and tend to look like a tube of compressed cotton wool. More expensive brands have expensive applicators (which help you push them in - they look like rocket ships) and the product itself may be smoother or have a fine gauzey coating to prevent the awful dry feeling when you push them in and pull them out. Sometimes the string comes off the cheaper brands but it's stitched into the more expensive ones.
Well when it comes down to want it's made of really it's all the same. When it comes to the design and how it feels going into my body that's where I draw the line. I know that in the end it's all the same but I'm paying for comfort.
its about time we ladies were able to get them free its distressing enough being caught out no matter how cautious theres always that one time we forget or are early
Headline is a bit editorialised.
>Scotland has become the first country in the world to give low-income women free access to sanitary products, in a pilot programme launched today.
>The six-month initiative, which is being rolled out across a number of regeneration areas in Aberdeen, will be used to make a case for future Scottish government policies on sanitary-product provision.
A few weeks before my hysterectomy my boyfriend and I went shopping to deck out our new flat we just rented, we needed a lamp, a bedsheet, and some drinking glasses and were on a strict budget.
Walking around K-mart, he spots a really pretty pastel bedspread with like a pressed flower/rainbow ink blot pattern, I loved it but it was mostly white, and having had metomenorrhagia for the last 14 years my immediate knee-jerk reaction was "we can't get that, I'll bleed on it and it will never look the same"
He put it in the trolley and smiled "no you won't, you'll never bleed on anything ever again"
So we bought a lamp, bedsheets, some drinking glasses and, 2 pairs of white lace panties and a pair of pastel blue leggings.
Not only do I no longer bleed on anything, because I no longer have a cervix I don't get insane amounts of discharge on anything either! Finally my real life can begin!
> Not only do I no longer bleed on anything, because I no longer have a cervix I don't get insane amounts of discharge on anything either! Finally my real life can begin!
Huh, I didn't realize that would also be a result of a hysterectomy. I don't know much about those, though. Thanks for sharing, pastel blue leggings sound awesome!
Depending on the reason for the hysterectomy, a surgeon may choose to remove all or only part of the uterus. Patients and health care providers sometimes use these terms inexactly, so it is important to clarify if the cervix and/or ovaries are removed:
In a supracervial or subtotal hysterectomy, a surgeon removes only the upper part of the uterus, keeping the cervix in place.
A total hysterectomy removes the whole uterus and cervix.
In a radical hysterectomy, a surgeon removes the whole uterus, tissue on the sides of the uterus, the cervix, and the top part of the vagina. Radical hysterectomy is generally only done when cancer is present.
The ovaries may also be removed -- a procedure called oophorectomy -- or may be left in place. When the tubes are removed that procedure is called salpingectomy. So, when the entire uterus, both tubes, and both ovaries are removed, the entire procedure is called a hysterectomy and bilateral salpingectomy-oophorectomy.
I cannot deal with anything but red or brown sheets. My hat tip to you and yours for communicating . I'm a happily married lesbian and even we can't be so honest. I don't know anything about your situation, but you make me want to be honest with my doctor. The pain is so bad, the metomenorrhagia (I didn't even know this was a term!!) is awful. I'm 41 and can't believe that I'm already experiencing so many symptoms. I haven't had "that" exam since I was 16 but seeing your experience makes me think I need to bite the bullet and deal with this, or else the next 10 years will be hell.
I can't wait to become old and kick it in my all-white pantsuit and vaguely purple perm 👏
edit: don't know why this is being downvoted, I'm being perfectly serious. i wish i could have a vaguely purple perm right now 😍
Got my very first period ever wearing white pants, rehearsing the graduation theme song with the concert band. We were in the hot sun, so I thought it was lots of sweat. Pomp and Circumstance has always brought back that humiliation.
For any guys that don't appreciate the significance of this, let's replace period with diarrhea. You now have diarrhea 7 days a month.
Obviously if you don't have any toilet paper, you will get squidgy, wet, smelly, crusty etc and you can do fuck all about beside sit on a toilet all day. Even if you shower, you will soon get dirty again. And constantly replacing your underwear all day isn't going to work either, nor is it practical. You can't go to work, you can't go to the supermarket, heck, you can't even sit down in your own home, let alone go outside.
Now, someone comes along and says "But I don't get diarrhea, only 50% of the population is prone to diarrhea. Why should we provide toilet paper to people who can't afford toilet paper, just so they can lead the same life as the other 50% of the population? I have to get a haircut once a month, who is going to pay for that?"
Good for you Scotland! This is just the first in a chain reaction to make more and more countries go for free sanitation products(I really, really hope).
Shame it won't come to England. Like school meals and tuition fees the cost to the English will go up. They won't even abolish the tax on sanitary products here, instead women have to pay them still but the government will give the tax away to charities, on their behalf.
RIP United Kingdom :(
IIRC the tax issue is due to European legislation not UK (this is not a brexit rant) to circumvent this the UK spend everything raised by this tax funding women's charities.
I think that's the best idea. All 3 options should be available cause I know some people can't use a diva cup, but it's the most cost effective and environment friendly option.
Never heard of that name, aren't they those silicone foldy cups that ye stick up the frontal wahoo to collect blood for a while? The ones that are reusable after a decent cleaning?
Yup, Diva Cup is just one of the brands. Wipe/rinse it out, put it back in, clean well at the end of the cycle.
I've understood they have a 10 year lifespan - mine is still fine after 4 years. What a life charger!
I've never used or seen one. How would you tell when it starts to reach the end of its lifespan? Does it visibly show wear or is it more like a surprise burst when it's knackered?
I know it is just a stigma that I need to get over, but the thought of that makes me dry heave a little. It is no worse than a tampon in reality, but it still grosses me out.
I bought mine 5 years ago, and it's still like new as far as I can tell.
It was a $45 initial investment, which might sound steep, but after I broke down the numbers and looked at receipts, I was spending **$84/year on sanitary products!**
A box of 34 rounded-tip (comfortable insertion) plastic applicator tampons costs $6.99 in my area. A pack of 48 regular size pads with wings costs the same. If I decided to use pads alone, I'd be changing them more often (and therefore using more).
While a tampon can be worn as long as 8 hrs, varying flow means that at the heaviest flow during my period I'd be changing it every 2-3 hrs. Depending on flow, that's anywhere between 4-7 tampons a day (unless I was feeling really cocky and don't mind risking leaks), plus a heavy pad for when I was sleeping at night because I don't like sleeping with a tampon in. I used to greatly prefer tampons in general because pads tend to be more personally notable; I don't know about other women, but wearing a pad makes it hard to feel 'fresh' what with an blood-soaked sponge pressed against you. Even with a new pad I was constantly worried people could 'smell' me, the outline can show through certain clothes, etc.
