PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) — Another supply chain snafu is effecting a basic necessity that impacts women the most.
Tampons are the latest item that are low in stock but high in demand.
“As an organization, we started to see a shortage back in January of 2022 and we just kind of kept an eye on things and saw how our donations would look and how things were going and turns out it is accurate,” said ‘I Support The Girls’ National Affiliate Outreach Director, Rachel Heger.
‘I Support The Girls’ donates hygiene supplies, underwear and other essential items to women experiencing homelessness, poverty or distress.
Heger said their tampon donations have dropped significantly in 2022.
“At this time last year for the first half of 2021 we had donated around 445,000 tampons and for the same time period of 2022, that number has dropped to about 218,000,” Heger said. “So it’s pretty significant.”
Walgreens and CVS both released statements to ABC News confirming the shortages. Transportation delays and the rising cost of materials like cotton and plastics are contributing factors.
Not only are shelves empty, Heger said prices have also gone up.
“At your local grocery store you may be noticing some ‘shrinkflation’ maybe the size of the package is not what it used to be for the price or just a price increase all together,” Heger said.
Heger said everyone knows the other options for menstruation, but she feels the problem needs to be solved at the source.
“We never evangelize one product over another everyone has your favorite and so really to me it’s a matter of dignity and it’s a matter of self respect and so when you’re able to cover your cycle the way you choose to cover it, you feel more comfortable and you can keep going on with everything that’s happening,” Heger said.
‘I Support The Girls’ accepts donations for partner agencies around the country. If you’re interested in getting involved, email Rachel at [email protected].
