tampax tampons shortage


So what can you do if your favorite tampons are nowhere to be found? When he returned with a totally different product than I had asked for, I chalked it up to him not looking hard enough but he actually did try to find the right tampons.

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. Supply chain issues have hit tampons, and inflation has driven up prices. Some brands of tampons come with a date stamped on the package, but that is not an expiration date mandated by the Food and Drug Administration, like youd find on, say, latex condoms. Sometimes when I am grocery shopping, even if I am there just for broccoli, Ill swing by the aisle where they stock feminine products. But UFC's effort to swallow up competitors has triggered a class action by fighters who claim it's abusing its power. tampons terrible Cups and discs tend to fall in the $25 to $35 range. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. But according to medical providers, that doesnt mean tampons are necessarily unsafe or ineffective beyond that date. If you look at the pricing strategy for the big players, they will consider more price increases for these necessity products.. 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.

The company also claims that the availability of period products in stores has already "significantly increased" in comparison to a few months ago. And its not just me. Demand is up 7.7% over the past two years, and the company is running its Auburn, Maine Tampax factory 24/7 to meet demand. Last year, the Tampax factory located in Auburn, Maine raised its hourly wages from $17.91 in February to $23.41 in July, employee Facebook posts show. There are also anecdotal reports of online price gouging on Amazon, according toNPR. as well as other partner offers and accept our. A P&G spokesperson told Bloomberg that the factory's employee levels have "largely stabilized.". You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. I challenge you to go to a business that doesnt have hand sanitizer, she says. But inflation can also rise and fall based on developments that have little to do with economic conditions, such as, It depends on the circumstances. But then there was that massive shortage of baby formula that left children hospitalized and mothers raging, and the (male) head of the FDA admitted that the agencys reaction was too slow. Many women speculated that if men had to breastfeed, there would be no formula shortage. What is inflation? The government wants to put a strain on women having abortions, but they dont know what a woman has to get through..

Even stranger, aside from a few pockets of the Internet where frustrated women are venting about not being able to find tampons, nobodys talking about the great tampon shortage of 2022. Theyre made of cotton, rayon, or a blend of the two.

While the plant's hiring challenges are far from unique in today's tight labor market, it comes as brand-specific tampon shortages hit certain regions across the country. The fact that women will keep trying to find tampons, even if the shelves are empty and prices are rising, has allowed companies to increase the prices of feminine care products. Although they may seem relatively simple, tampons are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as medical devices.

And the raw materials that go into tamponscotton, rayon, and sometimes pulp and plastic for applicatorshave been some of the most in-demand raw materials throughout the pandemic as theyve gone into medical products like personal protection equipment. For months, Reddit and Instagram users have swapped stories of bare shelves and increased prices. You might have noticed that it's been increasingly difficult to find your go-to brand of tampons at the store lately. And who are the decision makers, she says. She says that the gender of the people running the countryand most of Americas companiescould help explain the tampon shortage. And even if the Tampax ads were a hit, that explanation doesnt account for why other brands of tampons, including Playtex and o.b., were also out of stock. In the past several weeks, half-empty shelves in the feminine hygiene area of local pharmacies and grocery stores have become commonplace because of a shortage of tampons in the United States. During the global pandemic, supply chain issues have impacted the production and delivery of all sorts of products, but not all products are created equal.

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. Organic Plant-Based Applicator Tampons.

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. 105+ Amazing Gifts for Any Man In Your Life, How to Read the 'Virgin River' Books in Order. Because I went to so many stores and couldnt find anything, Eal Ganott, a mother or two in Queens who found validation in a Reddit thread.

Why Your Preferred Tampons May Be Hard to Find, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/13/well/live/tampon-shortage.html, It can be the result of rising consumer demand. 2022 TIME USA, LLC.

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The CEO of Procter & Gamble is a man, as are the CEOs of Edgewell and Unilever. There are disposable and reusable options. Consumer Reports suggests asking your friends to see if anyone has tampons theyd be willing to share. For the first six months of this year, Marlowes group received just 213,075 tampons, half as many as during the same time last year and 61% fewer than 2020.

The decision leaves it up to individual states to decide whether to allow women to terminate their pregnancies and under what conditions. The brand claims that inventory has been negatively impacted as a result. Its become a strange fascination of mine, to see the large gap on the shelf, like a missing front tooth, where tampons are supposed to be.

And while the tampon shortage may be a source of stress, Dr. Jessica Atrio, an OB-GYN at Montefiore Health System in New York, said it can also be a chance for women and others who use tampons to re-examine the products they use and whether they are in line with their values. Normally, a shortage like this might not be that surprising. I would say its been like this for a solid six months..