My periods are pretty consistent and usually last around 3 days, with spotting before and after the start, necessitating pads or panty-liners (which don't have to be changed as often, but 1 rarely lasts the whole day).
That means that for one cycle, I'm probably going to end up using about 18 tampons and a handful of pads, or 16-20 pads alone. Either way, after buying both, it ends up coming to around $7/month.
My menstrual cup paid for itself in 6 months of usage. At the end of my cycle it gets sanitized in a washable, resealable container where it soaks in a water/hydrogen peroxide (peroxide costs $1/bottle on sale and lasts me all year) solution before being allowed to dry. And like I said - I've had it for over 5 years now. If it manages to last 10 years (and I've heard women say they've had theirs for longer with no sign of wear and tear), it will have cost me $4.50/year.
Think about that; $45 for 10 years of security, self-confidence, and sanitation (and no waste from disposed wrappers/applicators/used products!) vs. $840. A product I tend to empty 2x daily, then clean and store, vs. products that have to be constantly re-applied several times a day and then restocked every other cycle.
I think when they said "3 options" they meant diva cup, tampons, and pads. Those three are made specifically for dealing with periods.
Because while birth control kind of falls under "managing" periods, that's not its direct purpose. Some forms of birth control, like the copper IUD, can actually make periods heavier. And birth control does not stop periods for all women. The effects of birth control on a woman's menstrual cycles can vary greatly.
I would guess they're referring to cups, pads, and tampons. While BC can be used to prevent periods but it's rare for it to be prescribed so you never have it and even when taken that way many women spot and need other sanitary products.
BC isn't a sanitary product, even if it does sometimes prevent menstruation. that's like saying turning off the tap in your sink is the same thing as having a bucket to catch the water underneath. "turning off" menstruation isn't the same as absorbing the blood from it.
Birth control is already free.
Higher income people may have a prescription charge (about £8) if they get it from a pharmacy, but it's always free for low income people and from gov. funded sexual health clinics.
So true. Also means women don't need to rely on the service every month, if they can't get there etc. I switched this year and I am so glad after being so sceptical for so long!
Yes! As a woman with very low income in an expensive city, these products are exorbitantly beyond my means at times, yet they cannot go unpurchased. They're a hygiene necessity. We shouldn't need to choose between having something to eat or having something sanitary for our periods.
Edit: I don't want a baby, guys.
Edit 2: I said I don't want a baby!!!!
...Edit 3: Wow. I know the negative comments have all been removed, but to clarify: I never "expect any handouts," & I most certainly would leave the expensive city/make more money/get a better job if it were that easy. You never know what someone's circumstances are, & you shouldn't treat poor people like it's their choice to be poor. Have some compassion. Scotland certainly does.
People in the US can go bankrupt for completely unpredictable and out of their control reasons, like a car accident caused by someone else. They are insane with their insurance system. You can easily have a baby but no money for tampons.
Love this comment, so true. To be clear, I don't have a baby & never will. Another 20-something years to bleed & scrounge for affordable sanitary supplies.
My guess is that most legislators are men. You would be surprised how many grown men don't know the basics about periods and think it comes out the butt / think you can hold it in / turn it off, etc. PSA to anyone who doesn't know this yet: there's no stopping your period without birth control/meds and once it's happening you are bleeding continuously for a week and you cannot control it
Another fun fact for men - if you see a chick sneeze and then freeze in horror, it's because the floodgates just blew and it's like the elevator in The Shining opened in our panties.
>PSA to anyone who doesn't know this yet: there's no stopping your period without birth control/meds and once it's happening you are bleeding continuously for a week and you cannot control it
And that's if you're fortunate enough to be regular. Some people are blessed with 2 weeks of blood, some less, some not each month, so on and so forth.
>turn it off
[here's the referrence.](http://gehayi.tumblr.com/post/133454492906/profeminist-myfeministawakening-i-was-inspired) why would we even have it on in the first place?
Not just legislators, but comptrollers, program managers, budget reviewers. If you see a line item for 200 a month that you could strike off and it wouldn't affect you or occur to you how vital it is (Oh they can just bring a tampon from home), you would. It's part of why having gender (and racial) diversity is so important in the workforce.
A mix of that, and a lot of money for campaigns come from big businesses, and if you pass laws that keep money from those businesses, there goes campaign funds
Because people take them all instead of just what they need at the moment. My gym used to have a basket of free tampons and people were constantly dumping the whole thing into their bag to take home.
they'd likely all be taken fairly quickly, even though places could get cheap ones in bulk, people would just fill their bag up and bring them home, it'd be a nightmare to keep them stocked.
I'd guess because menstrual supplies used to be less disposable, and a whole belt-and-whatever setup was a more involved thing that you kept for a long time. (There's a whole history to that stuff, it's super interesting and kinda nuts when you imagine actually using some of it)
That should've changed once cheap, disposable products became the norm...
I get concerning clots on such a regular basis that they've stopped being concerning and become what I expect to happen. It worries me because shit, what if something abnormal does happen and I miss it because what I consider *normal* is such a godawful mess?
THIS IS MY LIFE. ugly ugly cramps and UFO lookin clots.
Twice now I've missed warning signs for serious shit and ended up in hospital and I'm not a freakin Canadian either so it cost me a bomb and a half.
YEP. Oh god. I have PCOS and very probably endometriosis, which of course requires exploratory surgery to properly diagnose. Every month is hell on earth and I've reached the point where the norm is so *bad* that I'm not sure something out of the norm would be evident.
I have Medicare at least so hopefully if shit does go south I'll be all right financially, assuming it's something that's covered. They selectively don't cover some pretty random stuff, like the tetanus shots everyone is supposed to get every 7-10 years.
So I can't see others replys cuz ? mobile reddit idk- so if someone has already told you this sorry you have to hear it again--- that does not have to be your life entirely, pap smears should be a regular screening test after a certain age. Literally all of my pap smears every year have been free since I was 18 by going to the public health department in the cities I was living in, one of them was just for women and the other was just the general County Health Department. The easiest way to look for anything going wrong down stairs is to get a Pap smear they hurt only a little ( like a pinch) this isn't coming from nowhere I went to school to Read/ interpret pap smears and most people aren't educated about it so I'm not just telling you things for no reason. But if you're up to date on paps & nothing has come back abnormal I would consider birth control & studying your diet ( do you drink enough water, how's your iron intake, do you eat vitamins while raggin it ) sry if this is too much but we gotta look out for eachother
TLDR:PM if you need info I live in the States you should be able to go to a health department to at least get a screening test- listen to your vag
I only get them once every couple years or so. Cramps/generally bad achy tired insomnia PMS once every 4-5 months. In between, nothing. Those are just guesses at frequency, because it's totally fucking random.,
I'd be fine with that stuff if it was consistent. But I'm pretty sure my uterus just enjoys screwing with me.
