Arizona opinion: End the tax on menstrual products. Period.

A simple drugstore trip by your typical teenage girl in Arizona may include some essentials: some candy, a tube of sunscreen, and, of course, feminine hygiene products. Yet, unlike many of her peers around the country, an Arizona girl buying menstrual products will find herself paying an inequitable sales tax, normally reserved for “non-essential items.” Arizona is part of a minority of states that, in 2023, still tax feminine hygiene products, resulting in added unnecessary costs and reduced financial independence for girls and women whose need for these products is unavoidable. Even Texas (not exactly known for being a beacon of women’s health equity), recently banned this so-called “period tax”.

I began researching this topic in earnest last year for my high school Speech and Debate team, where I set out to write a speech on the “pink tax”, for which the extra cost for menstrual hygiene items was the most shocking finding. I learned that the issue is much more serious than a few extra dollars at a cash register. These are funds that could be used to purchase food, clothing, or pay utility bills. This reality varies state to state, so costs depend on which state a woman lives in; 21 states, including Arizona, maintain a period tax.

All states in the U.S. have a list of items considered essential and therefore exempt from sales tax. Of these, 29 states have period products on their list, which recognizes these goods as critical. The other 21 states instead contain items such as gun club memberships in Wisconsin, and vending machine food in Mississippi on exemption lists.

A study performed by Kotex found that 40% of girls and women have struggled to buy period products in their lifetime. The price of menstrual hygiene items has risen nearly 10% in the last year, costing $5.96 to $15.56 in America for a month’s worth of period products, depending on the state. The average woman in the United States can spend $2,789 to $7,282 on sanitary products in her life.

In Arizona, a monthly supply of menstrual hygiene items costs $7.51, and a girl or woman will spend an average of $3,514 on period products in her lifetime, including a “period tax” between 7-10%. This extra cost feels particularly out of character for a state that prides itself on low taxation. Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) has openly advocated for removing the tax on period products, including allocating $24 million toward this issue. Additionally, Arizona Sen. T.J. Shope (R) introduced SB 1033, proposing the elimination of sales tax for a variety of feminine hygiene products, but ultimately failed. The fact that this policy has been supported by members of both political parties represents its bipartisan nature.

The simple solution is for Arizona to add period products to the Sales Tax Exemption List, so girls and women do not have to spend more for what is essential. Additionally, state leadership should prioritize this issue on their list of budget goals so that Arizona could be the 30th state to advance menstrual equity in this country.

As a 16-year-old girl growing up in Arizona in this divided time, I am watching issues related to women’s health and equality make almost daily headlines and concerned for my future. One of those concerns should not be if I or other girls and women can afford basic essential products. It’s time for our home state of Arizona to move towards a more equitable future for all. And it’s time to allow our teenage girls (like me) to take a break from weighty societal barriers and get back to struggling with things like my Physics homework and outfit for school tomorrow. Period.