Global supply chain shortages could be coming for your monthly cycle.
If you’ve had a hard time finding your favorite tampon — or tampons in general — lately, you’re not alone. Anecdotal reports of a tampon shortage have been slowly creeping onto social media for months, with many consumers taking to Twitter to express their frustration.
Since the pandemic started, there’s been one product shortage after another. From the great toilet paper crisis of 2020 to the current baby formula conundrum, consumers have had to contend with empty shelves and rising prices for over two years.
And now, tampons appear to be the latest victim of an increasingly stressed global supply chain system. Average prices for tampons rose 9.8% in the past year, and prices for menstrual pads rose 8.3%, largely due to the increasing costs of the paper and plastic materials used to make them, according to Bloomberg.