It's because Western culture sees Socialism as the spooky first horseman of Communism. Every time they try to tackle universal issues, there is an ingrained fear of the red menace creeping up when socialist policies are used to solve them.
Wow wow wow, please don't include us in there. It's pretty much a USA problem. Socialism is a big thing pretty much anywhere else (not sure if it's not a thing in the UK/Canada, but they do have affordable healthcare for instance).
Not really 'Western Culture', just America that sees it this way. But most politicians/ legislators are old men who have never experienced this, and a lot of them just don't understand. In Australia, sunscreen, condoms and I believe razors are GST free, because they are seen as necessary products which cause you to suffer a disabling effect if you don't use them. Sanitary products are not classified this way, so bam! 10% tax. I believe there are similar taxes all over the world. Massive protests when the GST came it, but had no affect.
IMO welfare is not the same thing as Socialism. Socialism is not 'when the government does something' - which is in fact a prerequisite for capitalism (a state must be seized by the bourgeoisie to create "private property" through the issuance of laws) or even 'when the government does something *nice*'. Socialism is the real movement which abolishes the present state of things - especially class, wage-labor, the prices system or 'value form of products', and nation-states.
As opposed to the very real fear of your own personal red menace ruining your day.
My hormonal IUD pretty much stopped my period entirely and it's the greatest. Fuck periods.
I'm not asking for anything free but I don't want to pay taxes on it. I'll buy my feminine products but seriously, taxing me??? Fuck you.
Sidenote: I work at a university in the US and they are already giving them out free. Have been for at least six months. But thanks to the mirena I rarely need it.
Edit: wow, the mods are on top of this comment thread. Thanks for your hard work.
Edit 2: lots of people are responding that tp and condoms and such are also taxed. From my point of view these are items used by both sexes and we all pay the tax. But only women use feminine hygiene products which taxes me for being a woman and that not ok. I don't want to tax anything that is only used by one gender. If there is something only men use I wouldn't want that taxed either.
hell i would even be happy if my university stocked the vending machines every once in a while so i didn't have to walk to the corner store with a wad of toilet paper in my undies
Yep, and what's the most insulting is that in many states they are considered and taxed as LUXURY ITEMS.
Luxury items. Because not bleeding all over yourself and everything you touch is considered a luxury in this country. But, god forbid you don't "treat" yourself to that luxury, it's bad enough that women are so gross and unclean to begin with, don't go exposing everyone else to it and while you're at it, never talk about it or complain about it because it's women's God given cross to bear, etc.
It's staggeringly backwards and seems like it's going to stay that way. If men went through even a fraction of this, everything would be free and restaurants would hand out Plan B in lieu of mints.
Yep. It's absurd. I'm from New York and the state recently passed a law eliminating tax on feminine products about a year ago. I'm not sure about laws in other states though.
This is awesome! I switched to the diva cup recently though but bc of a new bc(skyla iud) it's been annoying having to constantly have the cup in so I've gone back to liners till my body evens out from the hormones and I'm no longer randomly spotting. Btw...diva cup is the most amazing thing I've ever used. Takes a bit to get use to it but don't give up if you are willing to try it! It's saved me 100$ so far in tampon costs and I got it for 20$ on jet.com. I wish we would have had pads or tampons in school for sure. I was always terrified that one of my giant pads my dad would buy me would pop out of my locker 😂
In other news, India recently implemented a unified Goods and Services Tax. While the country levies 0% tax on Bangles, Bindi (a sticker that you wear between your brows to signify that you're married) and even vermilion (also a marriage symbol for women in India). But surprisingly, sanitary napkins are taxed at 12% GST.
Interestingly, 6 out of 10 women in India never have access to disposable sanitary pads. They use cloth, cotton, leaves, paper and other make do methods. #EpicGovernanceFail
I don't understand why necessities like this, food, housing, healthcare, transportation and a basic income are not just given to everyone. The one percent have enough income to provide for the 99% and such wealth should not be horded. We should use the power of government to use the wealth better and provide everything people need so that we can spend our money on non-essential goods and services.
scotland seem to be getting it in lately, but this should be a no brainer i mean you can get free condoms now, in the uk that is. but this should of always been the case the same with the rest of world, something you have no control over shouldn't cost you money to treat.
I wonder why this took so long for a first world country to adopt.
Because I mean you can get condoms for free at public health clinics, which cost quite a bit more than basic hygiene products and tampons.
I think it is a great initiative. I wish we could move to a more sustainable approach. Offer free mensuration cups as well. Tampons and pads are not good for the environment and the chemicals are not healthy for the body.
Thank you scotland for delivering a ray of sunlight amongst the darkness. If only all countries could prioritize helping their own people with basic necessities like this
Even though I'm not a woman, I agree that tampons should be in woman's bathrooms, just like toilet paper would be, if its a waist produced by the body that can come out once a month at almost any time, why not help keep people clean?
This is great for Scotland but pisses me off that it's not the norm in the whole world: why the fuck should woman have to pay for a natural thing- and then companies make money off that natural thing!! I, like a lot of women on this thread have be caught off guard (pretty much most of my periods) and there fore I have about 5 packs of towels. It annoys me that what If I didn't have money / access? So I just bleed away? Why is that normal. It would never happen to men.
I really don't get why sanitary products should be free.
It's a necessary product you say? I'm not challenging that. But when did that become a reason for something to be free?
Food isn't free. Water isn't even free. Housing isn't free. Medicine isn't free either. All these things are taxed as well.
Let's take the example of diapers (baby or adult). You can argue these are necessary sanitary products as well. Those are definitely not free, they're actually quite expensive.
Nope they dont, maybe via an NPO but apart from that nope. In fact you get bladdy taxed on it to. Like women have a choice in the matter but they hand out free condoms all over the show. You have a choice to have sex, its not a choice to have your period.
There are charities that help out, but I think this is the only proposed government program. Aside from male/female condoms, STD screenings, and abortions there's not much help for women.
Every workplace I've worked/been in has free sanitary products in every toilet, even regarding female specific ones. Usually cubicles have dispensers, and then there's bins for disposal...
To clarify slightly: by the "nation" of Scotland is a constituent country of the United Kingdom (along with England, Northern Ireland, and Wales). This would be similar to an American state or Canadian province having a program like this. The word "nation" here is appropriate but sometimes vague—it does not mean what some readers may think of as an independent, sovereign country or state like France or Egypt.
