Production of Tampax tampons is hindered at Maine plant, Crunch is emblematic of unsustainably hot US labor market, The Crypto Collapse Has Flooded the Market With Rolex and Patek, Shock July Stock Rally Was a Monster the Fed May Regret Seeing, Rockstar Games Cleaned Up Its Frat-Boy Culture and Grand Theft Auto, Too, Chinese Government Asked TikTok for Stealth Propaganda Account, Monkeypox is Spreading Fast. That happened overnight. But, she says, there has been no such push by businesses or the government to solve the tampon shortage. Procter & Gamble said in April 2021 that it would increase prices on baby care, feminine care, and adult incontinence products. Just because one menstrual cup doesnt work for you, doesnt mean all wont, said Dr. John Horton, an assistant professor in the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at Emory University School of Medicine. People should be assured that they have agency in these decisions, she said, noting, for example, the possibility of switching from tampons to reusable options for environmental reasons. A healthcare attorney weighs in on what could be at risk for the LGBTQ+ community now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned. Inflation can be especially hard to shoulder for poor households because they spend a bigger chunk of their budgets on necessitieslike food, housing and gas. Though many women have been affected by the low supplies, theres such a lack of information about what is in stock at local stores that theres no way to put a number on the severity of the national shortage. You place the menstrual cup over your cervix, and it collects menstrual blood for about 12 hours, said Dr. Streicher. For months, Reddit and Instagram users have swapped stories of bare shelves and increased prices. Here is a breakdown of period product alternatives: If you decide to use an alternative tampon, pad or menstrual cup, be sure that you follow all brand instructions regarding insertion and application to the reduce risk of discomfort or toxic shock syndrome (TSS) and to ensure your health and safety. Overall, the price of feminine care products in the U.S. has risen 10.8% from a year ago, according to scanner data from Nielsen IQ, which tracks the prices from point-of-sale systems. Edgewell, manufacturer of tampon brands Playtex and O.b., told Good Housekeeping that it has unfortunately experienced workforce shortages at its production facilities in relation to COVID surges. Women get their period every month, and if theyve used tampons for their entire adult lives, they need tampons. That could be because the people making procurement and supply chain decisions needed toilet paper and cleaning supplies, or could at least relate to the families who needed them. I recently sent my husband to our local CVS to buy a box, and even equipped him with pictures of the specific type I wanted. Although they may seem relatively simple, tampons are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as medical devices. This article was updated on June 23rd to include information about the tampon shortage provided by additional sources. All Rights Reserved. If you have expired tampons sitting in the back of your cabinet, they are still safe to use as long as they are wrapped, in a box, and have been stored under normal conditions. Procter & Gamble the company that owns Tampax currently lists five full-time positions open at the Maine plant. Tampons are manufactured pieces of fabric that about 40% of women in the U.S. use to absorb the blood.]. Target said it's working with tampon manufacturers to secure more inventory, and Walmart stated that they arent experiencing a tampon shortage. Dont let fear stop you from cooling off in the ocean this summer. Tampons are Class II medical devices, which means that because of quality control regulations, companies cant put just anybody on the assembly line, so production lagged demand. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Organic Plant-Based Applicator Tampons. But according to medical providers, that doesnt mean tampons are necessarily unsafe or ineffective beyond that date. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. As of right now, there's no guarantee as to when the tampon shortage will come to an end. Insight and analysis of top stories from our award winning magazine "Bloomberg Businessweek". One of the most important tampon factories in the US can't hire enough workers. Good Housekeeping participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. Tampons are regulated by the FDA as medical devices. regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Shark Sightings Rise, But Attacks Remain Rare, How to Keep Yourself and Loved Ones Safe as Heat Waves Scorch the Country, 6 Ways Climate Change Affects Health and How to Protect Yourself, How to Treat a Gunshot Wound Until Emergency Help Arrives, What the Loss of Abortion Rights Could Mean for LGBTQ+ Healthcare and Civil Liberties, 9 Essential Safety Tips for Fireworks Season, 5 Things Health Experts Want You to Know About Abortion Bans, U.S. Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade, Ending Federal Right to Abortion, The Cost of New Drugs May Keep Many Patients From Accessing Essential Medications, E-Cigarettes May Have Dangerously High Levels of Synthetic Cooling Agents, Open-Label Placebo May Help Reduce IBS Pain in Kids. But inflation can also rise and fall based on developments that have little to do with economic conditions, such as limited oil productionand supply chain problems. Rapidinflation typically spells trouble for stocks. P&G posted its biggest sales gain in decades in the most recent quarter, and the amount of money it made from sales in its feminine care division was up 10%. The Tampax manufacturer in Maine recently raised its starting salary from $47,000 to $60,800 a year. 105+ Amazing Gifts for Any Man In Your Life, How to Read the 'Virgin River' Books in Order. In its bid to lure workers to one of the countrys most important tampon plants, the company has been raising wages for months. Tampons increase the risk of toxic shock syndrome (TSS), a rare, life-threatening complication of certain bacterial infections, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Now, the latest supply chain issue complicating daily life for women across America is a nationwide tampon shortage, set against a backdrop of rising consumer prices because of inflation. However, other popular brands like Playtex are also missing from store shelves, so it's highly unlikely that Amy Schumer actually has much to do with it. Who the heck wants to talk about tampons?. It depends on the circumstances. Financial assets in general have historically fared badly during inflation booms, while tangible assets like houses have held their value better. Many women already use menstrual pads sometimes called sanitary napkins in conjunction with tampons, said Dr. Lauren Streicher, a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern Universitys Feinberg School of Medicine, either on days when their flow is particularly heavy, or perhaps when they are sleeping. First, it was baby formula. Tampons are a staple producta life necessity, Lu says. A Legal Showdown Over Section 8 Discrimination Is Brewing in Dallas Suburb, FDICs Message to Crypto Investors: Digital Assets Arent Insured, Troubled Crypto Lender Babel Lost Big While Trading Client Funds, Ex-Voyager Executive Explores Competing Restructuring Plan for Crypto Lender. Ask Procter & Gamble why it is so hard to find tampons right now, and the company will blame Amy Schumer. The current global shortages, in addition to inflation, are making it increasingly difficult to find period products, especially at reasonable prices. (The CEO of Abbott Nutrition is a man, as is the UKs Health Secretary, whose department is responsible for getting HRT to women using the National Health Service. Now Kids Are Getting It, Too. You may be annoyed that your couch delivery is delayed or that you still cant find your favorite running shoes, but you can waitor buy something else. Talking about it helps to demystify it, he said, so that everyone not just those who have periods can get a better sense of the costs and logistical challenges associated with menstrual hygiene. Everyday Health is among the federally registered trademarks of Everyday Health, Inc. and may not be used by third parties without explicit permission. Amy Schumer has nothing to do with it, but there are period product alternatives that can help. Experts at Good Housekeeping Institute have reached out to representatives at tampon brands for insight as to what the tampon shortage is all about. Representatives for CVS and Walgreens also confirmed that the retailers had experienced shortages in recent weeks. Experts say reform is needed to rein in escalating prices. Its why we need to bring men into the conversation, because in many places, theyre still the decision-makers, and this wasnt on their radar. (She and co-founder Denielle Finkelstein recently ran a 10K dressed as tampons to call attention to period poverty.). The drugstore chains Walgreens and CVS reported temporary scarcities of some varieties of tampons but didnt specify which brands. Given that tampons are a critical item that women use to manage their health, lawmakers have begun to take note of the problem and get involved. Who watches commercials anymore? Women get their periods when the lining of their uterus breaks down every month. Of course, tampons are not the only commodity in short supply. According to the Journal of Global Health Reports (JOGHR), many menstruating people