WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Health is making a bold move for women's health, by lowering prices on their brand of feminine hygiene products and promising to pay the sales tax for those products.
The announcement is in response to the so-called "period tax", that is placed on sanitary products such as tampons, sanitary napkins and other hygiene products in some states.
The "period tax" is the unofficial term that many use to describe the sales tax on feminine hygiene products. Some essential items, such as groceries, prescriptions, and other necessities can be granted tax-exemption status is some states, but sanitary products like period products are typically considered non-essential by tax law.
The tax has garnered controversy, with some calling it discriminatory towards women. CVS has spoken out against the tax, and has announced their efforts to provide women easier access to physical and mental health services and products.
In order to do this, CVS has announced that they will pay the "period tax" on hygiene products, and will lower the prices of CVS Health brand period products by 25% in some pharmacy locations.
CVS has also said that they are working to eliminate the tax nationwide.
In addition to these price drops, CVS has also stated that they have reviewed thousands of products to make sure that women's and men's products are priced equally.
CVS reminds customers that their in-house health clinic, MinuteClinic, offers numerous health services to women such as menstrual care, heart-health screenings, mental health services and more.