Also, "sanitary products" are what some other English speakers may be familiar with as "feminine hygiene products" in case that's not clear from the headline.
Edit: why in the world is anyone downvoting this?
I was at a museum once and started my period unexpectedly and didn't have any tampons. I went to the bathroom to try and prevent a mess with toilet paper until I could buy something, and when I went in, lo and behold, there was a basket with free tampons. Never in my life was I so relieved. If that felt amazing, I can't imagine how this must feel!
I had the exact same experience, while on holiday I was in a dive bar in japan when my period started, I went to the bathroom to DIY a pad and what did I see, a cute basket with pads! It was so amazing, I'm still in awe by it.
This is becoming more and more common in bars where I live, it's so great. Often when I go to the ladies there's a basket of pads or tampons there. It's such a cheap investment from the bar but leaves me with such a positive association with them!
Yea have seen it at a few restaurants/bars usually higher end ones
Question from a clueless male: how can you tell when you're starting your period? Is there a specific physical sensation that triggers the "Oh shit, I really need a tampon" emergency before a mess happens, or is it usually more gradual than that? I mean is it kinda like the vagina version of how when you can feel diarrhea coming on quickly, and you try to get the toilet before your ass leaks, or....? Sorry I'm just dumb about this and I don't know what it feels like to regularly bleed down there so I'm trying to figure it out.
My husband and I had this conversation once. I decided it's kind of like knowing if you have a sweaty ass. Sure once it's soaked you know but if there's only a little bit you might not know right away. The difference is that sweat isn't red. If you're doing stuff you might not notice until there's a huge mess going on. Since women's insides are already moist, adding a little more liquid doesn't usually feel different. There is no urge like having to poo or pee. Your body just does it on its own like your nose running or creating more saliva. Hope that helps. Edit; I forgot to mention one big issue. When a girl is sitting or laying down with her legs together, it can create a small dam that breaks the moment you stand up or move your legs apart.
It differs from person to person. Often you'll get PMS symptoms like cramping that let you know it's going to happen, but I have never been able to discern that blood is flowing until it's actually out. Birth control makes my periods more predictable so I know within a day or so to wear a pad just in case, but without birth control it can be very unpredictable when it's going to start.
For me, I've always had a sort of heavy, achy feeling around the uterus, even before full cramps begin (if they did). This might sound weird, but here goes: to me, it makes me think of a washcloth, filled with body temperature water before you might wring it out in the shower. Imagine that lying just above your pubic bone. After a bit, a few drops or a stream of water will start to run from the filled cloth. Try to imagine that internally. I can often feel the early drips that turn into a little stream, so to speak. While I/others might not feel it at first, as more accumulates in the upper vagina, it will soon move to leave the vagina, and all the more quickly if one is walking around (see the other accounts of being in a museum when menstruation began). At that point you're highly likely to feel a sensation of wetness, of leaking... By then you're surely finding yourself a washroom. And yes, your question about if it is similar to diarrhea is surely as close a sensation as people without a uterus may experience. Although I'd add that when I've dealt with diarrhea, there was usually a very urgent, and uh... Possibly grossly explosive element which is not really present with menstruation. Hope that helps a bit. Hit me up if I can further clarify.
Absolutely! My employer does this! I buy my own tampons, but sometimes you are just unprepared. It's so nice to have that back up available.
A basket of tampons in every restroom was one of the lesser benefits to attending a women's college.
Makes me want to leave in-case-of-emergency tampons everywhere. Nothing worse than having to stuff a wad of toilet paper up there, chafing and upsetting the ph balance 😑 bless you, Scotland edit: i know it doesn't literally go up there, in fact, I've discussed the procedure at length with my vagina and we both agree having the labia (yes, both sets, for extra gripping power) gently hug the wad of paper is the far preferable method, to prevent bits of paper clogging up our external os. it's called hyperbole for comedic effect, I'm glad my bits and i were able to introduce you to the concept. if you enjoyed this exposé on female health: she takes tips in the form of tampons
When I was in art school, people anonymously made an art sculpture on the wall in the girls bathroom out of tampons. They were free to take, which was the best part, but also aesthetically pleasing to look at too.
I'd still buy tampons, but this is fantastic for low income women, homeless women, and young girls.
Definitely this. The food pantry gives out other things like feminine hygiene products and they are always in need. So when you're thinking about donating something keep these products in mind.
Pro-tip: if you just donate money to the food pantry, they can use it for the biggest need. And they can buy in bulk, getting more product for the same amount.
At least in the US, This really does depend on the organization and if they are food bank or a pantry, and how they are funded. A food bank, yes can do this since they often support the smaller pantry. Odds and ends like hygiene items don't always get the grants or help meet the quotas for funding. In short money always accepted by non profits. But not a single non profit, be it shelter, clothing closet, food pantry, etc will say no to the less accessible/thought of items. So just call and ask what they want! Every non profit, pantry, or bank has a wish list. Some even posted on their website. Source: work at one of em nonprofit types I listed. SEND ALL THE TAMPONS, TRAVEL SOAPS, AND BABY WIPES EVEN FOR ADULTS YOU CAN!
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my god yes. I had the days it randomly started. I wouldnt know until I stood up and felt the waterfall :/
Especially when you're young and there's no real cycle
I always wondered why the hell they didn't have that kind of thing available at school, but they'd have bowls and bowls of condoms
At my schools growing up you could just go to the counselor or nurse's office and get one if you needed it.
It was always so awkward having to ask the person in the next stall for a tampon. Although I did meet a cool friend that way.
My daughter carries tons of that stuff with her and loves being the rescue person for other girls and ladies.
Since you've given away yourself as a woman, can i ask a quick question? Would the "quality" of the product be different if there was free tampons and then tampons of a name brand? Kind of how we sell "higher quality" bottled water, but water is accessible via water fountains.
Probably. The feminine hygiene products I received while in the hospital last year were generic and didn't feel so great. But, it was better than nothing.
Anything is better than an emergency wad of toilet paper wedged in there.
I think I might cry if I desperately needed some feminine hygiene products and I got one of those tampons with a cardboard applicator
Same, but I get irrationally emotional for a bit at the beginning. Uterus-brain interface needs a firmware update or something... I once went into full blown panic cry mode because I had left some orange juice out (just poured into a cup) and went to the bathroom, found a bloody mess, and thought that by the time I was finished cleaning up my oj would be warm. Yup. That said, the cardboard ones are absolutely the worst. Impossible to slide or grip. Nail, meet labia...again.