have been experiencing period poverty, or a lack of access to affordable period products. Marlowe texted me photos of aisles in Indianapolis and Silver Spring, Maryland that were stocked with menstrual pads but empty of tampons. And its not just me. Feminine care was one of only two categories in Nielsens health and beauty data where prices were up 10% or more from a year ago for the past six months. Along with material and transportation issues, some tampon manufacturers are experiencing staffing shortages in their factories, which can impact production time and turnaround. Since then, retail sales growth has exploded, spokeswoman Cheri McMaster says. Yet what makes the tampon shortage so persistent and problematic is that unlike most other items that the supply chain has made it hard to access, tampons are not something women can stop buying until supplies return. For the latest example of just how tight US labor markets are, look to consumer-goods giant Procter & Gamble Co. Prices for sexual health products were up just 4.1%, and prices for oral hygiene goods rose 4.3%. I would say its been like this for a solid six months.. P&G, which makes Tampax, Americas most popular tampon brand, launched a new ad campaign with the comedian in July of 2020. Ahead of a February 2021 job fair, the company advertised a starting hourly rate of $17.91 at the plant in Auburn, Maine. review process. Time reported that Procter & Gamble, owner of popular period product brands Tampax, Always and L., is struggling to source the raw materials needed to produce tampons, and that the company is having a hard time transporting the raw materials to production facilities and then transporting the final products to their retail locations. Lettuce Shortage Forces KFC to Use Cabbage, Underwater Noise Pollution Is Disrupting Ocean LifeBut We Can Fix It. (The other category was deodorant.) Thats what has motivated some cities and states to mandate that schools provide free menstrual products, which may also be driving some of the demand for tampons. Cotton balls are up 8.2% over the year, and gauze pads are up 7.8%, the Nielsen data shows. Learn more about our Adding to the problem, about 10 to 15 percent of the companys workforce was out sick with COVID-19 back in December of 2021. Though Redditors have noted the tampon shortage for months, the issue flew largely under the radar until Time first wrote about the great tampon shortage earlier in June. How does inflation affect the poor? You have reached your limit of free articles. 1996-2022 Everyday Health, Inc. After all, theres the shortage of tampons, and formula, and, in the UK, a shortage of HRT, a drug thats used to treat the symptoms of menopause. To put it bluntly, tampons are next to impossible to find, says Michelle Wolfe, a radio host in Bozeman, Montana, who wrote a piece on her radio stations website in March about not being able to find tampons in Montana. Is inflation bad? Is the Treadmill Strut Workout Trend Worth the Hype? Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital Tampon shortages are the result of a conglomerate of issues happening throughout the supply chain. And by January, it hit $25.41, topping the national average for manufacturing workers by almost 50 cents. (All of P&Gs tampons are made in one factory in Maine; all of the tampons of Edgewell Personal Care, which makes the brands Playtex and o.b., are made in a factory in Dover, Delaware.). 2022 TIME USA, LLC. What causes inflation? Target told Insider it has a "wide variety" product available online and in stores and is working to procure more in areas where stock is more limited. Rayon is a by-product of cotton, a finicky crop, and this is the third straight year that demand for cotton has exceeded production, says Sheng Lu, a professor in the Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies at the University of Delaware. Now a key court victory threatens the organization's very business model. However, sources familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that the factory continues to be short-staffed. The startup TOP The Organic Project makes tampons in Europe, and co-founder and CEO Thyme Sullivan says the cost of getting its tampons to the U.S. is up 300% from last year. A P&G spokesperson told Bloomberg that the factory's employee levels have "largely stabilized.". CVS said, in a statement, that it was working with suppliers to ensure that customers had access to these items, but was not able to provide any data about out-of-stocks. This content is imported from YouTube. Tucked away on a forum for DC-area moms, I found dozens of women complaining in April about not being able to find tampons. Thyme Sullivan, the co-founder of TOP the organic project, which sells period products, ran the Reebok 10k in Boston dressed as a tampon.