CVS lowers the prices of its tampons and will pay the “pink tax”

How to beat the taboo on menstruation in Ethiopia 3:30 New York (CNN Business) — CVS will reduce the prices of its own-brand menstrual products across the country and pay sales tax on those products in a dozen states. .
Starting Thursday, CVS is cutting prices by 25% on CVS Health and Live Better tampons, pads, panty liners and menstrual cups. Last week, the chain also began paying sales tax for customers on period-related products in 12 states: Arkansas, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia. , Wisconsin and West Virginia. CVS said it can’t cover the taxes in other states that collect them because of laws that prevent third parties from paying the taxes on a customer’s behalf. Dr. Padmini Murthy, director of global health for the American Medical Women’s Association, praised CVS but said the company should go one step further and lower prices on all the menstrual products it sells. “This move will highlight their commitment to women’s health and pave the way to reduce menstrual inequality,” Murthy said in an email to CNN, “and not just to promote the use of CVS products.” CVS’s price cuts are the latest move in a growing effort to close the gap between the cost of men’s and women’s personal health items and eliminate sales taxes on feminine hygiene products, which are often referred to as the “pink tax” or “tampon tax”. In recent years, human rights advocates have pushed for states to abolish sales taxes on feminine products. Twenty-three states exempt these items from taxes, according to the Alliance for Period Supplies, an advocacy organization working to expand access to menstrual supplies. Too often, menstrual products are taxed as luxury items and not recognized as basic necessities. “Products for the period are taxed at a rate similar to that of items such as decoration, electronics, makeup and toys.” Menstrual products can be a big expense for women and have become more expensive in recent years. Tampon prices rose 12.2% in retail stores during the year ending Oct. 2, according to the latest data from market research firm IRI. Protectors increased by 11.6%. One in four women had difficulty buying period supplies in the past year due to lack of income, according to the Alliance for Period Supplies.