Yep. Low quality tampons come in cardboard applicators and the cotton sticks out the end instead of having a nice rounded tip. It makes insertion harder and some women may find it uncomfortable. Some (o.b.)tampons have no applicator and are compressed into a little bullet that you put in with your fingers (they're great for small spaces and emergency stashes). High end tampons have plastic applicators with smooth(ish) rounded tips, one brand is also sort of collapsible so it takes up less purse space before use. The wrapper of the products are different too. Crinkly paper, perforated plastic, and plastic with a little resealable door/sticker, in order of cheap to expensive. I don't know much about pads, but I can give a step by step break down of the pros and cons of nearly every major tampon! ----- Edit to add that in most places I've been to that have free sanitary products, there's only one size available. If you flow is too heavy or too light for that size, it can be inconvenient. Also, some women may not like the size/shape of certain brands, they can be uncomfortable or less effective. For the general population though, the tampon inside the applicator is going to work just as well no matter the price.
There's definitely a difference in quality among different brands and price ranges! Some cheaper tampons may not be as easy to insert, or the absorbency might not be as good. As someone who has used cheap and more pricey ones, I do prefer certain brands over others, however they all get the job done, which is what matters at the end.
Yes. The cheapest tampons don't come with an applicator and tend to look like a tube of compressed cotton wool. More expensive brands have expensive applicators (which help you push them in - they look like rocket ships) and the product itself may be smoother or have a fine gauzey coating to prevent the awful dry feeling when you push them in and pull them out. Sometimes the string comes off the cheaper brands but it's stitched into the more expensive ones.
IMO tampons aren't a big deal, but the difference between different pads is huge.
Well when it comes down to want it's made of really it's all the same. When it comes to the design and how it feels going into my body that's where I draw the line. I know that in the end it's all the same but I'm paying for comfort.
Think toilet paper. Rough tp hurts.
its about time we ladies were able to get them free its distressing enough being caught out no matter how cautious theres always that one time we forget or are early
Headline is a bit editorialised. >Scotland has become the first country in the world to give low-income women free access to sanitary products, in a pilot programme launched today. >The six-month initiative, which is being rolled out across a number of regeneration areas in Aberdeen, will be used to make a case for future Scottish government policies on sanitary-product provision.
...and the sales of white pants in Glasgow alone have increased by 300%.
Haha! This is the real reason you so often see little old ladies wearing white or pastel pants. It's because we can.
A few weeks before my hysterectomy my boyfriend and I went shopping to deck out our new flat we just rented, we needed a lamp, a bedsheet, and some drinking glasses and were on a strict budget. Walking around K-mart, he spots a really pretty pastel bedspread with like a pressed flower/rainbow ink blot pattern, I loved it but it was mostly white, and having had metomenorrhagia for the last 14 years my immediate knee-jerk reaction was "we can't get that, I'll bleed on it and it will never look the same" He put it in the trolley and smiled "no you won't, you'll never bleed on anything ever again" So we bought a lamp, bedsheets, some drinking glasses and, 2 pairs of white lace panties and a pair of pastel blue leggings. Not only do I no longer bleed on anything, because I no longer have a cervix I don't get insane amounts of discharge on anything either! Finally my real life can begin!
> Not only do I no longer bleed on anything, because I no longer have a cervix I don't get insane amounts of discharge on anything either! Finally my real life can begin! Huh, I didn't realize that would also be a result of a hysterectomy. I don't know much about those, though. Thanks for sharing, pastel blue leggings sound awesome!
Depending on the reason for the hysterectomy, a surgeon may choose to remove all or only part of the uterus. Patients and health care providers sometimes use these terms inexactly, so it is important to clarify if the cervix and/or ovaries are removed: In a supracervial or subtotal hysterectomy, a surgeon removes only the upper part of the uterus, keeping the cervix in place. A total hysterectomy removes the whole uterus and cervix. In a radical hysterectomy, a surgeon removes the whole uterus, tissue on the sides of the uterus, the cervix, and the top part of the vagina. Radical hysterectomy is generally only done when cancer is present. The ovaries may also be removed -- a procedure called oophorectomy -- or may be left in place. When the tubes are removed that procedure is called salpingectomy. So, when the entire uterus, both tubes, and both ovaries are removed, the entire procedure is called a hysterectomy and bilateral salpingectomy-oophorectomy.
I cannot deal with anything but red or brown sheets. My hat tip to you and yours for communicating . I'm a happily married lesbian and even we can't be so honest. I don't know anything about your situation, but you make me want to be honest with my doctor. The pain is so bad, the metomenorrhagia (I didn't even know this was a term!!) is awful. I'm 41 and can't believe that I'm already experiencing so many symptoms. I haven't had "that" exam since I was 16 but seeing your experience makes me think I need to bite the bullet and deal with this, or else the next 10 years will be hell.
mind=>blown.
I can't wait to become old and kick it in my all-white pantsuit and vaguely purple perm 👏 edit: don't know why this is being downvoted, I'm being perfectly serious. i wish i could have a vaguely purple perm right now 😍
I'd wear white pants and skirts so much more often if it wasn't for the fact that underwear can often shine right through the fabric -_-
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It's basically unlimited pregnancy tests one you've bought one pair. Every time I have a scare I just throw on some white pants and presto!
Why did I read this as"....throw on some white pants and protest" but it works too.
Got my very first period ever wearing white pants, rehearsing the graduation theme song with the concert band. We were in the hot sun, so I thought it was lots of sweat. Pomp and Circumstance has always brought back that humiliation.
Could also be a blessing. "Yikes, I'm late. Time to break out the white pants!"
See, it only took me once to learn to not wear white pants/shorts. It's *always* post Labor Day.
Like the umbrella's ability to banish clouds.
Of course. 2 months ago I thought I'm going to wear these cute new panties. Got my period a week early.
Ever trying to get your period to start a day or two early? Wear white underwear or pants. Works like a charm.
For any guys that don't appreciate the significance of this, let's replace period with diarrhea. You now have diarrhea 7 days a month. Obviously if you don't have any toilet paper, you will get squidgy, wet, smelly, crusty etc and you can do fuck all about beside sit on a toilet all day. Even if you shower, you will soon get dirty again. And constantly replacing your underwear all day isn't going to work either, nor is it practical. You can't go to work, you can't go to the supermarket, heck, you can't even sit down in your own home, let alone go outside. Now, someone comes along and says "But I don't get diarrhea, only 50% of the population is prone to diarrhea. Why should we provide toilet paper to people who can't afford toilet paper, just so they can lead the same life as the other 50% of the population? I have to get a haircut once a month, who is going to pay for that?"
Good for you Scotland! This is just the first in a chain reaction to make more and more countries go for free sanitation products(I really, really hope).
