Tampons are a luxury item.

May I ask a question exactly what are women to do with out either pads or tampons then? This is a necessity, not a want? Unbelievable, then we have commercials begging pads and tampons for African girls who must miss school during their periods from lack of feminine hygiene products and fall behind their male counterparts , on TV here in the States, I guess the Prime minister has missed these right?

That's crazy. Whats next? Why not just make toilet paper a luxury item as well? I mean we could use leaves or newspapers, or if you read while in the toilet, you could just rip out the page you have finished reading and use that. You have to wonder who decides this stuff and why that person is not locked up in a mental health facility.

Who ever can up with that idea is an idiot!!! Luxury yeah right every women in the world loves when that time of the month rolls around!!! I love to have a tampon shoved up my *((()*& im sure other women do to Thats just crazy really a male must have came up with that because im sure another women would never thing of a pad or tampon as a luxury A cruise, vacation even a dinner out that luxury but not my period !!!!

I think DISPOSABLE menstrual products ARE a luxury. and one that has a vast negative impact on the environment. they end up in landfill and taxes help to pay for that. if you're worried about paying taxes on them every month, consider a mooncup, that will cost only £20 for about ten years worth of menstrual protection. it's more healthy for the body, as it has no fibres that can harbour bacteria and cause infection. there is NO Toxic Shock Syndrome with menstrual cups. the mooncup is made of medical grade silicon, and you boil it or use sterilising fluid before and after your period. many people with painful periods find them less painful, get less cramps and often shorter periods when using a mooncup. you can put them in when you are due on, with no health risks from using it before there is any flow, so ideal if you want to go out for the day and are worried aboitut starting. they are very clean to use. the blood doesn't go stale, smelly or brown. it's a lot less gross than using a tampon, in that sense. it's better economically, it costs only £20 and lasts about ten years. it's comfier than a tampon. I know because I used to use them, and when I started using my mooncup it was like sudden freedom. not having to carry things about with you, or worry about running out, comfier to wear. cheaper. and much much better for the environment. they are seriously amazing. I thought tampons were the best option, until I tried mooncups, and I am a complete convert.

While most women consider tampons and pads a necessity, I can understand how they would be considered a luxury. Way back when, women used cloth pads that they washed and reused, the luxury is in the part of being able to dispose of them and have them at your convinence. While being on a period is no where near luxourious, some of the items we use have made it much more managable.

I think they should take the GST off of pads and tampons. They are quite necessary. Maybe with a female vice-PM we might get somewhere. They are definitely not a luxury item.

Ludicrous to say the least! I would have understood if it was India coz here most women don’t use tampons and pads are way too cheaper. Tampons marketed by J&J are way too expensive and not easily available either. But from what I get to understand here in mylot, western women are more used to tampons than pads and so tampons are definitely regular utility items for you.

Hi coffeeshot, Well obviously it wouldn't be a problem if the women just stayed in the kitchen where they belong! Seriously, though, you do have a valid gripe here. You and everyone else who's been done over in one way or another by the idiotic bureaucracy that's become endemic in this country. As far as the GST is concerned, I was expecting the GST to replace all the other taxes. Instead, it's just been foisted on us as an ADDITIONAL tax. Silly me, what was I thinking - that the pollies actually gave a rat's butt about the best interests of fellow Australians? Yeah, sure. Just as a matter of curiosity on this subject, I'm assuming that the monthly measures taken by womenfolk of yesteryear were rather more crude than the level of sophistication that now prevails - thereby allowing unprecedented mobility for women that might have been just a dream in previous ages. I wonder if there is any alternative to tampons and such - that has either been forgotten, discarded or suppressed in Western societies. Not that the people who make regulations about what's essential and what's not would have any clue about any such thing. But there have been previous civilizations that have risen to heights of culture and sophistication that rivaled and most likely exceeded our own. I wonder how those cultures dealt with this particular issue? Coming also from a rather contrary perspective, I also wonder just how those legendary Amazons in South America conducted their affairs in relation to the monthly cycle? There can be little doubt as to their mobility as they rampaged about fighting wars, trashing villages, lopping off wayward heads and being repeatedly defeated at the hands of Xena with the Big Boobies and her little mate Gabriella. There's also some African tribe that I read about where the roles of men and women are pretty much reversed in comparison to most traditions - the menfolk do the gardening, cooking and child-rearing, while the women have bar-fights and generally smash the place up a bit. Same question arises - how did / do those people deal with the lunar cycle? Anyway, it is refreshing to see the rise of women in the halls of power both here and across in Kiwi Land. Maybe some sense will come out of Canberra yet.

Well, over the counter things are taxed as well here in USA. I'm not sure if the tax is in addition. That sounds crazy if so. I agree, they aren't luxury and they are neccessary if you want to achieve proper higene :). I'm male, and I agree with you! Pablo

Maybe they think you should bleed on old rags like our grandmothers did? So I guess compared to that it's luxurious

I don't know how I missed this discussion. I want to say that I think it's stupid that feminine hygiene products are considered a luxury in Australia. A lot of us women go through a lot during our "time of the month" and for women to have to pay a special tax on these items is ridiculous. It doesn't surprise me that most of these officials are male. Maybe their wives (that is, if they are married) should not use anything at all and sit in their husband's favorite chair during this time of the month. Maybe sit in their husband's car. In other words stain the hell out of their stuff. Maybe then these government officials will finally see it's not such a "luxury" after all. Happy mylotting!

I think if we were to reverse the roles of men and women and let them deal with a monthly visitor, they would rethink that very fast. I think its ridculous. Would a petition sent to an elected official help change things? I know thats how we try to change laws.. not that it works but at least it gets our voice heard.

being a fellow aussie i share your pain.i know these product are so expensive and a neccessity rather than a luxury.we are paying nearly $5-$6 for tampons and pads,ridiculous.i wish these poiticians of ours could have our luxury every 30 days.cheers sue

Sure enough every woman would want those things you mentioned to be just luxury! Who wants them anyway? But since they aren't, these people should have been intelligent enough to know the difference between a luxury and a necessity. I used to want to be a man to avoid those things but knowing that men can be that of an idiot, I'd rather stay as a woman and deal with all those "luxuries'..argh

I know we have to pay taxes on them in my area and have for years. We didn't have to at one time but then it changed to include everything but most food items. Even toilet paper is taxed and again that to me is a neccessity but someone higher up decided it wasn't somewhere over 20 years ago. It can be very strange what they decide is a neccessity and what isn't.

I was laughing the whole time while I was reading your post. I like the way you put. Well, you're right. Femine hygiene is something that unfortunately we have to go through and I do not consider luxurious at all. I wish men had their periods for at least ONE day. Then, they'd be singing a different tune.

Same here in Canada. I think it is a load of Bull myself. In Canada it isn't a luxury but the government is so greedy. Tax away you morons! On the other hand I have heard in the poor areas of the world such as places in Africa women don't have the luxury of tampons and pads. I can't imagine how horrible that would be.

how stupid! how are those a luxury? i would like to hear them explain how those are luxury. people are just so stupid.

That's ridiculous! What are women supposed to do, stay home, stuff their underwear with toilet paper? Use rags like 100 years ago? If you boss got wind of that you'd probably be in trouble for being unsanitary.

Oh, the joys of womanhood! I am soooo glad to be over all that. Kotex ought to give shares of stock to all of us women who make it through menopause. We supported them for a lot of years! lol