Back to school season- tampon tax & period related pain

Well, it’s August, which means ready-or-not, it’s back to school season. I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to shed a little light on two topics that I am passionate about— access to menstrual products and school absences related to period pain. 

Did you know that tampons are considered a luxury item? They’re taxed as a such in 28 states, including Texas. Unfortunately, there are a lot of females that go without these products that many would consider necessities. 

Also on the note of school and menstrual health— period related pain is the number one reason adolescent females miss school. I get asked often if this pain this intense is normal, since it is period related. 

The short answer is no, severe pain should never be considered normal— even if it is period related— and warrants a discussion with your healthcare provider as it could be a sign of an untreated condition. 

A few things you can do to alleviate mild to moderate period related pain include applying heat to your abdomen, yoga, breathing exercises, abdominal massage, and avoiding processed or high sugar foods as they are inflammatory in nature. 

I would hate for a young female to miss school, or not be able to focus at school on a monthly basis, due to lack of menstrual products or pain— so I’m doing something about it. 

I currently have a tampon/menstrual health product drive going on at my office. All donations will be given to Communities in Schools to disperse to the local schools. I hope to keep the schools stocked through the school year.

To donate, drop your choice of menstrual product (tampons, pads, panty liners, and adhesive heating patches for pain) by my office Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, or Fridays. I am located at 458 S Hillcrest Drive Sulphur Springs, Texas and will be collecting products until Aug 17. Additionally, you can purchase products from this list that ship straight to my office— https://a.co/deB2X2c. 

To get on the waitlist for the program, click here.