The shortage is making some women angry that this simple product is so hard to find, especially at a time when the Supreme Court appears poised to rule on Roe v. Wade in a way that could allow states to mandate what women do with their bodies. As BA.5 Spreads, Is Now the Time for a Second COVID-19 Booster Shot? In April, Procter & Gamble's chief financial officer said sourcing the raw materials for tampons "continues to be costly and highly volatile.

Fast price increases spell trouble, but moderate price gainscan lead to higher wagesand job growth. 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.

And our Textiles Lab analysts have tested period products of all kinds from organic tampons to menstrual cups to period underwear and swimwear and have shared some tampon product alternatives in case your store shelves are empty. Out-of-stock rates, a way that supply is measured, have been steadily improving over the past month, according to the report. Experts say reform is needed to rein in escalating prices. Coder shared, "The scrutiny is very different" in regard to the regulation of the two products. Because, even though most of the things that disappeared during the pandemic like toilet paper, yeast, and flour have returned to the shelves, tampons are still in short supply. According to some reports, theres only a 30 percent stock of tampons in stores around the country, with Arkansas and West Virginia among the most affected states. According to Senator Hassans letter, there have been concerning reports that instead of increasing supply, companies have increased tampon prices. She requested that the company respond within the week with its plan to meet the demand for tampons and to justify the price increases that have been observed over the past year. The drugstore chains Walgreens and CVS reported temporary scarcities of some varieties of tampons but didnt specify which brands. Tampons increase the risk of toxic shock syndrome (TSS), a rare, life-threatening complication of certain bacterial infections, according to the Cleveland Clinic. By subscribing you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Fast price increases spell trouble, but moderate price gainscan lead to, Inflation can be especially hard to shoulder for poor households because they, Rapidinflation typically spells trouble for stocks. Is inflation bad? Why isnt anyone speaking up about this? Diamond Cotton, a 32-year-old mother of two girls, told me. Period underwear use absorbent materials, like microfiber polyester, to soak up menstrual blood. Tampax brand tampons, for instance, are marked with a shelf life date of three or five years, which Procter & Gamble describes as the time period during which a product is expected to meet our high standards for quality when stored in a cool, dry place. What causes inflation? Here is what you need to know about finding tampons right now, and what alternatives are available. Reports of empty shelves and price gouging have prompted lawmakers to take notice. Procter & Gamble told Good Housekeeping, "We can assure you [the tampon shortage] is a temporary situation," and added that it is currently producing tampons 24/7 in its manufacturing facilities in an attempt to meet consumer demand. 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. The director of operations for feminine care for Edgewell said that although there were lower levels of output and inventory earlier this year, at this point we are maxed out running 24/7 and our inventory is building, according to The Wall Street Journal. Tampon shortages are the result of a conglomerate of issues happening throughout the supply chain. Andre Schulten, the chief financial officer of Procter & Gamble which manufactures Tampax, the tampon giant that sells 4.5 billion boxes globally each year said on a recent earnings call that it had been costly and highly volatile to acquire the raw materials needed for production, such as cotton and plastic. Now a key court victory threatens the organization's very business model. We can assure you this is a temporary situation, the manufacturer said, though it did not offer a more specific timeline.

O.b. It make take one or two to find the right one for you., (If possible, he recommended, you should have a backup form of menstrual protection on hand when youre trying out a new product like a menstrual cup.). Ultimate Fighting Championship has long dominated the world of mixed martial arts. Heres why theres a shortage and what you can do if you run out. review process. For the latest example of just how tight US labor markets are, look to consumer-goods giant Procter & Gamble Co.

Is the Treadmill Strut Workout Trend Worth the Hype? P&G did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. A healthcare attorney weighs in on what could be at risk for the LGBTQ+ community now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned. There isnt a lot of discussion about a tampon shortage or a rush to solve it because the issue doesnt directly affect the people in charge, Sullivan argues. However, sources familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that the factory continues to be short-staffed. Tampon brands are now able to sell their products for even more because of the rules of basic economics demand for tampons is still high while supply is low. Bloomberg shared that inflation has led to a 9.8% increase in price for a box of tampons and an 8.3% increase in price for a pack of pads in the last year.

