The Case For Free Tampons

When I got my first period, I was in the most embarrassing place my then-11-year-old self could have imagined: my grandparents’ house. I wasn’t sure what to do, so I just put on extra pairs of underwear and threw them away one-by-one, scrunched at the bottom of the bathroom trash bin, as I bled through […]

Here Are The U.S. States That Tax Women For Having Periods

Thanks to public pressure, Canada just became the first country to axe the “tampon tax”—the sales tax imposed on tampons, sanitary napkins, and other feminine hygiene products. Now, more and more women in countries like the U.K., Australia—and the U.S.—are demanding their governments do the same. Of course, sales tax in the U.S. is complicated, […]

Helping Women and Girls. Period.

A friend recently laughed about the time she was unloading the groceries and absent-mindedly put a box of tampons in the freezer, leading her pre-teen daughter to inquire whether they worked better when cold. We all have our stories – ranging from the funny to the mildly embarrassing to the mortifying – that revolve around menstrual […]

Here’s How Much a Woman’s Period Will Cost Her Over a Lifetime

A recent experiment shed light on the “pink tax,” or the price discrepancy that comes with purchasing female-branded products that are essentially identical to male products. But how about the extra cost that comes with a biological function women cannot control? Women’s monthly periods are costing them much more than the pain of menstrual cramps. […]

For Homeless Women, Having a Period Isn’t a Hassle—it’s a Nightmare

Image via Jay Black This post first appeared on VICE UK. No woman actively looks forward to getting her period. Even after decades of menstruating, it can be a painful, expensive hassle every month that leaves you feeling completely flattened. But if you’re a woman living on the street, having a period isn’t a hassle—it’s […]