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It’s been dubbed ‘the other tampon tax’ – and health activists are up in arms.
Unlike chocolate bars, frozen pizza and eye shadow, tampons and menstrual pads are not required to carry a list of ingredients.
Want to know what your tampon is made of? You won’t find that information on the packaging.
Currently, tampon manufacturers only give a suggested ingredient list, saying their product “may” contain rayon, cotton or polyester – and many pads don’t list any ingredients at all.
The Period Equity institute in America is calling for new rules to force companies to disclose the chemicals and materials used to make menstrual products, reports the New York Times.
Earlier this month, New York politician Grace Meng introduced a bill called the Menstrual Products Right To Know Act, which would legally require the products to list their ingredients on the label.
“We want women to be able to know what chemicals are in these products, which come in direct contact with our body,” said Meng, according to the New York Times.
While there is no evidence that tampon ingredients cause long-term harm, gynecologists warn that fragrances in tampons can trigger allergic reactions. For those concerned, Tom Organic tampons in Australia are made of organic cotton without chemicals or dyes.
Considering women use menstrual products for about a week out of every month during their childbearing years, you’d think that we would have the right to know what the products are made of.
But then you’d also think that women wouldn’t be taxed for menstruating. Go figure.
