It Is A Luxury To Be Clean
Imagine that a woman is shopping for shampoo for all of the family members in her household. She (who we will call Betsy) purchases shampoo that is for males and a bottle that is for females. When the prices are compared, Betsy realizes that the woman's shampoo is more expensive. This phenomenon that almost all women, including myself, know is called “the Pink Tax”, and it is happening all around America. The same woman asks the cashier why the tampons that she needs are almost 7 dollars a box. The cashier explains without a hint hesitation that they are considered a luxury. Common sanitation for women is considered a luxury in the eyes of the government and that needs to change. Although men don’t use as many products as women do, the prices should be closer to each other. Therefore the Pink Tax/ Feminine Luxury Tax should not only be removed, but tampons should also not be considered a luxury. Just to give a familiar perspective on the topic, according to the Walmart website a bottle of mens Suave shampoo cost $2.29 for 28oz of product (Suave Men..); Meanwhile, a bottle of womens Suave shampoo costs $2.94 (Suave…) for the same amount of product. This may not seem like a lot, but when bought on a weekly basis the difference piles up. This price difference doesn’t just stop at shampoo, “the DCA found that women’s products cost 7 percent more across five industries than similar products for men.” (From Cradle..)The issue gets worse when we look at the difference of pay between the two genders. The topic of equal pay has been debated for what seems like forever. According to the White House website which states “no matter how you evaluate the data, there remains a pay gap — even after factoring in the kind of work people do, or qualifications such as education and experience.” (Issues) This means that not only are women paying more for products that are advertised toward them, they are also getting paid less than the male counterparts. All women know that tampons and other sanitary items made for menses are not a luxury at all, but the state of Michigan puts them in the taxing category of luxury items. The Tax Foundation says on their website that “exempting tampons and other feminine hygiene products from the sales tax—violates the principles of sound tax policy.” (Kaeding) This should mean that no other items should be exempt from the taxation policy right? Unfortunately there are some exceptions. On the same page of the website the Tax Foundation also says that “states have exempted many goods, such as groceries and prescription drugs, from their sales tax base.” (Kaeding) These are exempted in order for low-income families to get what they need, but this should also included hygiene products for women as well. In fact a quick google search revealed that twelve states have exempted tampons from their sales tax, and five of the states don’t have a sales tax at all. These states include: Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon, and Pennsylvania. (Weiss) Most of the states are able to do this because they put feminine hygiene product under the medical products category. The Encyclopedia of American Politics outlines the fact that Michigan made $13,239,133 in 2016 off of sales and gross receipts alone. (Michigan State..) There is one business: However, that pays the sales tax for you when you purchase from their website. Cora provides tampons that are cheaper (at least for people in California). The only problem is when shipped to other states the cost rises because of shipping and handling. The problems ,however; don’t stop there. What if I told you that women are dying to save money on tampons? You would look at me like I had two heads and snakes for hair, but sadly it is all the truth. Toxic Shock Syndrome happens when a high absorbency tampon is not changed within the eight hour recommended limit. This may be because women are trying to make them last because they can not afford to buy more. On Tampax’s website, one of the leading brands of tampons out on the market, they state that “the higher the absorbency the higher the risk” (Toxic Shock..) This puts women with a heavier flow or endometriosis which causes a very heavy menstruation, at a higher risk for Toxic Shock Syndrome. Therefore, because tampons are too expensive more women are contracting TSS. Just how large is the increase? There have been five reported cases since December, and when compared to the average of four cases spanning over a decade (Cowart) the numbers are skyrocketing. The action of not getting rid of the Pink Tax has already had the domino effect on the health and well being of women in our country. To ensure the future wellness of women and their children the Pink Tax and the categorization of tampons as a luxury should be removed. Works Cited Cowart, Leigh. “Women Are Still Getting Toxic Shock Syndrome, and No One Quite Knows Why.” The Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2016, www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2016/03/21/women-are-still-getting-toxic-shock-syndrome-and-no-one-quite-knows-why/?utm_term=.db8e076a6d37. Accessed 28 Mar. 2018. “From Cradle to Cane: The Cost of Being a Female Consumer.” NYC, www1.nyc.gov/site/dca/partners/gender-pricing-study.page. “Issues.” The White House, www.whitehouse.gov/issues. Accessed 28 Mar. 2018. Kaeding, Nicole. “Tampon Taxes: Do Feminine Hygiene Products Deserve a Sales Tax Exemption?” Tax Foundation, 26 Apr. 2017, taxfoundation.org/tampon-taxes-sales-tax/. Accessed 26 Mar. 2018. “Michigan State Budget and Finances.” Ballotpedia, ballotpedia.org/Michigan_state_budget_and_finances. Accessed 28 Mar. 2018. “Suave Men 2-in-1 Shampoo & Conditioner.” Walmart.com, 27 Aug. 2012, www.walmart.com/ip/Suave-Men-2-in-1-Shampoo-Conditioner-Ocean-Charge-28-Oz/10534953. Accessed 28 Mar. 2018. “Suave Professionals Plus 2 in 1 Shampoo and Conditioner, 28 oz.” Walmart.com, 20 Feb. 2012, www.walmart.com/ip/Suave-Professionals-Plus-2-in-1-Shampoo-and-Conditioner-28-oz/10534954. Accessed 28 Mar. 2018. “Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS).” (TSS) Symptoms & Prevention | Tampax®, tampax.com/en-us/tips-and-advice/period-health/toxic-shock-syndrome. Accessed 28 Mar. 2018. Weiss, Suzannah. “12 States Without A Tampon Tax.” Bustle, 22 Aug. 2016, www.bustle.com/articles/179914-12-states-without-a-tampon-tax-because-people-who-menstruate-shouldnt-be-penalized-for-having-a. Accessed 27 Mar. 2018.
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