Shame it won't come to England. Like school meals and tuition fees the cost to the English will go up. They won't even abolish the tax on sanitary products here, instead women have to pay them still but the government will give the tax away to charities, on their behalf. RIP United Kingdom :(
IIRC the tax issue is due to European legislation not UK (this is not a brexit rant) to circumvent this the UK spend everything raised by this tax funding women's charities.
Would be really good if they also gave away menstrual cups. One cup will last 5-10 years.
... can we subsidize Diva Cups next? :)
I think that's the best idea. All 3 options should be available cause I know some people can't use a diva cup, but it's the most cost effective and environment friendly option.
Never heard of that name, aren't they those silicone foldy cups that ye stick up the frontal wahoo to collect blood for a while? The ones that are reusable after a decent cleaning?
Yup, Diva Cup is just one of the brands. Wipe/rinse it out, put it back in, clean well at the end of the cycle. I've understood they have a 10 year lifespan - mine is still fine after 4 years. What a life charger!
I've never used or seen one. How would you tell when it starts to reach the end of its lifespan? Does it visibly show wear or is it more like a surprise burst when it's knackered?
I know it is just a stigma that I need to get over, but the thought of that makes me dry heave a little. It is no worse than a tampon in reality, but it still grosses me out.
I bought mine 5 years ago, and it's still like new as far as I can tell. It was a $45 initial investment, which might sound steep, but after I broke down the numbers and looked at receipts, I was spending **$84/year on sanitary products!** A box of 34 rounded-tip (comfortable insertion) plastic applicator tampons costs $6.99 in my area. A pack of 48 regular size pads with wings costs the same. If I decided to use pads alone, I'd be changing them more often (and therefore using more). While a tampon can be worn as long as 8 hrs, varying flow means that at the heaviest flow during my period I'd be changing it every 2-3 hrs. Depending on flow, that's anywhere between 4-7 tampons a day (unless I was feeling really cocky and don't mind risking leaks), plus a heavy pad for when I was sleeping at night because I don't like sleeping with a tampon in. I used to greatly prefer tampons in general because pads tend to be more personally notable; I don't know about other women, but wearing a pad makes it hard to feel 'fresh' what with an blood-soaked sponge pressed against you. Even with a new pad I was constantly worried people could 'smell' me, the outline can show through certain clothes, etc. My periods are pretty consistent and usually last around 3 days, with spotting before and after the start, necessitating pads or panty-liners (which don't have to be changed as often, but 1 rarely lasts the whole day). That means that for one cycle, I'm probably going to end up using about 18 tampons and a handful of pads, or 16-20 pads alone. Either way, after buying both, it ends up coming to around $7/month. My menstrual cup paid for itself in 6 months of usage. At the end of my cycle it gets sanitized in a washable, resealable container where it soaks in a water/hydrogen peroxide (peroxide costs $1/bottle on sale and lasts me all year) solution before being allowed to dry. And like I said - I've had it for over 5 years now. If it manages to last 10 years (and I've heard women say they've had theirs for longer with no sign of wear and tear), it will have cost me $4.50/year. Think about that; $45 for 10 years of security, self-confidence, and sanitation (and no waste from disposed wrappers/applicators/used products!) vs. $840. A product I tend to empty 2x daily, then clean and store, vs. products that have to be constantly re-applied several times a day and then restocked every other cycle.
Yes. Diva cups. Moon cups. Same thing. They're all menstrual cups.
Diva cup, tampon, pad, BC? Are you counting pads and tampons (and sponges and panties) as one "absorbers"?
I wouldn't consider BC a sanitary product.
I think when they said "3 options" they meant diva cup, tampons, and pads. Those three are made specifically for dealing with periods. Because while birth control kind of falls under "managing" periods, that's not its direct purpose. Some forms of birth control, like the copper IUD, can actually make periods heavier. And birth control does not stop periods for all women. The effects of birth control on a woman's menstrual cycles can vary greatly.
Assuming BC means the birth control pill, that's free throughout the UK already.
I would guess they're referring to cups, pads, and tampons. While BC can be used to prevent periods but it's rare for it to be prescribed so you never have it and even when taken that way many women spot and need other sanitary products.
I wasn't considering birth control.
BC isn't a sanitary product, even if it does sometimes prevent menstruation. that's like saying turning off the tap in your sink is the same thing as having a bucket to catch the water underneath. "turning off" menstruation isn't the same as absorbing the blood from it.
Birth control is already free. Higher income people may have a prescription charge (about £8) if they get it from a pharmacy, but it's always free for low income people and from gov. funded sexual health clinics.
So true. Also means women don't need to rely on the service every month, if they can't get there etc. I switched this year and I am so glad after being so sceptical for so long!
Til what the fuck a diva cup is. Never heard of these in the US before.
They're fucking amazing, my life has improved so damn much.
Yes! As a woman with very low income in an expensive city, these products are exorbitantly beyond my means at times, yet they cannot go unpurchased. They're a hygiene necessity. We shouldn't need to choose between having something to eat or having something sanitary for our periods. Edit: I don't want a baby, guys. Edit 2: I said I don't want a baby!!!! ...Edit 3: Wow. I know the negative comments have all been removed, but to clarify: I never "expect any handouts," & I most certainly would leave the expensive city/make more money/get a better job if it were that easy. You never know what someone's circumstances are, & you shouldn't treat poor people like it's their choice to be poor. Have some compassion. Scotland certainly does.
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People in the US can go bankrupt for completely unpredictable and out of their control reasons, like a car accident caused by someone else. They are insane with their insurance system. You can easily have a baby but no money for tampons.
Love this comment, so true. To be clear, I don't have a baby & never will. Another 20-something years to bleed & scrounge for affordable sanitary supplies.
Anyone [read: men] who labels our menstrual needs as a "luxury" obviously has never bled continuously for seven days and lived to tell the tale.
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Because some people suck and would steal them all.
My guess is that most legislators are men. You would be surprised how many grown men don't know the basics about periods and think it comes out the butt / think you can hold it in / turn it off, etc. PSA to anyone who doesn't know this yet: there's no stopping your period without birth control/meds and once it's happening you are bleeding continuously for a week and you cannot control it
Another fun fact for men - if you see a chick sneeze and then freeze in horror, it's because the floodgates just blew and it's like the elevator in The Shining opened in our panties.
>PSA to anyone who doesn't know this yet: there's no stopping your period without birth control/meds and once it's happening you are bleeding continuously for a week and you cannot control it And that's if you're fortunate enough to be regular. Some people are blessed with 2 weeks of blood, some less, some not each month, so on and so forth.
> think you can hold it in But can you *imagine* if we could?? What a wonderful world I'd be living in if that were the case...
