No strings attached: NYU should provide free tampons

In light of the recent UK talk surrounding the tampon tax, I have become aware of the implications of the financial burden on women regarding sanitary products in the NYU community.

I’m not saying that a single box of Tampax is enough to break the bank, but periods aren’t optional and this is where the problem begins. Isn’t it outrageous NYU provides free condoms, but fails to extend reproductive health to include sanitary products? Correct me if I’m wrong but I think sex is easier to refrain from than menstruation.

Trust me I’ve tried.

There’s no womb in NYU for gender inequality. Those in favor of the tampon tax argue that tampons are a “luxury” item.

They don’t seem like a luxury to me.

Taxing products that are essential to almost half the population due to our natural function is fundamentally sexist. Asking menstruating NYU students to pay full price for feminine hygiene, when their male counterparts are exempt, is inherently unfair. It is in some ways a tax on being a woman.

Yes, you can argue male students must pay for deodorant, razors and other everyday products, but none of these are an exclusive burden on men. Girls wear deodorant too and are expected to remove a much larger portion of their bodily hair.

Enough tampon talk… let’s get sanitary products along with the condoms, garbage and toilet paper in NYU Resource Centers. Period.