Image Source: USA Today
To alleviate shortages in the country, major tampon makers in the United States have agreed to produce more sanitary goods.
One company informed the BBC that the epidemic had resulted in employee shortages at its facilities.
Users have been sharing their stories on social media about their struggles to get sanitary items.
One Reddit user stated they went to eight places before buying tampons with a cardboard applicator online “for a substantial mark-up.”
It comes as the cost of raw ingredients for sanitary goods rises due to the conflict in Ukraine.
The shortfall is also raising fears that supply chain disruptions would drive up the cost of critical items worldwide.
Edgewell Personal Care, which makes Playtex and o.b. tampons, stated its stock has been “affected due to substantial personnel shortages caused by two major Omicron surges in late 2021 and early 2022, respectively,” according to a spokeswoman.
Meanwhile, Tampax tampon maker Procter & Gamble (P&G) claimed in a statement that it was “working aggressively to ramp up production.”
“We can tell you that this is a transitory situation,” the company, which sells over 4.5 billion packs of tampons each year, stated.
During a recent earnings call, purchasing raw materials for tampons, such as cotton and plastic, has been “costly and highly variable,” according to P&G’s chief financial officer, Andre Schulten.
“It is critical for folks to purchase only what they require at this time. I’m not a supply chain specialist, but we know that some of the early pandemic shortages we all faced were caused by hoarding, “According to Elise Joy, co-founder and executive director of the American charity Girls Helping Girls Period.
“Menstrual items are not a luxury item,” she continued, “and if we all take or buy what we need, it will go a long way toward ensuring that more people have access to essential supplies.”
According to the BBC, Walgreens, a US pharmacy chain, is “experiencing some brief brand-specific tampon shortage in certain geographies.”
“While we will continue to have products on the shelf and online, while we handle the supply disruption, it may only be in particular brands,” the representative noted.