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. How does inflation affect the poor? Its hiring challenges come amid reports of tampon shortages and menstrual product inflation. Representatives for CVS and Walgreens also confirmed that the retailers had experienced shortages in recent weeks. Target said it's working with tampon manufacturers to secure more inventory, and Walmart stated that they arent experiencing a tampon shortage. Dr. Horton believes the tampon shortage is a reminder that menstrual hygiene is a broadly important topic. They were just nowhere to be found. Tampax is the most popular tampon brand in the US. Until your brand is back in stock, consider using a different brand of tampon, menstrual pads, period cups, or period underwear. Boeing Gets FAA Clearance to Restart 787 Dreamliner Delivery, North Korea Claims No New Fever Cases Amid Doubts Over CovidData, Permira Is in Lead to Buy Reorg Research From Warburg Pincus, China Probes Government, Bosses as Chip Race With US Heats Up, Alibaba Added to SEC List of Chinese Firms Facing Delisting, Homeland Security Watchdog Halted Text Retrieval Effort, Infowars Parent Free Speech Systems Files for Bankruptcy, Asia Has New Richest Woman as Property Crisis Reshapes Fortunes, Calstrs Posts 1.3% Loss for Latest Fiscal Year After Market Rout, Review: Beyonc Escapes to Dance World in 'Renaissance', Neil Patrick Harris Is Suddenly Single in Comedy 'Uncoupled', Chips Act Skips US Leaders for Asian Winners, The FourMysteries of Pelosis Troublesome Taiwan Trip, Manufacturers That Sell to Consumers Feel the Pinch, The Indian Governments Fight Against Fake NewsTargets Political Dissent, Jazzercise Is Alive and Kicking Decades After It Got Started, US Banks Passed the Latest Stress Test, But Are Still Unhappy, UAW Head Says Battery-Worker Pay Must Match Assembly Wages, Teen Has Raised $1.5 Million for Abortion Funds in the Week Since Matt Gaetz Mocked Her, Over Half of Britons Were Net Welfare Recipients During Pandemic, House Approves Bill to Help West Fight Wildfires, Drought, Southwest Rains Flood Deserts, Cascade Into Vegas Casinos.

Prices for sexual health products were up just 4.1%, and prices for oral hygiene goods rose 4.3%. The current global shortages, in addition to inflation, are making it increasingly difficult to find period products, especially at reasonable prices. Both TOP The Organic Project and Lola, which are both women-owned feminine products companies, said that there have been no shortages of their products since the pandemic began. P&G shared that it is working with its retail partners to ensure that its period products are available in stores. In response to being blamed for the tampon shortage, the comedian joked on her social media, "Whoa I don't even have a uterus" (She had it removed because of her struggles with endometriosis). Amanda researches, tests and reports on products in the Textiles, Paper & Apparel Lab, ranging from clothing, accessories and footwear to bedding, towels and other home furnishings. In April, the raw price of cotton was 71% higher than it was the previous year. It is typically expressed as the annual change in prices for everyday goods and services such as food, furniture, apparel, transportation and toys. As demand soared, supply shrank. 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.

Thyme Sullivan, the TOP Organic Project CEO, worked for 27 years at consumer packaged goods companies including PepsiCo and Nestle before starting her company, which makes organic period products. As the maker of Tampax and L brands, Procter & Gamble controls about 60 percent of the U.S. tampon market. It is just a matter of who is asking for it. But Dr. Streicher acknowledged that pads arent for everyone: Some users dont like the sensation of wetness they can cause, while those with vulvar conditions, such as genital psoriasis or vulvodynia, can experience significant discomfort and irritation. On June 13, Senator Maggie Hassan, a Democrat from New Hampshire, wrote a letter to the CEO of Procter & Gamble (P&G) urging the company to take quick action to address the tampon shortage that people are facing around the country.. Are bad decisions being made at companies run by men that are affecting the supply of products for women? 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. The ports are clogged! 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. Products made of cotton have not experienced as steep a price growth. Even before the pandemic, she would go to meetings and ask male leaders whether they were carrying a tampon in their sleeve or if they had ever missed a meeting because they couldnt find feminine products. Procter & Gamble said in April 2021 that it would increase prices on baby care, feminine care, and adult incontinence products. 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.). Grocery technology company Instacart shared with Good Housekeeping that week after week, the Instacart team is continuing to see decreases in their "found rate" for tampons, which means that their shoppers are unable to find tampons in store when customers order them using the Instacart platform. Will Restaurant Week Be the Ticket? And by January, it hit $25.41, topping the national average for manufacturing workers by almost 50 cents.

Some products, like tampons, are necessities, and to the more than 800 million people who menstruate on any given day, life can't really move on without them. Im seeing more and more women, especially my younger patients, really embracing this option, Dr. Wilkinson said. 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.