◀ anchor ▶
I was told that there is a shortage of powdered milk for children in the United States, but this time, tampons, a hygiene essential for women, are showing a shortage.
It is said that production has decreased due to a shortage of raw noodles, which I do not understand at first glance.
Correspondent Kim Su-jin reports from Washington.
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A large chain of pharmacies in Washington DC, USA.
The tampon counters that American women often use instead of sanitary pads are almost empty.
The same goes for other pharmacies nearby.
As you can see, it is difficult to find tampons at any retailer. It is an essential hygiene product, but the strange situation has been going on for over a month.
On social media, the word ‘tampon shortage’ is a real-time search term, and in 2022, women in the United States have lost their tampons following abortions.
[코트니]
“It’s really annoying. It’s a woman’s necessities. Besides, a lot of women’s rights are being taken away now.”
[에드나]
“It’s a really important issue for women. A lot of times we overlook basic needs.”
US state of Maryland.
To a women’s support organization that provides hygiene products and underwear to low-income families and homeless women, tampon donations have decreased by more than 60 percent this year compared to the first half of last year.
The group’s leader points out that the culture of reluctance to talk regarding women’s menstruation still exists in the United States, and that the people in the position to solve the problem are mostly men, so they don’t take the situation seriously.
[다나 말로/여성용품 지원단체 대표]
“75% of U.S. congressional men are non-menstrual men. This may not be their top priority.”
Last month, some female politicians even sent a letter of protest to P&G, the largest tampon maker, but the supply is still in short supply.
Manufacturers said they are suffering from a shortage of cotton, a raw material, and said that they will make sufficient production soon.
However, in America, the world’s most prosperous country, women are questioning why the shortage of women’s products has not been resolved.
This is Kim Soo-jin from MBC News from Washington.
Video coverage: Lee Sang-do / Video editing: Im Joo-hyang
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