How The Rising Cost Of Menstrual Products Impacts Women Workers

Prices are rising more steeply on menstrual products than many other consumer items, which places an extra burden on women workers. While the cost of most consumer-packaged goods has been rising at around 2.7% per year, mirroring overall inflation, the cost of personal care products in the U.S. has jumped 22.1% since January 2020.

The surging price of menstrual products is due to rising raw material costs and cross-border tariffs imposed by the Trump Administration. In 2025, the U.S. collected $115 million through tariffs on menstrual products containing cotton, nearly triple the $42 million collected in 2020.

The impact of inflation and tariffs is further compounded in 18 states that still impose a sales tax on period products as of January 2026. While products like Viagra are typically exempt from state sales taxes as essential healthcare, these 18 states characterize menstrual supplies as “luxury” products. This so-called “tampon tax” ranges from 4% to 7%, with Indiana, Mississippi and Tennessee topping the list with a 7% sales tax on menstrual products. These 18 states generate around $95.7 million annually from taxes on period products, according to 2026 data from Period Law.

Michigan and Missouri are among the most recent states to recognize the essential nature of period products and abolish their state sales tax on tampons, pads, liners, cups and other menstrual supplies. Lawmakers in both states recognized the link between affordable period products and women’s workforce participation.

“Repealing the tampon tax increases the chance that we all have equal opportunities to participate fully and confidently in work,” said Michigan Democratic Senator Winnie Brinks, when introducing the bill to repeal her state’s tax on menstrual products, which became law and took effect in Michigan in 2022.

“Imagine the need for sanitary products being called a luxury,” said Missouri Democratic Representative Raychel Proudie during a committee hearing on the repeal of Missouri’s menstrual product tax in 2025. “Any of us who has experienced such a luxury once a month would argue strongly against that being the case.”

The surging cost of menstrual products is taking a toll on working women in the U.S., particularly women in low-wage jobs. The cost of menstrual products is not covered by federal food stamps (SNAP) or under Medicaid, often requiring women to make tradeoffs between food, healthcare and period products.

“For low-wage workers, as well as those in perimenopause or with conditions that involve heavier or unpredictable menses, this period tax can be especially burdensome,” said Karin. “When products are unaffordable, workers may be forced to leave shifts early, miss work altogether, or lose income—deepening existing pay inequities and taking up a disproportionate share of already smaller paychecks.”

A 2019 study in St. Louis found an estimated two-thirds of low-income women were unable to consistently afford necessary menstrual supplies, even before the surge in prices. Over a third of the women surveyed who worked full-time or part-time reported missing one or more days of work each month because of a lack of menstrual products. Black and Latino women tend to report higher rates of inability to access necessary period supplies than white women.

Women who are unable to afford period products are often forced to use less effective and less hygienic alternatives or to wear period products longer than recommended. This increases both work-related stress and serious health risks that can lead to illnesses contributing to additional missed days of work.

“Ultimately,” said Karin, “if a worker cannot afford the tools to manage basic biology, their full participation in the economy is compromised.”

What Employers Can Do To Address The Rising Cost of Menstrual Products

The most direct way for employers to support women who are facing soaring costs of period products is to provide free menstrual supplies in workplace bathrooms. This investment can have a significant return not only in supporting women workers and creating an inclusive workplace environment, but in providing a competitive edge in recruitment, retention and brand ambassadorship.

“Employers should treat menstruation as a routine workplace reality and reflect that understanding in workplace infrastructure accordingly,” said Karin. “Providing free menstrual products in all workplace bathrooms should be a baseline, not a perk—because without them, some employees simply cannot to do their jobs.”

As of 2025, only 38% of U.S. workplaces provided free menstrual products in their restrooms, according to an ISSA survey of 441 commercial, retail, educational and healthcare facilities. Among the organizations surveyed, nearly 36% of the facilities managers said they had simply “never considered” the possibility of providing menstrual products in their restrooms.

A quarter of the surveyed facilities managers cited cost concerns as a reason for not providing free menstrual products in workplace bathrooms. The costs may be significantly lower than managers anticipate, however, due to bulk pricing options for businesses. One vendor estimates the cost for an employer to provide menstrual products at approximately $2 to $4 per female employee per year.

Employee demand is rising for so-called “period-positive” workplaces, making this a recruiting and retention issue not just for women who are facing economic constraints. Nearly all working women have reported stressful situations of being without menstrual products at work during an unexpected period, which causes unnecessary stress and productivity losses that could be avoided with free products in workplace bathrooms.

In 2023, a nonprofit ran a four-month pilot study supplying menstrual products to 14 businesses in Essex County, New Jersey. The participating businesses, including restaurants, nail salons, a movie theater and several gyms, made the products freely available in their bathrooms for both workers and clients, along with a QR code to take an optional survey. Nearly all of the respondents (98%) reported feeling “more positively toward this business because it has free products available,” regardless of whether or not they used the products themselves.

Designing a workplace around the realities of employees’ menstrual needs may also reduce employers’ legal risk.

“Beyond products, employers must cultivate a culture where menstruation is normalized and employees can address related needs without stigma, harassment, discomfort, or penalty,” said Karin. “This requires employers to set clear expectations that menstrual needs are routine and legitimate.”

Karin recommends that employers explicitly include menstruation in their nondiscrimination policies and communicate to employees that existing policies on workplace accommodations and paid time off cover menstruation and related conditions. “In practice, this means proactively ensuring access to breaks and menstrual-friendly restrooms, offering scheduling and location flexibility when needed, and equipping managers with the training to respond appropriately and without bias,” said Karin.

“Workplaces expect menstruation to remain invisible. That pressure creates stress, distraction, and may pose health risks, especially when workers are worried about leaks or forced to rely on inadequate alternatives,” said Karin. “When employers normalize these needs, it reduces barriers, prevents discrimination, and enables a more productive workforce.”