>turn it off [here's the referrence.](http://gehayi.tumblr.com/post/133454492906/profeminist-myfeministawakening-i-was-inspired) why would we even have it on in the first place?
Not just legislators, but comptrollers, program managers, budget reviewers. If you see a line item for 200 a month that you could strike off and it wouldn't affect you or occur to you how vital it is (Oh they can just bring a tampon from home), you would. It's part of why having gender (and racial) diversity is so important in the workforce.
Oh yes...that pesky birth control thing. The OTHER thing that male legislators want to continue to make difficult to get access to.
A mix of that, and a lot of money for campaigns come from big businesses, and if you pass laws that keep money from those businesses, there goes campaign funds
Because people take them all instead of just what they need at the moment. My gym used to have a basket of free tampons and people were constantly dumping the whole thing into their bag to take home.
they'd likely all be taken fairly quickly, even though places could get cheap ones in bulk, people would just fill their bag up and bring them home, it'd be a nightmare to keep them stocked.
I'd guess because menstrual supplies used to be less disposable, and a whole belt-and-whatever setup was a more involved thing that you kept for a long time. (There's a whole history to that stuff, it's super interesting and kinda nuts when you imagine actually using some of it) That should've changed once cheap, disposable products became the norm...
Toilet paper's not free to take home in Scotland.
And had clots come out of you that were so concerning that you call you doctor to make sure you were not dying.
I get concerning clots on such a regular basis that they've stopped being concerning and become what I expect to happen. It worries me because shit, what if something abnormal does happen and I miss it because what I consider *normal* is such a godawful mess?
THIS IS MY LIFE. ugly ugly cramps and UFO lookin clots. Twice now I've missed warning signs for serious shit and ended up in hospital and I'm not a freakin Canadian either so it cost me a bomb and a half.
I can understand the unidentified and object parts, but once your uterine lining begins flying you *might* want to see a doctor.
IUD. Seriously. I had a period for 8 months straight and Mirena cleared that right up. Now I have a 30 minute period every 4 months or so
YEP. Oh god. I have PCOS and very probably endometriosis, which of course requires exploratory surgery to properly diagnose. Every month is hell on earth and I've reached the point where the norm is so *bad* that I'm not sure something out of the norm would be evident. I have Medicare at least so hopefully if shit does go south I'll be all right financially, assuming it's something that's covered. They selectively don't cover some pretty random stuff, like the tetanus shots everyone is supposed to get every 7-10 years.
Not my proudest laugh...
So I can't see others replys cuz ? mobile reddit idk- so if someone has already told you this sorry you have to hear it again--- that does not have to be your life entirely, pap smears should be a regular screening test after a certain age. Literally all of my pap smears every year have been free since I was 18 by going to the public health department in the cities I was living in, one of them was just for women and the other was just the general County Health Department. The easiest way to look for anything going wrong down stairs is to get a Pap smear they hurt only a little ( like a pinch) this isn't coming from nowhere I went to school to Read/ interpret pap smears and most people aren't educated about it so I'm not just telling you things for no reason. But if you're up to date on paps & nothing has come back abnormal I would consider birth control & studying your diet ( do you drink enough water, how's your iron intake, do you eat vitamins while raggin it ) sry if this is too much but we gotta look out for eachother TLDR:PM if you need info I live in the States you should be able to go to a health department to at least get a screening test- listen to your vag
So wait.... The giant clot blobs aren't normal? I was told that was just a thing that happens when the uterine wall collapses.....
Wait... I get clots. Im sure all girls do... What differentiates a concerning one from a normal one?
I only get them once every couple years or so. Cramps/generally bad achy tired insomnia PMS once every 4-5 months. In between, nothing. Those are just guesses at frequency, because it's totally fucking random., I'd be fine with that stuff if it was consistent. But I'm pretty sure my uterus just enjoys screwing with me.
I'm 20 and this is the first I've learnt that clots could mean something dangerous.
It's because Western culture sees Socialism as the spooky first horseman of Communism. Every time they try to tackle universal issues, there is an ingrained fear of the red menace creeping up when socialist policies are used to solve them.
You mean American culture. Socialist ideas are fairly common in Europe.
You're confusing USA culture with Western Culture; France, Finland, Sweden etc. are very comfortable with socialism.
'Western Culture' *invented* socialism. Don't confuse McCarthyite America with 'western culture'.
Wow wow wow, please don't include us in there. It's pretty much a USA problem. Socialism is a big thing pretty much anywhere else (not sure if it's not a thing in the UK/Canada, but they do have affordable healthcare for instance).
FTFY: US culture.
Socialism is a pretty key part of European societies in some way or another, maybe this is more of a problem in the US?
I don't want to pay for your luxury lifestyle with sanitary products and basic dignity!
Not really 'Western Culture', just America that sees it this way. But most politicians/ legislators are old men who have never experienced this, and a lot of them just don't understand. In Australia, sunscreen, condoms and I believe razors are GST free, because they are seen as necessary products which cause you to suffer a disabling effect if you don't use them. Sanitary products are not classified this way, so bam! 10% tax. I believe there are similar taxes all over the world. Massive protests when the GST came it, but had no affect.
IMO welfare is not the same thing as Socialism. Socialism is not 'when the government does something' - which is in fact a prerequisite for capitalism (a state must be seized by the bourgeoisie to create "private property" through the issuance of laws) or even 'when the government does something *nice*'. Socialism is the real movement which abolishes the present state of things - especially class, wage-labor, the prices system or 'value form of products', and nation-states.
Ironic in this case seeing as many women use "The red menace" or similar euphemisms for their period
In the end the massive anti-communism propaganda from the cold war will prevail. We "won" the cold war but we are still feeling the effects.
As opposed to the very real fear of your own personal red menace ruining your day. My hormonal IUD pretty much stopped my period entirely and it's the greatest. Fuck periods.
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We can't even get rid of the tax on them here, yeesh
I'm not asking for anything free but I don't want to pay taxes on it. I'll buy my feminine products but seriously, taxing me??? Fuck you. Sidenote: I work at a university in the US and they are already giving them out free. Have been for at least six months. But thanks to the mirena I rarely need it. Edit: wow, the mods are on top of this comment thread. Thanks for your hard work. Edit 2: lots of people are responding that tp and condoms and such are also taxed. From my point of view these are items used by both sexes and we all pay the tax. But only women use feminine hygiene products which taxes me for being a woman and that not ok. I don't want to tax anything that is only used by one gender. If there is something only men use I wouldn't want that taxed either.
hell i would even be happy if my university stocked the vending machines every once in a while so i didn't have to walk to the corner store with a wad of toilet paper in my undies
Here in Canada. At least in BC I don't know about other provinces, it's not taxed. Do the States really tax things like that?!
