A shortage of tampons is just one of the many things impacting U.S. women right now.
According to a recent survey from CivicScience, 20% of U.S. women said they are impacted by the current shortage of tampons or know someone who is.
Among impacted women who have tried or switched to different period care products, more than half (56%) reported they tried pads.That’s pretty substantial. Nearly a quarter said they switched tampon brands, and a small but not insignificant segment said they tried period underwear (21%) or menstrual cups (21%) as a result of the shortage.
It’s worth noting that women who make under $35k annually are more likely to report being impacted by the tampon shortage or know someone who has been. In addition to supply chain issues causing shortages on shelves, inflation has impacted menstrual products in general, and tampons in particular. The price of tampons has increased nearly 10% over the last year, which is notable given the income bracket of those most impacted.
Beyond annual earnings, the shortage is having a disproportionate impact on women already in a tough financial spot. As it is, there is already a strong correlation between being worse off than before the pandemic with having been impacted by the tampon shortage. The data indicate this issue is likely only exacerbating period poverty.
As long as this issue persists, CivicScience will continue to track it. Stay tuned for weekly trends in consumer spending as inflation and supply chain woes impact day to day behaviors.
