The Beacon Kansas City: Ending Missouri's tampon tax won't make period products much more affordable

By Suzanne King

Tucked in to legislation Missouri lawmakers passed last week is a provision that will do away with the state sales tax on period products.

The measure doesn’t represent a significant cost savings for consumers. It would only shave about 38 cents off a $9 box of tampons. 

But advocates raising awareness about the financial burden some people face with every menstrual cycle — and the resulting health consequences — argue that doing away with the state “tampon tax” does have symbolic importance.

“It’s not going to cost (the state) that much,” said Emily Swanigan, a spokeswoman for Period, an education and advocacy group, “but it’s going to demonstrate that women’s health is a priority.”

Consequences

A 2023 survey commissioned by Period and Thinx Inc. found that a quarter of teens and one-third of adults struggled to pay for period products, which have been soaring in price. According to reporting by the Wall Street Journal, the price of tampons went up 36% between 2019 and 2024, while the cost of sanitary pads rose 41%.

It’s a major financial strain for many families, said Jeanette Higgins, a nurse practitioner at Children’s Mercy Hospital. 

“Especially for low socioeconomic households,” Higgins said, “they may be forced to choose between buying a menstrual product or buying food.”

The rising cost of menstrual products may be part of the reason Giving the Basics, a Kansas City-area nonprofit that provides pads, tampons and other hygiene supplies to shelters, food pantries and schools, has seen a sharp jump in demand for them.

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Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology program at Children's Mercy