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I’m a feminist but I don’t think tampons should be free
Just because condoms are free, doesn’t mean tampons should be
When people first started talking about making tampons free, of course I wanted to jump on the bandwagon. I mean, free tampons and pads? That would rock! As a feminist, though, I’m struggling to get on board.
As it stands, the main argument that I hear for free tampons makes no sense. All I’ve heard is that, “Condoms are free for guys! Why can’t tampons be free for girls?” and honestly, it’s a really bad argument. It sounds like a little kid whining: “Mommy, I want something, too! Johnny got that, why can’t I get this?”
The argument that condoms are free “for men” is a huge double standard.
Arguing that condoms are free for men implies that they aren’t already free for women. That’s simply untrue. When you walk into Planned Parenthood or a health center at school, they’re free whether you’re a guy or a girl. Wherever condoms are free, they’re free regardless of your gender.
So girls, please stop saying guys get free condoms. It implies that men, but not women, need to carry condoms, and that is a double standard. Women need to take care of themselves and carry condoms, as should men. STDs and pregnancy are serious problems that every single person must protect themselves against; double standards simply have no place here.
Take out the gender part and argue that tampons should be free just because condoms are, and I still have a hard time agreeing. Even this argument sounds like a little kid whining, only this time it’s more like, “Mommy, I want both of them, though!”
Condoms and tampons are not the same. Condoms prevent STDs and pregnancy; they prevent life altering situations. Tampons stop your blood from flowing. Yes, we need them. No, forgetting to use one will not cost you your future.
Tampons are definitely necessary, though. It seriously sucks to be caught with your period and not have them on hand. Feminists that want free tampons and pads need to more effectively support their cause, though. After all, tampons and pads are necessities, and there’s something to be said about making them free.
New York City has moved to provide free tampons and pads in schools and jails. This was done, however, by using arguments that revolve around improving education and providing for women’s basic hygienic needs. These are the kinds of arguments that I agree with; they make sense, and they don’t throw men and condoms under the bus.
People using the argument that women should receive free tampons because men receive free condoms fail to understand what true feminism is. So long as this warped idea of feminism persists and is used to support this cause, I refuse to be a proponent.