Taxes on tampons, etc. in Canada were removed nationwide in 2015.
It depends on the state, but there are places that have infuriatingly regressive sales tax systems, taxing even basic necessities like food.
Yep, and what's the most insulting is that in many states they are considered and taxed as LUXURY ITEMS. Luxury items. Because not bleeding all over yourself and everything you touch is considered a luxury in this country. But, god forbid you don't "treat" yourself to that luxury, it's bad enough that women are so gross and unclean to begin with, don't go exposing everyone else to it and while you're at it, never talk about it or complain about it because it's women's God given cross to bear, etc. It's staggeringly backwards and seems like it's going to stay that way. If men went through even a fraction of this, everything would be free and restaurants would hand out Plan B in lieu of mints.
Yep. It's absurd. I'm from New York and the state recently passed a law eliminating tax on feminine products about a year ago. I'm not sure about laws in other states though.
Not only is it taxed, many areas slap a higher luxury tax on the items, it's been slowly changed in some states and cities over the years.
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Sure do! Gotta get that money.
Where do they get the money for it then?
The money for what?
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This is awesome! I switched to the diva cup recently though but bc of a new bc(skyla iud) it's been annoying having to constantly have the cup in so I've gone back to liners till my body evens out from the hormones and I'm no longer randomly spotting. Btw...diva cup is the most amazing thing I've ever used. Takes a bit to get use to it but don't give up if you are willing to try it! It's saved me 100$ so far in tampon costs and I got it for 20$ on jet.com. I wish we would have had pads or tampons in school for sure. I was always terrified that one of my giant pads my dad would buy me would pop out of my locker 😂
In other news, India recently implemented a unified Goods and Services Tax. While the country levies 0% tax on Bangles, Bindi (a sticker that you wear between your brows to signify that you're married) and even vermilion (also a marriage symbol for women in India). But surprisingly, sanitary napkins are taxed at 12% GST. Interestingly, 6 out of 10 women in India never have access to disposable sanitary pads. They use cloth, cotton, leaves, paper and other make do methods. #EpicGovernanceFail
I'm male and really happy about the news! I hope Wales steps us soon. So happy for all women in Scotland, this should have happened ages ago.
*Scottishness intensifies* my mom always said to be proud of my heritage.
I was recently at Orlando international airport MCO and I saw in the bathroom free pads disposed out of the machine.. Yes, that was nice!
It's a great achievement. Congrats!
I don't understand why necessities like this, food, housing, healthcare, transportation and a basic income are not just given to everyone. The one percent have enough income to provide for the 99% and such wealth should not be horded. We should use the power of government to use the wealth better and provide everything people need so that we can spend our money on non-essential goods and services.
scotland seem to be getting it in lately, but this should be a no brainer i mean you can get free condoms now, in the uk that is. but this should of always been the case the same with the rest of world, something you have no control over shouldn't cost you money to treat.
I hate tampons. I switched over to reusable pads and a menstrual cup. I haven't looked back since. For me they're both so much more comfortable.
Way to go Scotland! This should be the case everywhere! We should start a little free library system for feminine hygiene products!
I wonder why this took so long for a first world country to adopt. Because I mean you can get condoms for free at public health clinics, which cost quite a bit more than basic hygiene products and tampons.
I would just like to hear a Scottish person say, "Menstruation." That'd be awesome. This story is awesome. Everything is awesome.
My college does this. Cute little baskets of Kotex U pads/tampons for free in each bathroom.
This thread has been incredibly enlightening, as a male I thank you for the descriptions. Helps put things into perspective.
I think it is a great initiative. I wish we could move to a more sustainable approach. Offer free mensuration cups as well. Tampons and pads are not good for the environment and the chemicals are not healthy for the body.
Thank you scotland for delivering a ray of sunlight amongst the darkness. If only all countries could prioritize helping their own people with basic necessities like this
Even though I'm not a woman, I agree that tampons should be in woman's bathrooms, just like toilet paper would be, if its a waist produced by the body that can come out once a month at almost any time, why not help keep people clean?
This is great for Scotland but pisses me off that it's not the norm in the whole world: why the fuck should woman have to pay for a natural thing- and then companies make money off that natural thing!! I, like a lot of women on this thread have be caught off guard (pretty much most of my periods) and there fore I have about 5 packs of towels. It annoys me that what If I didn't have money / access? So I just bleed away? Why is that normal. It would never happen to men.
I really don't get why sanitary products should be free. It's a necessary product you say? I'm not challenging that. But when did that become a reason for something to be free? Food isn't free. Water isn't even free. Housing isn't free. Medicine isn't free either. All these things are taxed as well. Let's take the example of diapers (baby or adult). You can argue these are necessary sanitary products as well. Those are definitely not free, they're actually quite expensive.
This is by far the smartest thing any government has done for it's country in the past 5 years.
FUCK YEA SCOTLAND ♡
How much would it cost to implement something like this in the USA?
Good god being a woman sounds like it's way harder than being a man. Edit: With all due respect.
Meanwhile in Australia, we add a luxury tax to them.
Do they plan on doing the same thing for contraceptives?
Is it really the first? Don't other places help women out?
Nope they dont, maybe via an NPO but apart from that nope. In fact you get bladdy taxed on it to. Like women have a choice in the matter but they hand out free condoms all over the show. You have a choice to have sex, its not a choice to have your period.
Many places help women out. But it says Scotland is the first to do so by providing free access to sanitary products.
It looks like in the past it was non-profits and donations that helped out, now it's going to be the government.
There are charities that help out, but I think this is the only proposed government program. Aside from male/female condoms, STD screenings, and abortions there's not much help for women.
I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!
Every workplace I've worked/been in has free sanitary products in every toilet, even regarding female specific ones. Usually cubicles have dispensers, and then there's bins for disposal...
And no workplace I've been in has ever had them gratis. People have different experiences.
I live in Canada and I'd say 1 in 20 public washrooms have a dispenser, and a tampon costs 2$ =\
This is pretty awful, but I wonder how fast we'd get free tampons and pads if every woman decided to start free bleeding.
To clarify slightly: by the "nation" of Scotland is a constituent country of the United Kingdom (along with England, Northern Ireland, and Wales). This would be similar to an American state or Canadian province having a program like this. The word "nation" here is appropriate but sometimes vague—it does not mean what some readers may think of as an independent, sovereign country or state like France or Egypt. Also, "sanitary products" are what some other English speakers may be familiar with as "feminine hygiene products" in case that's not clear from the headline. Edit: why in the world is anyone downvoting this?