His Perspective

Sam is a student at ULM and is currently in class. However, he cannot concentrate as he is getting cramps in his belly and needs to use the restroom. Soon, he runs to the closest toilet and empties his belly. After relieving himself, he is shocked because there is no toilet paper in the stall.

This situation would be a nightmare for the majority of men, but this is a reality for most women. They get menstrual cramps suddenly and need to use the restroom. But, there is no sanitary pad available.

Sanitation has been declared a basic human right by the United Nations. So, with the taxes that we pay, we are supplied with products necessary to keep us clean, at least in public restrooms.

However, the situation is different when it comes to menstrual products. Women use sanitary pads for the same purpose as toilet paper: to keep themselves clean. Even as a male,  it would be logical for me  to claim that sanitary pads should be available in every public restroom, free of cost.

Females in the U.S. not only have to pay for menstrual products, but they also have to pay a luxury tax for them. No one would be happy if ULM told us to bring our own toilet paper, hand soap and paper towels to use in the restrooms and pay extra tax for it.

According to HuffPost.com, it costs about $4.67 per female student or employee to provide free sanitary products annually. It is as cheap as a cup of frappuccino from Starbucks.

One could argue that women are capable of spending five dollars on their tampons. And yes, most women are. But most people can buy their own toilet paper and hand soap.

This is an inconvenience and we must understand the need and importance of those items. Let’s empathize with women who have to go through terrible cramps and bleeding every month which they can’t control.

Menstruation is a natural  process like breathing, urinating or defecating. These sanitary products are essential for women.

Her Perspective

There are lots of things that women buy in life- clothes, shoes, jewelry and one other special thing for “that time of the month”. Yes, ladies it’s tampons and pads. Menstrual products should be free.

They are essentials that us women need as early as the age of 10 until menopause. Tampons and pads are something that have been around for decades in all different shapes, sizes and forms. You see them in the ULM’s bathrooms or restaurants. Tampons and pads should be free in the  school bathrooms and public places. Not everyone has quarters in their pocket  and not all women know when their period will start.

Some would say that they are a luxury, but many like me think they are a need. In the U.S., food and prescription medicine is not taxed because they are considered necessary, according to the New York Times. Louisiana and other states are on the right track to make feminine products tax free. This may not make the items free completely, but it puts us on the right track to get these feminine products for free.

According to KNOE, Senator J.P. Morrell proposed to remove the tax on feminine products. The bill is now at the House for debate. Louisiana also needs to help with another feminine product too- cramping pills.

Some use different types but a popular “cramping pill” right now is birth control. Birth control is far from free which is crazy because it’s a necessity.

Birth control should be free for females across the country. Abortions aren’t available in every state. If you don’t want people having abortions, then make birth control free for women so no accidental pregnancies happen.

The ULM’s restrooms should have free tampons and pads in the dispensers. Some girls just don’t have the means to buy their female products all the time. We should try to have trucks with  tampons, pads and birth control packs come to the school to pass out every beginning and end of the semester.

Let’s make it easier on us since having your period is not a luxury.