What caused the shortage, and how long will it continue?

Dana Marlowe, founder and executive director of I Support the Girls , said the organization has been receiving messages every few minutes — some with photos of empty shelves, others saying their stores are fully stocked and asking how they can donate tampons. Marlowe first noticed the shortage months ago, as tampon donations began to wane. The organization provides items such as bras and menstrual hygiene products for people experiencing homelessness, with 59 locations across the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany, Pakistan and the Philippines. The tampon shortage, Marlowe said, has been reflected in I Support the Girls’s donation data thus far this year. Between Jan. 1 and June 1, the organization received half as many tampon donations as it did during the same time last year. “We’ve been feeling it,” she said. “We’ve seen our numbers month over month.” Data is lacking, but various factors have led to tampon scarcity, including the rising cost of raw materials and transportation and labor shortages. Those problems will worsen as the year progresses for shippers and retailers, Vaughn Moore, chief executive of AIT Worldwide Logistics — a company that provides shipping services and supply chain management solutions — told The Washington Post. “Capacity is only going to get tighter as we move toward the end of the year,” Moore said.

Why have tampon prices increased?

The average cost of tampons has risen nearly 10 percent in the past year, according to a Bloomberg News report citing data from NielsenIQ . Walgreens told The Post that it is dealing with “brand-specific shortages in certain geographies.” CVS Health said in a statement that there have been times in recent weeks when suppliers have been unable to fill orders for period products. In Procter & Gamble’s April 20 earnings call, the consumer-goods corporation that makes Tampax said it has been difficult to source materials in sufficient quantities. Chief Financial Officer Andre Schulten said Procter & Gamble would raise prices in several categories, including period products.

What are alternative menstrual products I can use?

Safe alternatives are available, including pads, menstrual cups and period underwear. Menstrual cups — a small cup typically made of silicone or rubber — are a newer product that can stay in for up to 12 hours before being emptied and rinsed, according to Ashley Miller, a nurse practitioner at Tidelands Health Women’s Center in Georgetown, S.C. If properly cleaned and maintained, menstrual cups can be reused for years. Period underwear also can be worn longer than tampons and pads, some up to 24 hours, and reused after washing. However, both options are more expensive than disposable methods, often retailing between $25 and $40 each. A box of tampons typically costs between $5 and $8, depending on the item count. Susan F. Wood, director of the Jacobs Institute of Women’s Health at George Washington University, said the key with any alternative is to use it safely. “The recommendation is that you choose a product that is appropriate for how heavy your menstrual flow is,” Wood said. “And in terms of homemade ones or pads or any of these other cups or sponges, you just maintain good hygiene and cleanliness.”

What should I not use, and where can I find period products?

Health experts are cautioning people to not leave tampons in too long, even if they are scarce. Doing so can lead to infection and toxic shock syndrome . If possible, consumers should call local stores to see which period products are in stock. Miller recommended seeking out faith-based organizations, food shelters and donation-based groups that may offer free or reduced-cost menstrual products. For those who are unable to purchase tampons or alternatives, Miller said, pads can be made using fabrics that are soft and absorbent, such as cotton or flannel. “They could safely even use an old towel or maybe even a T-shirt and repurpose those by making several layers of that fabric itself and getting them to stick together or fold together,” she said.

Who is most affected by the tampon shortage?

Some people whose local stores are short on their preferred tampons have resorted to ordering them online. “That assumes a pretty intense amount of privilege: that a person has access to the internet, that the person has a credit card, that the person has a mailing address,” Marlowe said. But for others the shortage has introduced a barrier to acquiring period products — particularly tampons — which are one of the most affordable options. Even before the shortage, tampons and other products had been inaccessible to low-income people and those experiencing homelessness. Period products are not eligible to be purchased under benefit programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, widely known as food stamps. More than 25 states have a sales tax on menstrual products. These disparities can transcend financial burdens, Miller said. “For the patients who maybe can’t go to five different stores to find a feminine product, that creates a big barrier, and also strong feelings of stress,” she said. Taylor Telford contributed to this report.

Wellness

What you need to know about the tampon shortage

By Praveena Somasundaram

Updated June 15, 2022 at 11:21 a.m. EDT|Published June 15, 2022 at 9:47 a.m. EDT

A menstrual cup, tampons and a pad. (iStock)

A tampon shortage has left people who menstruate looking at empty shelves and searching for alternative period products.

Consumers across the United States have noticed a pronounced lack of tampons, alongside a hike in their price.

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Supply chain problems have contributed to low stocks of baby formula and other personal hygiene products during the pandemic — particularly in recent months — but the tampon shortage has sneaked up on Americans, exacerbating disparities and pushing some toward alternatives.