(LEX 18) — Tampons and pads are a necessity for most women but advocates say these items are taxed like a luxury product and pricing some people out.
The Alliance for Period Supplies says this especially impacts women and girls in poverty.
In the Commonwealth, one in five women and girls between ages 12 and 44 live below the federal poverty line.
The group also estimates one in four teens in the U.S. has missed class because they didn't have period supplies.
So why is the sales tax such a big deal?
A box of tampons typically costs $5-8 and the average woman uses more than 1,600 tampons in her lifetime.
That's why UK student Kotomi Yokokura founded an on-campus organization, Take a Tampon, with the goal of providing accessible hygiene products.
The average American woman will pay overall more than $1,700 for period products in her lifetime — up to $250 of that will be taxes.
Kentucky is one of 26 states that currently tax period supplies. Neighboring states, like Ohio and Illinois, do not charge a tax.
