Instigator / Pro
0
1500
rating
6
debates
41.67%
won
Topic
#4901
Tampons should be free
Status
Finished
The debate is finished. The distribution of the voting points and the winner are presented below.
Winner & statistics
After 1 vote and with 1 point ahead, the winner is...
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Parameters
- Publication date
- Last updated date
- Type
- Standard
- Number of rounds
- 3
- Time for argument
- Three days
- Max argument characters
- 10,000
- Voting period
- One week
- Point system
- Winner selection
- Voting system
- Open
Contender / Con
1
1511
rating
8
debates
75.0%
won
Description
No information
Round 1
Introduction:
In recent years, the topic of providing free tampons has gained significant traction and sparked thoughtful discussions across various sectors of society. The idea of offering tampons for free is rooted in the belief that menstrual hygiene products are essential necessities for individuals who menstruate, and that their accessibility should not be hindered by financial constraints. This perspective draws attention to several compelling reasons why tampons should be provided at no cost. By removing financial barriers to accessing these products, we can foster gender equality, enhance public health, and ensure that all individuals have the opportunity to manage their menstruation in a safe and dignified manner. This essay will delve into the multifaceted reasons supporting the provision of free tampons, addressing both the immediate impact on individuals and the broader societal benefits that such a policy could bring about.
Arguments:
Menstruating is a basic fact of human existence. Menstrual hygiene products are necessities, not luxuries, and should be treated as such. Unfortunately, food stamps and subsidies under the WIC (women, infants, and children) program that help with groceries do not cover menstrual products.
Nearly 22 million women living in poverty in the US who cannot afford menstrual hygiene products. One study in Obstetrics and Gynecology demonstrated that 64% of women reported ever having difficulty affording menstrual products, such as pads, tampons, or reusable products like menstrual cups. And 21% reported that they were unable to afford these products every month. People who are homeless or incarcerated are at particularly high risk of not having access to adequate menstrual hygiene products.
Lack of access to menstrual products can negatively impact education and workforce participation. Many young people miss school or work due to their periods. By providing free tampons, institutions can help ensure that individuals don't miss out on education and economic opportunities.
Public Health: Ensuring access to menstrual products is a matter of public health. Lack of proper hygiene during menstruation can lead to infections and health complications. Providing free tampons contributes to a healthier population.
Positive Psychological Impact: Providing free tampons can alleviate stress and anxiety for those who struggle to afford menstrual products. This, in turn, can contribute to improved mental health and overall well-being.
Additional research and studies:
A study by Citronhygiene reported that 21.9% of women in the UK were unable to afford period products due to the cost-of-living crisis, and 21% of women didn’t leave the house in the last 6 months because they couldn’t access period products when out.
Plan International UK and education providers found that 49% of people experiencing periods have missed a whole day of secondary school or college due to their period.
You are in favor of free tampons.
By “free”, I assume you mean free to the end user.
While that may seem like a good idea in theory, in practice there are many problems.
I then ask who pays?
Who pays the cost of production?
Who pays the cost of distribution?
Who pays the cost of display, warehousing and handing over to the end user?
There is a cost, so someone pays. You have not identified who that is.
Even more importantly, how does the system balance supply with demand? In a free market, an item “floats” in response to the supply / demand equation. As the supply diminishes, and the demand remains stable, either the price goes up, or the supply increases, or both.. If the demand plummets, both price and production are reduced.
A good example of this idea is the price of eggs during the pandemic. Due to the additional hit from “bird flu”,and the lack of egg carton production, the supply of eggs at the grocery store was reduced. Eggs were available most of the time, but the price went up to 400% of "normal" . This lowered demand, and eventually supply and demand stabilized “Post crisis “egg prices have returned to “pre- crisis” levels. Had eggs been free, we would still be in “crisis” mode. That is eggs would be both “free” and “unavailable”.
In a system where an item is offered for free, there is no consumer driven pressure to keep prices down.Therefore the producer has no incentive to be production efficient or cost efficient.
Another concern is that if an item is offered at no cost, human nature will create a situation in which hoarding takes place. This in turn would lead to a “miscue” on demand, which would create either a surplus or a scarcity. Even if it were a temporary surplus, it would lead to scarcity. Tampons would be both "free" and "unavailable".
I also ask what this has to do with “gender equality”? What is being offered to the “non menstruating individual” in equal value?
Explain the statement “all individuals have the opportunity to manage their menstruation in a safe and dignified manner.”
Give some examples of other items successfully offered for free.
Round 2
Who Pays for Free Tampons?
- When advocating for free tampons, it typically involves a cost-sharing model, where the expenses are covered by a combination of government funding, private sector partnerships, and philanthropic initiatives. The aim is to distribute the financial burden across various stakeholders to ensure affordability.
Gender Equality:
- The argument for providing free tampons often ties into gender equality. The idea is that menstruation is a natural biological process that affects people with uteruses, and access to menstrual products is essential for their health and dignity. It's about addressing a specific gender-related issue and ensuring equitable access to products that individuals need for their well-being.
Supply and Demand Balance:
- Managing supply and demand is indeed a challenge in a free distribution system. However, the provision of essential goods like tampons often falls under public health or gender equity considerations rather than a purely market-driven approach. Policies can be designed to ensure a stable supply, taking into account fluctuations in demand.
"Safe and Dignified Manner":
- The statement "all individuals have the opportunity to manage their menstruation in a safe and dignified manner" implies that everyone, regardless of their gender or financial situation, should have access to the necessary products to maintain hygiene and comfort during menstruation. It emphasizes the importance of respecting individual dignity and health.
Examples of items offered for free:
- Vaccinations: Many countries provide free or low-cost vaccinations to ensure public health.
