Periods are pricey. Anyone with a uterus will know how expensive tampons and towels are- not to mention the cost of paracetamol. Sometimes there's even the expense of an absence at work or uni if the pain is particularly bad.
Today, over 1,600 students at UEA are having their period. Sanitary items are a pretty crucial instrument for them, yet the Government slaps a rate of 5% Value Added Tax (VAT) on them as a 'luxury, non-essential item'. Many products are free from VAT as they are viewed as fundamental: food, prescriptions and children's clothes... but not sanitary products.
Using a tampon isn’t a luxury- it’s an essential, and sanitary items are also crucial to health and hygiene - using homemade alternatives can put you at risk of infection. The Union’s Union Council debated this and decided that it's unethical to ask people to give a contribution to the Government each time- and it’s unethical to make a profit from these products too, even if the proceeds to make it back into the union.
So following that debate we’ve looked at the costs and decided to go profit-free on periods. That means that from Monday 24th November, our range of tampons, towels and mooncups will be sold at the price we buy them in at, with prices starting at 49p. We stock Always, Tampax, Co-op and ethical alternative Natracare, as well as mooncups, and our decision will mean that in some cases we’re halving the price of a period on campus.