- Condoms: In some places, condoms are distributed for free to promote safe sex and prevent the spread of diseases.
You claim “expenses are covered by a combination of government funding, private sector partnerships, and philanthropic initiatives” You fail to see that there is an overlay of additional steps in the process of delivering “free” tampons. The added manpower ( or “personpower”) comes with added costs.
Because tampons are an inexpensive product in the first place , the extra manpower ( or “personpower”) will significantly impact the real cost of the product. This invariably leads to another problem. There is no real incentive to contain cost. Just look at the American Healthcare system as an example.
One may purchase aspirin at the drugstore for less than three cents a pill. That same pill can cost twenty five dollars in the hospital. Why? Because the end user does not pay that cost directly. Instead it is billed through insurance policies and results in even higher cost. “Why is it that products we purchase at the local drug store end up costing much more in the hospital? The culprit behind these high costs is our reimbursement structure.” (1).
On “gender equality”, you still have not explained what the “non menstruating individual” receives in equal value. Giving one group something for free, while at the same time giving nothing to others, does not create “equality”. It creates “inequality. If that “inequality” is gender based, it may also be illegal.
On “supply and demand balance” you state that “ Policies can be designed to ensure a stable supply, taking into account fluctuations in demand.” Kindly state those policies.
On "Safe and Dignified Manner" you state “that everyone, regardless of their gender or financial situation, should have access to the necessary products to maintain hygiene and comfort during menstruation” . What products of equal value are being offered to the “non menstruating individual”?
Perhaps this entire idea of “free tampons” is a “tempest in a teapot”.
“The Huffington Post calculates that ….women who use tampons go through about twenty per menstrual cycle…..[with] an average price of seven dollars for a box of 36 tampons”. (2) Thus it can be seen that the average cost per “menstruating individual” is less than four dollars per month. Compare that to “ the average American household annually spending an estimated $850 on these carbonated beverages” (3)
If the household has the average five members, each one drinks $170 per year in soda ( or pop or soft drinks ). That is about $15 per month, or enough to purchase a 3 month supply of tampons every month.
Reiterating how the "3 cent aspirin" becomes the "25 dollar aspirin" because the end user does not see the cost directly, it is therefore shown that tampons should not be free because the cost would be too high.
- Why an aspirin taken in a hospital can cost upwards of $25 | Healthcare Finance News.
- https://onlinenursing.duq.edu/master-science-nursing/the-ultimate-guide-to-feminine-hygiene
- https://finance.yahoo.com/news/20-countries-highest-soda-consumption-103854366.html#:~:text=According%20to%20Time%20Magazine%2C%20soft,%24850%20on%20these%20carbonated%20beverages.
Round 3
Because tampons are an inexpensive product in the first place , the extra manpower ( or “personpower”) will significantly impact the real cost of the product. This invariably leads to another problem. There is no real incentive to contain cost. Just look at the American Healthcare system as an example.
Then how come that a lot of people are unable to afford it in various different countries?
On “gender equality”, you still have not explained what the “non menstruating individual” receives in equal value. Giving one group something for free, while at the same time giving nothing to others, does not create “equality”. It creates “inequality. If that “inequality” is gender based, it may also be illegal.
People who do not menstruate recive the freeness to not buy the products they do not have to pay for tampons cause it is uneccesary for them but for women it is essential which means there is an inequality at the beginning.
I don't have time to finish or write anything else by now :(
Pro asked,
“Then how come that a lot of people are unable to afford [ tampons] in various different countries?"
There are many reasons that a person cannot purchase a particular product in a particular country. Perhaps the product is simply not available in that country. Perhaps the infrastructure is inadequate to provide the product. Maybe the form of government in that country does not make consumer products a priority.
For example “ …..not even one tampon is sold on average each year to women in Nigeria, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Kenya, Morocco and Thailand.” (1)
Also more research shows that more women use pads…”More U.S. women use pads than tampons, according to a survey of 739 women conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Overall, 62 percent of women said they use pads, compared with 42 percent who said they used tampons” (2)
Therefore logically Pro should be calling for free pads , not free tampons.
On “gender equality” Pro states..
“People who do not menstruate recive the freeness to not buy the products they do not have to pay for tampons cause it is uneccesary for them but for women it is essential which means there is an inequality at the beginning.”
What of the “non menstruating individual” who is not in a relationship with a female? What benefits are they offered in equal measure? Perhaps a cash payout? That would make “free tampons” very expensive.
Also, giving a free product to a portion of society without treating the others to the same benefit is not furthering “equality”, but rather furthering “inequality”.
Giving an item to someone based on gender is a from of discrimination and being gender based, may also be illegal.
"Any law that targets one sex — or one race, or one religion — is inherently discriminatory" (3)
On “supply and demand balance” you state that
“ Policies can be designed to ensure a stable supply, taking into account fluctuations in demand.”
Con asked you to “Kindly state those policies.”
Pro did not state those polices.
Thus, in summary, Pro has shown no real reason to provide a free product. Instead Pro has made many unsubstantiated assertions .Pro has failed in BOP.
Con cited many sources and proved Con’ s point.
- https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-many-women-dont-use-tampons/#:~:text=See%2C%20American%20tampon%20consumption%20is,Austria%2C%20where%20they%20buy%2091.
- https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-many-women-dont-use-tampons/#:~:text=See%2C%20American%20tampon%20consumption%20is,Austria%2C%20where%20they%20buy%2091.
- https://www.aclu.org/news/lgbtq-rights/menstruation-related-discrimination-is-sex-discrimination-we-dont-need-to-erase-trans-or-non-binary-people-to-make-that-point
Yes, I think Abortions should be free too.
Capitalism ensures greater variety of products, and availability.
Hey you are saying that abortions should be free too. It would at least create incentive to abort more children.